Just a marker for oil?
That's why the Japanese and Korean Independent Army were keen on it?
Just wanted to make sure I understood that.
Yeah it was a map to an oil field but I'm not sure anyone really knew that's what it was.
shareYep. Mangil mentions that it was of Russian origin. Some Russian prospectors probably found the oil site in Manchuria, then abandoned it when the Japanese army won the Russo-Japan War. That's why it was so vital to the "prosperity of the Empire" (Japanese Empire was always plagued by lack of petroleum in its territories), and why the Korean Liberation Army was so keen on destroying it (to hamper the Imperial army's efforts in China and Gando).
sharethis is such a bad plot line.
how do you destroy an oil field? even saddam couldnt destroy the kuwait field -- burned for a few months!
Given the near lack of modern firefighting and fire-control technologies at the time, as well as the fact that the only oil-well firefighting company in existence in 1930s was an American one, I'd say lighting it on fire would pretty much do the trick.
shareoil fields are not always jointed. and there were not even wells as it was not exploited.
as much as i love korean movies, and a tale of 2 sisters, this one really sucks.
The political turmoil of the time probably made it hard to send the resources to excavate it. The Japanese had their foothold at that point, and having a petroluem sorce right there would have cemented it. But they didn't have the sorce, just knew it existed. They needed the map to find the place, since the Gobi desert isn't exactly a small place. The liberation army wanted to make sure they didn't get it.
None of the titular characters knew what it was, with the arguable exception of Chang-Yi. Tae-Goo thought it was for money and treasure.
If you want to fault the movie, do. I love it, but recognize it has weaknesses. But I'm not sure this is where it can be faulted.
But, as was said above. The map was a MacGuffin. What it actually was never really mattered, as long as everyone wanted it. And money is something that everyone wants.
:) i think u r right.
i am just generically disappointed with how thin the plot of this movie is. i mean, i think 'once upon a time in corea', of a similar genre, although not a v good film either, is 100 times better than this one.
Yep. I'll agree it had very little plot. In fact, I think it's plot would make a very good handkerchief for a doll, it that there was very little there, but not any huge holes in what little there was.
...other than how Do-Won fit 9 bullets into a shotgun. But that's better than some westerns, and for an action flick it's practically frugal. ^^;
There is very little plot but in the end a movie is to entertain you? and this was very entertaining in my opinion. In an alternative ending Yoon mentions after the shoot out that he is in the wrong place so the oil isn't the treasure - opening up the option for a part 2 - glad they didn't go down that route in the end.
share"fit 9 bullets into a shotgun"
oh damn, i know this post is old, but holy god i cant let this slip, how do you not know the difference between a shotgun and a freaking lever action rifle?
he had a double barreled shotgun in some parts, and others (including the scene you are referring to) he was using an old henry rifle :/
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