The Good, the Bad, the Weird
Encyclopedia
The Good, the Bad, the Weird (좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈
, Joheun nom nabbeun nom isanghan nom) is a 2008
South Korean
western film
directed by Kim Ji-woon
, starring Song Kang-ho
, Lee Byung-hun
, and Jung Woo-sung
. It was inspired by Sergio Leone
's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
.
The film premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival
and was released on a limited basis in the U.S on April 23, 2010.
. The Bad (Lee Byung-hun
) - a bandit and hitman - is hired to acquire a treasure map from a Japanese official traveling by train. Before he can get it however, The Weird (Song Kang-ho
) - a thief (Honghuzi
) - steals the map and is caught up in The Bad's derailment of the train. This involves the slaughter of the Japanese and Manchurian guards, and various civilians. The Good (Jung Woo-sung
) - an eagle-eyed bounty hunter - appears on the scene to claim the bounty on The Bad. Meanwhile The Weird escapes, eluding his Good and Bad pursuers. A third force - a group of Manchurian bandits - also want the map to sell to the Ghost Market. The Weird hopes to uncover the map's secrets and recover what he believes is gold and riches buried by the Qing Dynasty
just before the collapse of their government. As the story continues, an escalating battle for the map occurs, with bounties placed on heads and the Imperial Japanese Army
racing to reclaim its map as it can apparently "save the Japanese Empire".
After a series of graphic shoot-outs and chases, it ends with a final battle in which the Japanese army, Manchurian bandits, The Good, The Bad and his gang are chasing The Weird all at once. The Japanese army kills most of the bandits. The Good kills many Japanese soldiers and sets off an explosion that drives them away. The Bad's gang is slowly killed throughout the film. Towards the end they attempt to leave the chase and he kills several of them in anger. Only the Bad, the Weird and the Good make it to the "treasure". However, they find that it is nothing more than a boarded-over hole in the desert. The Bad recognizes The Weird as the "Finger Chopper" - a criminal that cut off his finger in a knife fight five years ago - and the man that the Good had thought the Bad to be. Turning on each other in a final act of vengeance for the slights they suffered over the course of the film, they finally gun each other down after a prolonged Mexican standoff
. The final scene is of the three lying in the sand, dying and alone, as the "useless hole" they had fought and died for suddenly and belatedly erupts with a geyser of crude oil. It is revealed shortly before the credits that the Good does survive along with the Weird. With a new raised bounty on the Weird, a new chase begins as he flees across the Manchurian desert.
In the United Kingdom, the British Board of Film Classification
ordered five seconds of cuts to the cinema release due to scenes of animal cruelty that violated the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937.
on May 24, 2008. It also received screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival
, Hawaii International Film Festival
, Sitges Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival
, and the London Film Festival
.
American distribution rights were acquired by IFC Films
, who released it in theaters on a limited basis on April 23, 2010.
The Good, the Bad, the Weird received generally positive reviews. Review aggregating website Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 83% of 60 sampled critics gave the film positive reviews and that it got a rating average of 7.2 out of 10.
and beating The Chaser
.
2008 41st Sitges Film Festival
2008 29th Blue Dragon Film Awards
2008 Hawaii International Film Festival
2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards
Special features:
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
, Joheun nom nabbeun nom isanghan nom) is a 2008
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
South Korean
Cinema of Korea
Korean cinema encompasses the motion picture industries of North and South Korea. As with all aspects of Korean life during the past century, the film industry has often been at the mercy of political events, from the late Joseon dynasty to the Korean War to domestic governmental interference...
western film
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
directed by Kim Ji-woon
Kim Ji-Woon
Kim Ji-woon is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Kim Ji-woon has a history of successfully tackling a wide range of film genres, garnering a cult following among Asian films fans all over the world.-Career:...
, starring Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School...
, Lee Byung-hun
Lee Byung-Hun
Lee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He has starred in popular television dramas such as Iris , All In and Beautiful Days...
, and Jung Woo-sung
Jung Woo-sung
- Career :Jung Woo-sung was born in Seoul on March 20, 1973. After first finding work as a model, he made his film debut in the 1994 movie The Fox with Nine Tails, together with Ko So-young...
. It was inspired by Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter most associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre.Leone's film-making style includes juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots...
's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in the title roles. The screenplay was written by Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni and Leone, based on a story by Vincenzoni and Leone...
.
The film premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival
2008 Cannes Film Festival
The 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 14 to May 25, 2008. In addition to films selected for competition this year, major Hollywood productions such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Kung Fu Panda had their world premieres at the festival.The British press...
and was released on a limited basis in the U.S on April 23, 2010.
Plot
The film is set in the desert wilderness of 1930s ManchuriaManchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
. The Bad (Lee Byung-hun
Lee Byung-Hun
Lee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He has starred in popular television dramas such as Iris , All In and Beautiful Days...
) - a bandit and hitman - is hired to acquire a treasure map from a Japanese official traveling by train. Before he can get it however, The Weird (Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School...
