The Unjust
{{Infobox film
| name = The Unjust
| image = The Unjust film poster.jpg
| director = Ryoo Seung-wan
| producer = Koo Bon-han
Kim Yun-ho
Ryoo Seung-wan
Kang Hye-jung
Han Jae-duk
| writer = Park Hoon-jung
| starring = Hwang Jung-min
Ryoo Seung-bum
Yoo Hae-jin
| music = Jo Yeong-wook
| cinematography = Chung Chung-hoon
| editing = Kim Sang-bum
Kim Jae-bum
| studio = Filmmaker R&K
| distributor = CJ Entertainment
| released = {{Film date|2010|10|28}}
| runtime = 119 minutes
| country = South Korea
| language = Korean
| budget =
| gross = {{USD|18.2 million}}[https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&id=_fBOODANGGUHRAECO01 "Boodang Guhrae (aka The Unjust / Conflict of Interest / Unfair Trade)"]. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
| native_name = {{Infobox Chinese/Korean|child=yes|hide=no|header=none
|hangul = 부당거래
|hanja = 不當去來
|rr = Budang georae
|mr = Pudang kŏrae}}
}}
The Unjust ({{ko-hhrm|부당거래||Budanggeorae}}; lit. "Bad deal" or "Unfair trade") is a 2010 South Korean crime thriller film directed by Ryoo Seung-wan.{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Ji-hye|title=INTERVIEW: Director Ryoo Seung-wan - Part 1|url=http://us.tenasia.co.kr/archives/5061|access-date=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=18 November 2010}}{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Ji-hye|title=INTERVIEW: Director Ryoo Seung-wan - Part 2|url=http://us.tenasia.co.kr/archives/5068|access-date=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=18 November 2010}}{{cite web|last=Gottlieb|first=Zak|title=KOFFLA 2010: Interview with Ryoo Seung-Wan|url=http://twitchfilm.com/reviews/2010/03/koffla-2010-interview-with-ryu-seung-wan.php|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205004113/http://twitchfilm.com/reviews/2010/03/koffla-2010-interview-with-ryu-seung-wan.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 February 2013|access-date=2012-11-18|work=Twitch Film|date=8 March 2010}} It is a dark and bitter denunciation of corruption in the South Korean justice system.{{cite web|last=Han|first=Sun-hee|title=THE UNJUST, Food chains of beasts with clashes of desire|url=http://cinematoday.korea.com/2010/08/a-food-chain-of-elites-with-clashes-of-desire/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127145428/http://cinematoday.korea.com/2010/08/a-food-chain-of-elites-with-clashes-of-desire/|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 January 2013|access-date=2012-11-18|work=Korean Cinema Today|date=10 August 2010}}{{cite web|last=Song|first=Woong-ki|title=Ryoo's new film tells tale of corruption|url=http://view.koreaherald.com/kh/view.php?ud=20101005000964|access-date=2012-11-18|work=The Korea Herald|date=5 October 2010}} The film was a critical and commercial success, with 2.7 million admissions at the box office and winning several awards, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay at the 2011 Blue Dragon Film Awards.
This is director Ryoo Seung-wan's fifth collaboration with his younger brother, actor Ryoo Seung-bum.{{cite web|last=D'Sa|first=Nigel|title=The Unjust has strong domestic opening|url=http://koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/news/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601007&seq=1510&mode=VIEW|access-date=2012-11-18|work=Korean Film Biz Zone|date=12 November 2010}} Lead actors Hwang Jung-min and Ryoo Seung-bum previously worked together in Bloody Tie (2006).{{cite web|last=Nam|first=Timothy|title=Hwang Jeong Min: "Ryu Seung Bom is talented, and Yoo Hae Jin is in my league"|url=http://en.korea.com/blog/enter/movie/hwang-jeong-min-%E2%80%9Cryu-seung-bom-is-talented-and-yoo-hae-jin-is-in-my-league%E2%80%9D/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127152022/http://en.korea.com/blog/enter/movie/hwang-jeong-min-%E2%80%9Cryu-seung-bom-is-talented-and-yoo-hae-jin-is-in-my-league%E2%80%9D/|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 January 2013|access-date=2012-11-18|work=JTN via Korea.com|date=15 November 2010}}
Plot
After the rape and murder of 5 elementary schoolgirls, a crime which deeply upsets the entire country, a fleeing suspect is shot and killed by the police. This leads to negative publicity because the guilt of the suspect cannot be proven, and the real attacker may still be at large. Under pressure from the Blue House, a senior police official assigns Choi, a police captain, to a highly sensitive mission, namely, to find a former child rapist who can take the blame. Choi, in return, is promised a promotion and the dismissal of an internal investigation against him, which was caused by his brother-in-law receiving money from Jang, a corrupt businessman. Meanwhile, a corrupt prosecutor named Joo cancels the criminal charges, brought about by an investigation led by Choi, against a corrupt businessman named Kim, who is also Jang's rival in a bid for a construction deal.
