MANY Plot questions - Hwanghae (2011) Discussion

[–] moreno96 13 years ago

The chauffeur was working for suitman (Kim). Suitman's wife was having an affair with the professor, while the professor's wife was collaborating with the bank clerk to kill the professor, either for the sake of love, or in order to collect a (presumably) huge life insurance. Axeman's (Myun) main motivation was the fact that he'd do it for money on behalf of suitman. In addition I guess he himself wanted to kill taxidriver because he was a loose end who could tie him to the killing of the professor and I guess also because of some serious male pride issues - him putting axes and knives all up in his henchmen and all. Taxidriver was pretty pissed off with axeman because he tricked him, threatened his family and basically left him for dead, but he was pretty much just trying to run away from him, up until the end, when he promised he would kill him for the professor's wife, but alas - he had reached his stabbing limit and passed away. His wife wasn't the one who had been killed and returned to gangstertown with a mysteriously uncrowded train by asian standards.

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[–] rz_sain 13 years ago

damn right! but what was our guy doing at the bank at the end anyway? and who the hell had rabies??

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[–] sarastro7 13 years ago

He probably wanted to tell the wife that the murderer had been killed, but it was only then and there that he realized that the wife was behind the plot. She and the young banker had gotten the skinny guy to hire Myun, who then sent Taxidriver to kill the professor.

I don't know who had rabies - maybe Myun? I'm not entirely clear on why Myun was so anxious to kill Taxidriver, but I guess Myun never expected him to return from the hit, nor to give him the 57,000 yuan he had promised him for the job. So with a deal gone foul between them, they had no choice but to be bitter enemies.

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[–] zwot 13 years ago

Gu-Nam went to the bank intending to kill the banker, because the banker was the person who had put out a contract on the professor's life. Gu-Nam had told the professor's widow that he would kill the person who had set the murder plot in motion, because Gu-Nam felt the need to make amends for her loss. But when he saw her with the banker he knew she was in on the plot and therefore Gu-Nam owed no amends to her. Instead he just walked away with the knowledge of who was behind it all, which is what he said he needed to know before he could die.

The story about the dog with rabies was meant to foreshadow events in the movie. The dog went on a rampage, people tried to kill it, but it ran away only to return several days later and die on its own schedule. Basically, it's what happened to Gu-Nam.

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[–] sarastro7 13 years ago

You're right! :-)

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[–] davejimenez 13 years ago

^^^^^this^^^^^

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[–] LFrog1386 12 years ago

Whew! Thank you for clearing some questions up for me, as well! I thought the woman on the train at the end was a memory of his wife waving goodbye as she left for Korea, not heading home. And she looked remarkably like the Professor's wife, which confused the hell outta me. And I am used to Asian films so I can't say I am not used to the fast-pace and multiple character story lines that frequent films like these!

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[–] AkilaDJ 11 years ago

I thought the woman on the train at the end was a memory of his wife waving goodbye as she left for Korea, not heading home

That can be a memory.... or a Flashback...
But the after credit scene, it is the unclear one... :D
Ur above statement raise my doubts that you missed the after credit scene
And that woman is significantly different looking from professor's wife :D

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[–] nufsaid16 (700) 2 years ago

Just saw The Yellow Sea, and I have to admit, I didn't understand why the professor was killed, or why Gu-nam couldn't find the boat he was supposed to go back on. It was pretty obvious after awhile that he'd been deliberately left hanging, and that the plan had been to get rid of him after he offed the guy he was paid to bump off. This does clear up the few questions I had about the film.

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[–] Aswinning_11 12 years ago

thx!

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[–] Christoophar 13 years ago

Are you sure that was his wife returning to gangstertown at the end though? I don't think the scene was supposed to be a fantasy sequence or her returning home because why would she be looking back at the camera and smiling as if saying goodbye to a loved one? I think it must have been Taxidriver remembering (on his death bed) the last time he saw his wife, as she was boarding the train for Korea. The way she looked back at the camera made it seem like she was looking at the protagonist from his perspective, and it seems likely that he'd be recalling a time like that whilst dying.... What do you reckon?

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[–] dyllans 13 years ago

This.

That scene was obviously a flashback.
He told the other guy to cremate his wife and that's what's in the white box that gets thrown out the boat along with his body.

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[–] HoppingBunny 12 years ago

Nope. The dead woman wasn't his wife. And the woman at the end of the movie is his wife coming back home without telling him or anyone else.

What I don't get is the link between the professor's wife and the banker. The banker looked too young to be the wife's lover. why did he look for hired hand whenever he was drunk (I think that's what the waiter said) is still the biggest mystery for me.

My life isn't any better than yours.

