(Movie Review) 'Birth' Puts First Korean Priest's Life In Broader Historical Context
By Kim Yoon Jung
Seoul, Nov. 24 (Yonhap) -- St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon (1821-1846), Korea's first Catholic priest, died for his faith at the age of 25, but his short life was still full of devotion, sacrifice and adventure. century
Directed by Park Heung-sik, "Birth" looks like a religious film for Catholics, but shows the lives of the martyrs in the overall context of Korean Catholicism at the end of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and Western imperialism in Asia. 19th century.
The biopic focuses on the birth of Korea's first priest (played by Yoon Si-yoon) amid the harsh religious repression of the monarchy, which feared Christianity as a colonial power and suppressed it through a series of persecutions.
Through extensive research into Kim's correspondence and historical documents, the story recounts the key moments of his life through his own and other compatriots' stories, as well as scenes from his travels at sea and on land.
© From an image provided by Yonhap NewsBorn into a family of Christian converts, Kim was baptized at age 15 and soon left to attend a seminary in Macau under Portuguese rule. He was ordained a priest in China in 1845 and returned home to preach.
But his life as a priest did not last long.
Kim was caught trying to find a safe and secret sea route for other missionaries and was beheaded near the Han River in Seoul in 1846.
The film depicts how the inquisitive young man broadened his view of the world at a time when Western imperial powers, including Britain and France, were aggressively flexing their muscles in Asia.
Fluent in several foreign languages and with a rare knowledge of Western culture, Kim was a pioneer of the Joseon dynasty but fell prey to elites who maintained hierarchical Confucianism as the dominant ideology.
The film is 2 hours and 30 minutes long and is a bit boring at first as it tries to explain many details through reports from Kim, his countrymen and French missionaries who speak Korean, French and Chinese.
The finale features a dramatic sea voyage in a small wooden boat created with computer-generated imagery and Kim crossing the snowy plains of Manchuria. They create much-needed tension and portray Kim as a courageous, business-minded, leader, and devout Christian.
In the beheading scene, the camera angle is fixed on the blood pouring from his severed head, showing why he is called the "Blood Priest".
The biopic depicts a historical journey with scenes related to the Opium War between China and Britain and a French naval fleet off the west coast of Korea, which is believed to be a precursor to the French occupation of Ganghwa Island in 1866.
But given the limited running time to expand on the complex chapters of modern Asian history, the film vaguely touches on key moments without detailed context.
Nativity opened at the Vatican on November 16 and hit local theaters on November 30.
© Poster provided by Yonhap Newsejkim@yna.co.kr
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