박열 | Anarchist from Colony
개봉 Released
감독 Directed by
역사배경 History
주연 Cast
2017.06.08
이준익 Lee Joon-ik
1923년 9월 관동 대지진과 간토 조선인 대학살, 독립운동가 박열
1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the Kanto Massacre, Korean Independence Activist Park Yeol
이제훈 Lee Je-hoon
최희서 Choi Hee-seo
Anarchist from Colony is based on the true story of Park Yeol and his anarchist group which planned to assassinate Japan's Crown Prince Hirohito during Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. The movie also highlights the relationship between Park and his lover Kaneko Fumiko, a Japanese nihilist who sympathized with Koreans oppressed under Japanese rule.
Due to his participation in the March First Movement (public display of resistance against the Japanese government) in 1919, Park Yeol was forced to drop out of school and instead moved to Tokyo.
Once in Tokyo, Park continued his studies and met other like-minded individuals who eventually formed the anarchist group, Futeisha/ 不逞/ The Outlaws/ Bulryeongsa / "Heukdohoe" in Korean, led by Park Yeol himself. They planned to assassinate Japan's Crown Prince Hirohito during Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
The name was chosen ironically, as it mimicked the title given to many Koreans by the Japanese: Futei senjin/不逞鮮人/the trouble-making Korean.
When the Great Kanto Earthquake hit Japan on September 1, 1923. With a magnitude of 7.9, it caused widespread damage throughout the Kanto region and over 100,000 casualties, the damage being one of the greatest sustained by Imperial Japan.
False rumours spread that Koreans were committing arson, robbery, and poisoning wells as part of them taking advantage of the Japanese after the disaster, which was the trigger for the Kanto massacre. With the explicit and implicit approval of parts of the Japanese government, the Japanese military, police, and vigilantes murdered an estimated 6,000 to 9,000 people, mainly Koreans.
To divert attention from the murders, the Japanese cabinet indicted Park for his involvement in Futeisha. The case enabled them to claim that Koreans had indeed been plotting subversion: it was proof that Koreans were 'causing trouble'.
Park was sentenced to death in 1926, but after the ruling drew international attention, it was reduced to life in prison. Kaneko died that year in jail, and Park stayed in that jail for 22 years until after the liberation of Korea.
In contrast to its brutal historical background, Anarchist from Colony brings out the rebellious, irreverent, and joyful side of anarchy, creating an unbelievably true movie that makes for an enjoyable watch.