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[–] gilper653 11 years ago

The wife didn't return to China. Remember her lover confessed the murder in the TV news.

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[–] lathe-of-heaven 8 years ago

Will you PLEASE stop repeating that...!

NO... we do NOT know for sure that that was his wife. There is DEFINITELY a deliberate unsureness about that. I think that was the impression which the director meant to leave with the audience.

I now have over 7000 films; many of them very rare and OOP. I LOVE to trade. PLEASE ASK! 

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[–] AkilaDJ 11 years ago

The chances of Missing the End Credit (or Mid Credit) scene is high!..
So we have to be clear when commenting as most opinions about that scene is unclear as I think at least some of them have missed that scene

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[–] lathe-of-heaven 8 years ago

Yeah, I think you are right... 

Until you mentioned it, I had not realized that there was ANOTHER scene after / during the credits showing her at a train station. The 1st scene of her BEFORE the movie ended and as he was dying, to me anyway, was clearly a flashback when she left. BUT... now I know that later during / after the final credits there must be another scene of her. I didn't see it (I didn't wait for the credits to roll) but, logically it MUST be showing her actually returning, because after he died, what would be the point of a flashback...?

Glad you mentioned about the 2nd scene with her at the station...

I now have over 7000 films; many of them very rare and OOP. I LOVE to trade. PLEASE ASK! 

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[–] Ramuna 12 years ago

I disagree with your latest statement. While we don't know for sure if it's his wife being mutilated or not, it's only in his imagination (or his dream) that his wife got on a train back to Yangji city via China , or is it part of his recognitionof how he saw her wife off the first time she departed from Yangji city? Can't tell for sure. But I will take it that it's his old recognition.

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[–] gilper653 11 years ago

The wife didn't return to China. Remember her lover confessed the murder in the TV news.

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[–] abisio 13 years ago

Who is the woama having sex with SUITMAN / KIM ? I assumed was Kim lover and the one who slept with the professor; but it never was clear to me.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] MrBelette 13 years ago

"Movie is hard to follow because everyone is named "Kim" and looks alike"

Only because you're a retarded racist. Just don't be proud of it by making everyone aware of it.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] elperroverde 13 years ago

You're absolutely right, Doc.

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[–] MBT 12 years ago

Kim is a common surname in Korea, along with Park and Lee. There's Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Il Sung to name three from North Korea. You have to read the names behind the Kim to distinguish one from another. It's like Smith John, Smith Bill, Smith Joe, and so on. It would make sense to Koreans, but not to most Americans.

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[–] joolesasher 12 years ago

Pretty ridiculous to call someone racist for stating the obvious. People of different races look very much alike to other races, unless you've either gotten very familiar with them (i.e. Djimon Hounsou) or they have a distinct appearance (i.e. Morgan Freeman). Hell, that often also works for your OWN race (I.e. Blonde Playboy-bunnies... I dare you to set them apart.)

That's just fact. Despite having seen the professor's wife in the "promise-to-kill"-scene 20 minutes earlier I still didn't recognize her and actually thought it was Taxidriver's wife.

Aaaaaaanyway.

I think some people got confused. There's a dream-sequence of the wife leaving for SK before he dies, but there's a scene after the yellow credits (Names of the two leads and movie-name?) where the wife gets off a train (seemingly at the trainstation in Joseonjok-land) in the middle of the night before the full credits. I'm guessing most people just didn't see it.

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[–] georgegliddy 12 years ago

sir i am trying 2 edit ur post 2 make it more clear but i cnt do that 4 sum reason? wud u pls make some edit 4 me? pls writ 2 me and i will tell u what 2 change 4 it wud NOT b proper 2 tell u in pubilc. thank u.......

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[–] georgegliddy 12 years ago

well i think they should r-release this movie but this time make IT CLEAR.....

4 1 thing ALL the peeps should have name tag (BIG 2 easy read).

4 2nd thing.... they cud have texters on scrn like on V81 pops-up videos to tell u what a heck is goin on. that cud make it a lot more $$$$$$$ cos peeps wud like it and tell other peeps 2 go see it.... so i think at least we shall maybe c sumday?!

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[–] Yellowman88 12 years ago

His wife is alive. There was a scene where Gunam hired a private I of some sort to figure out whether if the body in that crazy women murder was infact her wife's body. He takes a look at the body and says... "I don't know." (to himself) In that moment, he tells Gunam it was his wife so he could get the money from Gunam.

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[–] georgegliddy 12 years ago

WELL still.. wud it NOT b btr 2have name tag on each peep??? and 2 have txt on scrn 2 tell u wut is happen? cos then u could understand and enjoy such movie??