) - a thief (Honghuzi
Honghuzi
Honghuzi were armed robbers, bandits in the areas of the eastern Russia-China borderland: Southeastern Siberia, Russian Far East, and Northeast China . the word has been variously transliterated as hong huzi, hong hu zi, hunghutze, hun-hutze, etc...
) - steals the map and is caught up in The Bad's derailment of the train. This involves the slaughter of the Japanese and Manchurian guards, and various civilians. The Good (Jung Woo-sung
Jung Woo-sung
- Career :Jung Woo-sung was born in Seoul on March 20, 1973. After first finding work as a model, he made his film debut in the 1994 movie The Fox with Nine Tails, together with Ko So-young...
) - an eagle-eyed bounty hunter - appears on the scene to claim the bounty on The Bad. Meanwhile The Weird escapes, eluding his Good and Bad pursuers. A third force - a group of Manchurian bandits - also want the map to sell to the Ghost Market. The Weird hopes to uncover the map's secrets and recover what he believes is gold and riches buried by the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
just before the collapse of their government. As the story continues, an escalating battle for the map occurs, with bounties placed on heads and the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
racing to reclaim its map as it can apparently "save the Japanese Empire".
After a series of graphic shoot-outs and chases, it ends with a final battle in which the Japanese army, Manchurian bandits, The Good, The Bad and his gang are chasing The Weird all at once. The Japanese army kills most of the bandits. The Good kills many Japanese soldiers and sets off an explosion that drives them away. The Bad's gang is slowly killed throughout the film. Towards the end they attempt to leave the chase and he kills several of them in anger. Only the Bad, the Weird and the Good make it to the "treasure". However, they find that it is nothing more than a boarded-over hole in the desert. The Bad recognizes The Weird as the "Finger Chopper" - a criminal that cut off his finger in a knife fight five years ago - and the man that the Good had thought the Bad to be. Turning on each other in a final act of vengeance for the slights they suffered over the course of the film, they finally gun each other down after a prolonged Mexican standoff
Mexican standoff
A Mexican standoff is a slang term defined as a stalemate or impasse; a confrontation that neither side can foreseeably win. The term is most often used in lieu of "stalemate" when the confrontational situation is exceptionally dangerous for all parties involved.In popular culture, the Mexican...
. The final scene is of the three lying in the sand, dying and alone, as the "useless hole" they had fought and died for suddenly and belatedly erupts with a geyser of crude oil. It is revealed shortly before the credits that the Good does survive along with the Weird. With a new raised bounty on the Weird, a new chase begins as he flees across the Manchurian desert.
Cast
- Song Kang-hoSong Kang-hoSong Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School...
as Yoon Tae-goo, the Weird - Lee Byung-hunLee Byung-HunLee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He has starred in popular television dramas such as Iris , All In and Beautiful Days...
as Park Chang-yi, the Bad - Jung Woo-sungJung Woo-sung- Career :Jung Woo-sung was born in Seoul on March 20, 1973. After first finding work as a model, he made his film debut in the 1994 movie The Fox with Nine Tails, together with Ko So-young...
as Park Do-won, the Good - Yoon Je-moonYoon Je-moonYoon Je-moon is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his role in the 2009 television series Iris.-References:...
as Byeong-choon, Manchurian Bandit Leader's Right hand man - Ryoo Seung-soo as Man-gil, Yoon Tae-goo's friend
- Song Yeong-chang as Kim Pan-joo
- Son Byeong-ho as Seo Jae-sik
- Oh Dal-suOh Dal-suOh Dal-su is a South Korean actor. He has played many crime-related roles, such as Mr.Park the owner of the organized crime funded private jail in Oldboy and a former gang boss in Mapado . He plays a semi-comic part as a weapons smuggler in A Bittersweet Life...
as Park Seo-bang - Uhm Ji-won as Na-yeon (cameo)
Alternate versions
Two versions of the film were released in cinemas: one being for the native Korean market and the other for international sales. The Korean theatrical cut is 136 minutes long and the international cut is 129 minutes long. The Korean ending is more "up-beat" than the international version, including several more minutes of footage, in which it is revealed that both The Weird and The Good survived the standoff and escaped. The Weird sets off to continue hunting for the treasure with his bounty multiplied sevenfold, while The Good vindictively pursues him. The ending of the international version reflects the end that director Kim Ji-woon originally wanted.In the United Kingdom, the British Board of Film Classification
British Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
ordered five seconds of cuts to the cinema release due to scenes of animal cruelty that violated the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937.
Reception
The film was screened out of competition at the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
on May 24, 2008. It also received screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, Hawaii International Film Festival
Hawaii International Film Festival
The Hawaii International Film Festival is a film festival held in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It was started in 1981 by Jeannette Paulson Hereniko and has been held annually in the fall for two weeks...
, Sitges Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
, and the London Film Festival
London Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, , currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute...
.
American distribution rights were acquired by IFC Films
IFC Films
IFC Films is an American film distribution company based in New York, owned by AMC Networks. It distributes independent films and documentaries under the IFC Films, Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight. It operates the IFC Center....
