Wanted by the police for his history of student activism, Kim Young Soo is writing the biography of Jeon Taeil, a worker at a clothing factory in Cheonggyecheon who opened the floodgates of the labor movement. As a fugitive on the run, Kim cannot even see his pregnant wife. Instead, he clings desperately to his work of reconstructing Jeon's life, using the diary Jeon's mother has given him along with her eyewitness testimony. Due to his family's difficult circumstances, Jeon entered the workforce early in life. Employed at a clothing factory, he begins to feel that there is something amiss with the factory's working environment, in which employees are made to operate the sewing machines throughout the night. He discovers the root of the problem by studying the labor law and bands his coworkers together to fight for labor law compliance. However, when the situation shows no signs of improving, he commits suicide by setting himself on fire and demanding that employers comply with labor laws. Edit Translation
- English
- 한국어
- magyar / magyar nyelv
- dansk
- Native Title: 아름다운 청년 전태일
- Also Known As: Beautiful Youth , Jeon Tae Il , Areumdaun cheongnyeon Jeon Tae Il
- Screenwriter: Lee Chang Dong, Hur Jin Ho
- Screenwriter & Director: Park Kwang Soo
- Genres: Drama, Political
Where to Watch A Single Spark
Cast & Credits
- Moon Sung GeunYeong SooMain Role
- Hong Kyung In Main Role
- Lee Joo Shil[Tae Il's mother]Support Role
- Myung Gye Nam[Tae Il's father]Support Role
- Dokgo Young Jae[Yeong Soo's senior]Support Role
- Yoo Soon Chul[Yeong Soo's father]Support Role
Reviews
아름다운 청년 전태일 편히 쉬세요.
?️Can you imagine what level of despair one has to reach to set themselves alight and die the most horrible death publicly? Will their sacrifice change anything at all? In 5 years? And in 50 years??️Jeon Tae Il used his last resort by the end of the Third Republic of Korea. Two more Republics would change before the democracy is established, and many more bloody years were ahead. Self-immolation is not an effective form of protest but the most shocking one. It does leave an indelible impression on witnesses, making them question their situation. It is only up to the living if the horrible act of sacrifice has a real impact later. In case of Jeon Tae Il, it wasn't forgotten.
The camerawork in the movie is absolutely fantastic. The depth of shadows and light gives sometimes dramatic feel or sometimes the feeling of being trapped. The leading actor Hong Gyeong-In is perfect. It would easily go to my favorites if not for the slightly undercooked screenplay that made me stray in between the two story lines with the newest one less clear.