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[–] yfguitarist 12 years ago

Your spelling is harder to understand than the movie.

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[–] georgegliddy 12 years ago

well no such need 4 insult!!! well c spell and such dnt mtr on such intrnet now'days u gotta let ur thouts flow free b4 u 4get them. so pls lets all stay on our topic of discusun????

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[–] tired_of_the_net 12 years ago

You really are too ignorant for words. You need to learn to spell. Stop watching movies far beyond your intellect and try a book you illiterate fool.

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[–] georgegliddy 12 years ago

well i thouht maybe this wud b a funny movei cos yellow sea wud prolly meen peepee.....but it was so dum dum dum makes me mad.......

but NO NO reeson 4 u 2 insult on me!!!!!! y r u so mean???

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[–] omendata 8 years ago

roflmao

yip the death knell of the english language is the mobile phone speak 240 char limit!

Its uncle Frank Kirsty!
Its time to play!

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[–] Scribblenaut 12 years ago

1. The driver and the other assassins worked for Kim.

2. Kim's mistress was also sleeping with the professor. Kim finds out and decides to kill him.

3. Myun is trying to kill Gu-nam because that was his plan all along, as Gu-nam was a loose end. However, Myun being an opportunist noticed that Kim was also trying to kill Gu-nam, so he extorts Kim with the promise that he'll do it instead.

4. If you listen to some of the dialog we find out that part of the reason Gu-nam was in debt was because he bought his wife a Korean work visa. They lost contact sometime long ago and he started gambling. The end was him seeing his wife off at the train station. The after credits scene was his wife finally returning.

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[–] bigheadrhino 12 years ago

I think what happened was that there were two separate hits going on:

The professor has an affair with Kim's woman which upsets both Kim and the professor's wife.

Kim hired the driver who hired the two killers, the three of whom killed the Professor.

The wife also put out a hit. She conspired with the banker who hired the waiter who hired Myun who hired Gu-nam who failed to kill the Professor but arrived at the same time.

This is why both Kim and Myun are almost as confused as Gu-nam as to WTF is going on.

This film is essentially a comedy of errors where you replace the comedy with uber-violence.

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[–] Scribblenaut 12 years ago

Yeah I forgot that the driver seemed to be working with the two guys. Gu-nam was supposed to get caught by the police.

Also, your last part is true. LOL

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[–] UR60x 12 years ago

So, what happened with Gu-nam's wife then?
btw nice explanation.

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[–] macksingleton222 12 years ago

She is alive. People are confused because apparently some of you didn't watch the full movie. At the end of the film there is a flashback of her boarding the train to Korea just before Gu-nam dies. However, after Gu-nam dies and the credits roll there is one final scene (which many of you seem to have missed) of her returning to China alive and well.

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[–] jacarico 12 years ago

If you watch movies on Netflix...you know that Netflix generally shrinks movies when the credits start. And if you happened to see The Yellow Sea on Netflix (like I did)...the film gets shrunk as the credits roll but there is an important scene with Gu-nam's wife about 30 seconds or so after the credits start. This scene provides a nice little twist to the movie.

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[–] keeshoekerd 12 years ago

So I get what most of you are discussing. One thing bothers me though. Who were the guys sent to kill Myun's people? Tae-won only finds out about his initial recruiting of Gu-nam afterwards from a bartender.

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[–] PaulMorel 12 years ago

My guess is that Kim wanted him killed because he failed to kill Gunam, and also he had embarrased him, by killing his men before. Remember that kim was supposed to be a big Gangster, being humiliated by a "chinese korean".

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[–] Grethiwha 9 years ago

I was questioning my comprehension skills after only piecing together some slight understanding of what happened with a few clues near the end of the movie. Reading this thread I'm glad I'm not the only one haha. My understanding was closest to yours I think.

Basically my understanding was that Kim (the Korea mafia boss-man) hired the driver to kill the professor because the professor was *beep* his wife. Meanwhile the professors wife was *beep* the banker so the banker also wanted the professor dead, and via the bartender (perhaps unbeknownst to the profs wife), hired Myun (the China mafia boss-man), who in turn hired Gu-nam (who accepted the job because his own wife was also *beep* another guy in Korea). Actually I still don't really understand why Kim or Myun were trying to kill Gu-nam, or each other.

Anyway, the confusion didn't take me out of the movie too much, it's a really solid thriller, but definitely not on the same level as the Chaser (characters lacked the personality of the Chaser, plot lacked the same urgency, plus the Chaser made sense).

--- grethiwha -------- My Favourite Films:
http://www.imdb.com/list/Bw65XZIpkH8/

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[–] 11 years ago

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