Once Upon a Time in Seoul

2008 1h 38m KO

😐

5.3

MID

★5.3TMDB · 5

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

1953, the Korean war has ended, but the fight for survival has just begun. Two 18 year old boys, Tae-ho and Jong-du, live in a camp for orphaned boys, which is more of a concentration camp where everyone suffers from hunger, inhumane treatment and unbearable work conditions. But these two have a dream of a better tomorrow. Tae-ho is the one with wits and brains and Jong-du is the tough street fighter. Together they scheme to steal US Army supplies and recruit other boys to grow their business. But when they start to take business away from the local gangsters, their fight fur survival turns into a war…

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Lee Wan
Jong-du
Song Chang-eui
Tae-ho
Greena Park
Soon-nam
Lee Ki-young
Do-cheol
Ahn Kil-kang
Myeong-su
Song Young-chang
Man-ki
Jung Kyung-ho
Rat
Park Young-seo
Deok-bae

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bae Hyeong-jun
Writers: Han Ji-hoon
Languages: Korean
Countries: South Korea

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Bae Hyeong-jun, shot by Hwang Ki-suk. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lee Byung-hoon. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Park Gwang-il shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Lee Wan and Song Chang-eui and Greena Park carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1565043 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 5 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bae Hyeong-jun directs. Hwang Ki-suk behind the camera. Lee Byung-hoon scores. Park Gwang-il cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in South Korea. Dialogue in Korean.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 18 years ago.
2Directed by Bae Hyeong-jun, shot by Hwang Ki-suk. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Lee Byung-hoon. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Park Gwang-il shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Lee Wan and Song Chang-eui and Greena Park carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt1565043 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 5 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.