Who stole the ‘Boys’ time?

*Contains spoilers for the movie ‘Boys.’

The film '1987' (directed by Jang Jun-hwan) deals with the painful modern and contemporary history of the torture death of Park Jong-cheol, which marked the beginning of the democratic uprising in June 1987. Choi was wrongly accused of the murder of a taxi driver at Iksan Yakchon Intersection that occurred on August 10, 2000. From 'Retrial' (directed by Kim Tae-yoon), which tells the story of 'The Crucible' (directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk), which deals with the shocking case of Gwangju Inhwa School, where inhumane child abuse and gang rape occurred against male and female disabled students aged 7 to 22.

What is one thing the three movies have in common? It is our history that is so stained and sad that it makes me feel sick, and it is a record of events that must be rewritten. Events that we have heard about at first glance or heard about through the media are often recreated on the screen and meet the audience. Why do directors make movies about things we already know? The answer to this question can be found in director Jeong Ji-young's film 'Boys', which is based on the Samrye Nara Super incident. The movie sets in motion the rusty clockwork of the ‘boys’ that had been frozen in time.

The Samrye Nara Super incident occurred at 4 a.m. on February 6, 1999, when a trio of robbers broke into the Nara Supermarket in Samrye-eup, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, murdered a sleeping 77-year-old woman, and stole cash and other belongings. In the process, the police arrested Choi and Kang, who were 19 years old at the time, and Lim, who was 20 years old, and sentenced them to 3 to 6 years in prison on charges of robbery and causing death. However, despite the tip-off that there was a separate real culprit and the arrest of three suspects in November 1999, the Jeonju Prosecutor's Office cleared the charges, and the three men who had served their sentences requested a retrial in 2015 and were found not guilty in 2016.

The movie 'Boys' explains how the incident occurred in a non-linear structure rather than a linear structure. The time zones of 1999, 2000, and 2016 are arranged alternately, and emotions are woven like a rope. Director Jeong Ji-young quickly compresses the process of the robbery and murder charges being indicted from the opening, which lists images of a crying child in a supermarket on a pouring rain night and a robber barging in, just as the detectives and prosecutors in charge at the time tackled the case in a hurry. Instead, detective Hwang Jun-cheol (Sol Kyeong-gu) is placed in his place. Already 16 years have passed, and Hwang Jun-cheol's graying hair and face show a tired look as he has faced the trials of time. Former colleague and junior detective Park Jeong-gyu (Heo Seong-tae), who used to work together, comments on Hwang Jun-cheol's changed appearance, saying, "He doesn't have the murderous look in his eyes from 16 years ago."

Traces of Hwang Jun-cheol's venom, also known as 'mad dog', can be found in his memories of that day 16 years ago. Hwang Jun-cheol, who never misses a case, is assigned to the Wanju Police Station and receives a phone call reporting the real culprit of the Samrye Nara Super incident. Hwang Jun-cheol, who met the informant and heard that the real culprit is separate, tries to open the locked gate to uncover the truth about Samrye Nara Super, but there is no movement. Only Yoon Mi-sook (Jin Kyung), the witness behind the tightly locked door, can tell the truth about 'that day', but she is also a victim.

If you act alone in a group, you will definitely become a thorn in the side. Above all, as the case has already been concluded and the three perpetrators have been sentenced to prison, Hwang Jun-cheol's arbitrary actions are bound to be irritating within the police. Choi Woo-seong (Yoo Jun-sang), the detective in charge of the case at the time, puts pressure on Hwang Jun-cheol by stopping him from investigating. Hwang Jun-cheol, who visited the prison where the boys were imprisoned, resolved the questions, and brought in the real criminal Lee Jae-seok (Seo In-guk) and two others, was forced to retreat helplessly in the face of strong concealment by state agencies. Because of the violent investigation, the boys did not tell the truth for fear of retaliation, and the records of that day ended up sinking into the deep sea. The back of Hwang Jun-cheol, shown throughout the movie, is full of regret and regret at having to leave Wanju-seo.

However, Hwang Jun-cheol's persistent desire to find the truth led him to open the tightly closed door. Yoon Mi-sook, a victim and witness of the incident, realizes that the 'boys' were not the real culprits, regrets relying on her own blurry memories, and prepares for a retrial in 2016. The boys, who could not escape the stigma of being 'criminals' even after being released from prison, open their tightly closed mouths and tell the stories they had never been able to tell, and Lee Jae-seok, who was the real criminal, repents of his past sins that he had forgotten and testifies for the retrial. Everyone voices their solid truth at the trial, but the perpetrators of that day still make unrepentant gestures.

Jeong Ji-young is the so-called ‘socialist director’ who repairs and restarts the old clockwork of unforgettable events. 'Black Money' (2019), which deals with the process of acquisition and sale of 51% of the shares and management rights of Korea Exchange Bank by Lonsst, a hedge fund among American private equity funds, in 2003, the true story of being tortured in the anti-communist branch office after being arrested in the Democratic Youth League incident in September 1985 'Nam Yeong-dong 1985' (2012), which deals with 'Broken Arrow' (2012), which deals with the so-called crossbow incident of Professor Kyung-ho Kim, who was unfairly fired after pointing out an error in a math question on the 2007 college entrance exam. Director Jeong Ji-young, who debuted in 1982 with the film ‘The Fog Whispers Like a Woman,’ sharply captures and denounces the dark side of society.

'Boys' gives the impression that it has crossed a long time to come to an ending that says 'We are not murderers.' Of course, I can't shake the feeling that it's a bit emotionally overwhelming. It is also true that it is disappointing that information about how the ‘boys’ lived in the erased time of 16 years is omitted. Because of this, their cries may not reach the depths of our hearts.

Nevertheless, the reason why director Jeong Ji-young's 'Boys' is meaningful is because it points to the question of who created the omitted time. The reason why the boys suddenly became adults and appeared before the audience was because for them, the 16 years were an empty gap in their lives. Looking at the cries of ‘boys’, we need to think. Who is it that took away the boys' time?

The movie ‘Boys’ opens on November 1st. Running time 124 minutes. Suitable for ages 15 and up.

Reporter Ha-neul Lee, Ten Asia greenworld@tenasia.co.kr