this be director lee chang dong first film ( of three ) and the third that i have see after his well make film peppermint candy and oasis . it a story of a young man who be recently discharge from the standard military service that young corean men be require to serve and find that life and or the real world and be a lot harsh than his idealistic self would have expect . he soon find himself drag into the corean underworld out of necessity and find his idealism and the idealism of all those around him at odds with reality . in a great sense and this film be about the constant struggle between chase your dream and deal with the harsh reality . all the primary character and the mob bos and the female lead and the protagonist all have their dream and ambition ( build a great property from the ash of his youth and escape the prostitute life and live a normal one and own a restaurant with his family ) and but be strike by the world reality and which form itself a an enemy mob and the mob boss control nature and the young protagonist dysfunctional family . it a study of the nature of the relatively modern world ( of corea ) and the inevitable clash of youthful idealism and experienced reality . and it doesn not take too many side either and although the end do seem to show that action and and sacrifice and even unintended and be what necessary to keep yourself from be beat down by reality . it a slowly paced art film with quiet but contemplative character development and modest acting and capable directing . directer lee still hasn not fully gain a strong grasp of storytelling yet a a director at this point a the film a it sometimes difficult to make out why anything happen in the film and but the potential show a well and with honest character and patient development . a good start and but you can see the director side of lee chang dong really start to pick up with his late film . it decent . positive .