, who released it in theaters on a limited basis on April 23, 2010.
The Good, the Bad, the Weird received generally positive reviews. Review aggregating website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 83% of 60 sampled critics gave the film positive reviews and that it got a rating average of 7.2 out of 10.
Box office
The Good, the Bad, the Weird earned $128,486 in North America and $44,132,723 in other territories, bringing the worldwide gross to $44,261,209. It was the second highest grossing Korean film after Speedy ScandalSpeedy Scandal
Speedy Scandal is a 2008 South Korean film written and directed by Kang Hyeong-cheol and starring Cha Tae-hyun in the lead role. This was Director Kang's first film before Sunny and the highest grossing Korean film of the year.- Plot :...
and beating The Chaser
The Chaser (film)
The Chaser is a 2008 South Korean thriller film starring Kim Yoon-seok and Ha Jeong-woo. It was directed by Na Hong-jin in his directional debut...
.
Awards and nominations
2009 Asian Film AwardsAsian Film Awards
The Asian Film Awards are presented annually by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society to recognize excellence of film professionals in the film industries of Asian cinema.-History:...
- Best Supporting Actor - Jung Woo-sungJung Woo-sung- Career :Jung Woo-sung was born in Seoul on March 20, 1973. After first finding work as a model, he made his film debut in the 1994 movie The Fox with Nine Tails, together with Ko So-young...
- Nomination – Best Leading Actor - Song Kang-hoSong Kang-hoSong Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School...
- Nomination – Best Supporting Actor - Lee Byung-hunLee Byung-HunLee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He has starred in popular television dramas such as Iris , All In and Beautiful Days...
- Nomination – Best Director - Kim Ji-woonKim Ji-WoonKim Ji-woon is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Kim Ji-woon has a history of successfully tackling a wide range of film genres, garnering a cult following among Asian films fans all over the world.-Career:...
- Nomination – Best Film
- Nomination – Best Cinematography - Lee Mo-gae
- Nomination – Best Composer - Dalparan and Jang Young-gyu
- Nomination – Best Visual Effects - KIM Wook
2008 41st Sitges Film Festival
- Best Director - Kim Ji-woonKim Ji-WoonKim Ji-woon is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Kim Ji-woon has a history of successfully tackling a wide range of film genres, garnering a cult following among Asian films fans all over the world.-Career:...
- Best Special Effects - Do-Ahn Jung
- Nomination - Best Film
2008 29th Blue Dragon Film Awards
Blue Dragon Film Awards
The Blue Dragon Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony that is presented annually by Sports Chosun for excellence in film in South Korea....
- Best Director - Kim Ji-woonKim Ji-WoonKim Ji-woon is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Kim Ji-woon has a history of successfully tackling a wide range of film genres, garnering a cult following among Asian films fans all over the world.-Career:...
- Most Popular Film
- Best Cinematography - Lee Mo-gae
- Best Art Direction - Jo Hwa-seong
- Nomination – Best Leading Actor - Lee Byung-hunLee Byung-HunLee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He has starred in popular television dramas such as Iris , All In and Beautiful Days...
- Nomination – Best Leading Actor - Song Kang-hoSong Kang-hoSong Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School...
- Nomination – Best Film
- Nomination – Best Music - Dalparan and Jang Young-Gyu
- Nomination – Best Lighting - Oh Seung-Chul
- Nomination – Technical Award - DTI
2008 Hawaii International Film Festival
Hawaii International Film Festival
The Hawaii International Film Festival is a film festival held in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It was started in 1981 by Jeannette Paulson Hereniko and has been held annually in the fall for two weeks...
- Maverick Award - Kim Ji-woonKim Ji-WoonKim Ji-woon is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Kim Ji-woon has a history of successfully tackling a wide range of film genres, garnering a cult following among Asian films fans all over the world.-Career:...
- Best Supporting Actor - Jung Woo-sungJung Woo-sung- Career :Jung Woo-sung was born in Seoul on March 20, 1973. After first finding work as a model, he made his film debut in the 1994 movie The Fox with Nine Tails, together with Ko So-young...
2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards
Asia Pacific Screen Awards
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Events Queensland, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of UNESCO to...
- Winner, Achievement in CinematographyAsia Pacific Screen Award for Achievement in CinematographyThe winners and nominees of the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Achievement in Cinematography are:*2009 Winner: Nanjing! Nanjing! People's Republic of China. Cinematographer: Cao Yu** 2009 Nominees:...
(Lee Mogae) - Nominated, Achievement in Directing (Kim Ji-woon)
Home media
The film was released on DVD on March 11, 2009. The Korean release contains a longer version of the film and the international release has a slightly shorter cut with English subtitles.Special features:
- Alternative (Korean) Ending
- Running Fast (Making Of)
- The Good, The Bad, The Weird and the Vicious (Interview with Director and the Cast)
- Analogue (Cinematography, Lighting, Action Sequences, Sound)
- Space (Production Design, Costumes, Set Decoration)
- Deleted Scenes
- Alternate Endings