Goryeojang

Set in a famine-inflicted village that practices the custom of abandoning the elderly in the mountains once they reach the age of 70, the story follows the trials of Guryong (Kim Jin-kyu) as he goes through life with a disability due to an incident that happened in childhood, while trying to maintain his humanity in an environment filled with fear, greed, and superstition. Likely influenced by Keisuke Kinoshita’s The Ballad of Narayama (1958), Goryeojang is another masterpiece from Kim Ki-young (The Housemaid) that works as both a dark fairy tale and a reflection on South Korea’s April 1960 Revolution (protests that led to the resignation of president Syngman Rhee). With flawless mise-en-scène, elaborate sets, and atmospheric black-and-white cinematography, the film effectively brings to light the inherent corruption of human society, and the disastrous consequences of fear-based politics. Restored in 2019 by the Korean Film Archive. The original screenplay has been utilized to provide on-screen description of the missing scenes (the third and the sixth reels), for which only audio remains.

For $30, receive one ticket to this film and a select menu item at Café Paradiso, located in FLC’s Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. Learn more about our Dinner + Movie combo here.