In his directorial debut, screenwriter Kim Jee-woon collaborated with actors Song Kang-ho and Choi Min-sik in the comedy drama with a touch of horror “The Quiet Family” back in 1998. Reunited with Song as the lead actor, “The Foul King” was his second feature which, besides winning him the Best Director award at the 2001 Milan International Film Festival, it also won the Audience Award at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.
Basically a comedy and a feel-good sports film, this production sees Song Kang-ho in his first leading role, playing pushover and underperforming financial advisor Im Dae-ho who is forever late for work. In return, he has to put up with his power-hungry boss who headlocks and lectures him everyday. In general, he is very much a loser, trapped by his work and society, who still lives with a father who always mocks him. However, he seems to float through the day and even takes a shine to a female clerk which of course leads to nowhere.
One day, he comes across a dingy wrestling gym and decides to train himself up in the hope of breaking free from his manic manager's headlocks. Unimpressed by his awkwardness and sweet talk, the proprietor abruptly throws him out instead. Nonetheless, after approached by a promoter who demanded him to train a new villainous character, the owner took him back. In no time at all, Im's moonlight as a wrestler at night seems to pay off and he even becomes more assertive at work. Furthermore his dedication to wrestling even earned him respect as he trained hard to master the moves and dirty tricks to become the despicable foul king of wrestling.
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Although less political compared to “The Quiet Family”, Kim's sports drama has a subplot that touches on the highly competitive and brutal South Korean corporate culture, where co-workers trying to outdo each other is a common practice. There is a brief take on corruption and the enormous pressures the workers face but Kim never goes into great details to flash them out and both films show that he has a thing for black comedy and violence besides strong characterization. Nonetheless, the wrestling sequences though quite brutal at times, especially during the lengthy end fight, are exciting, funny and all very well filmed and cleverly put together. There is also the effective use of techniques like framing and slow motion to further create impact and tension.
Never professionally trained as an actor, Song Kang-ho and his acting career started in theater, and initially, he was mostly cast in well-known supporting roles especially in Kang Je-kyu's spy thriller blockbuster “Shiri” (1999). Nevertheless, it was the box office smash “The Foul King” that made him one of South Korea's most bankable stars. Amazingly, besides his wonderful and convincing central performance, he also did most of the moves required as a wrestler like bodyslams, drops and backflips. In addition, there is a totally hilarious dream sequence in which Song imagines himself in the ring as Elvis, down to the white jumpsuit, thick sideburns and chest hair. His performance of a flabby weakling who transforms into a confident and feared masked wrestler is both impressive and spot on.
The supporting cast is just as impressive and memorable in portraying a collection of lovable and colorful characters. Jung Woong-in plays the brave but tragic Choi Du-sik, Im's colleague who dares to stand up for himself and Song Young-chang is just as mean as their power-mad brunch manager. The two resident wrestlers who provide most of the film's funny moments in the gym are equally comical and charming characters. Jang Jin-young is equally likable as Min Young, the gym owner's daughter and a potential love interest to Im. But again, their romance never comes to fruition.
Drawing high praise after its release, “The Foul King” with its theme of searching for one's identity definitely helped both Kim and Song take their career to a new level. Aside from Song's amazing physicality, this is indeed a highly entertaining and feel-good film. Above all, credits go to the director for not making a grand statement about wrestling or turning protagonist Im Dae-ho into a cheesy character even though he is a masked wrestler.