Choi searches through several profiles of rapists, and having settled upon Lee, a school-bus driver, he enlists Jang and his henchmen to kidnap Lee and coach him in how the confession should be delivered. At the same time, Jang takes photographs of Kim and Joo playing golf and has a henchman approach Kim and murder him. The photographs are mailed to Joo to ensure that Jang will never be prosecuted. At the police station, Lee is denied immunity from the death penalty, and as such, reneges on the deal and tells Joo the truth. In response, Jang sends the earlier henchman to arrest and murder Lee from within the jail. This makes Joo furious and he investigates Choi, with the help of a corrupt journalist, finding evidence of his and Jang's partnership. Choi, in response, pleads with Joo not to ruin his career, and the two agree to a truce.
Meanwhile, Jang, who is tired of being blackmailed by Choi, has saved recordings of Lee's coaching session and black-mails Choi in return. Choi reacts by murdering Jang using a rigged elevator and pretends to make peace with Jang's assistant before murdering him as well. However, this incident is seen by Choi's lieutenant, who wrestles with Choi and tries to stop him. During the struggle, Choi accidentally kills his lieutenant, and afterward stabs the dead body with a knife, so that the police will assume that Jang's assistant and the lieutenant killed each other. As Choi receives his promotion and the lieutenant's family mourns, Choi's subordinates become suspicious and privately capture another one of Jang's henchmen, who served as Jang's videographer and who recorded Jang's death and the ensuing fight. Ironically, DNA testing proves successful on the body of one of the girls mentioned earlier, and Lee is proven to be the real attacker all along. Nonetheless, the subordinates release the video of the coaching to prove Choi's connection with Jang, and what is more, they order Jang's henchman to ambush Choi at a charnel house and murder him in revenge. The final scene reveals that they also released the golf photographs, but in spite of the media reporting that charges will be filed, Joo meets with his father-in-law, a senior official who calmly assures him that everything will be alright.
Cast
{{Div col}}
- Hwang Jung-min ... Police captain Choi Cheol-gi
- Ryoo Seung-bum ... Public prosecutor (D.A.) Joo Yang
- Yoo Hae-jin ... Gangster/businessman Jang Seok-gu
- Chun Ho-jin ... Police bureau chief Kang
- Shin Soo-yeon ... Tae-ra
- Ma Dong-seok ... Police lieutenant Ma Dae-ho
- Woo Don-gi ... Lee Dong-seok, the scapegoat
- Jo Yeong-jin ... TK chairman Kim Yang-su
- Jung Man-sik ... Assistant D.A. Gong
- Lee Sung-min ... Chief prosecutor/D.A.
- Kim Su-hyeon ... Soo-il
- Gu Bon-woong ... Yoon-jjang
- Kim Min-jae ... Detective Lee
- Lee Hee-joon ... Detective Nam
- Oh Jung-se ... Reporter Kim
- Lee Jong-ju ... Representative Goh
- Baek Seung-ik ... killer
- Song Sae-byeok ... Cheol-gi's brother-in-law
- Go Seo-hee ... Cheol-gi's younger sister
- Kwak Ja-hyeong ... Detective Kwak
- Jo Jong-geun ... Detective Jo
- Kim Gi-cheon ... old inspector
- Lee Do-hyeon ... young inspector
- Hwang Byeong-guk ... defense counsel
- Lee Kyoung-mi ... forensic examiner
- Kim Weon-beom ... squad leader Park
- Kang Hyeon-joong ... squad member
- Jo Ha-seok ... squad members
- Lee Mi-do ... Dong-seok's wife
- Park Ha-yeong ... Dong-seok's daughter
- Kim Seung-hun ... Yu Min-cheol
- Jung Jin-gak ... President of South Korea
- Kim Hye-ji ... Joo Yang's wife
- Park Seo-yeon ... Joo Yang's hostess
- Kang Hae-in ... Reporter Kim's hostess
- Ahn Gil-kang ... team leader
- Lee Chun-yeon ... National Police Agency head
- Lee Joon-ik ... President Jeong
- Jo Cheol-hyeon ... Haedong investor
- Oh Seung-hyeon ... Haedong investor
{{Div col end}}
Film festivals
The Unjust has screened at numerous film festivals around the world, including the Panorama section of the 61st Berlin International Film Festival,{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=Nine Korean films invited to the Berlin International Film Festival|url=http://us.tenasia.co.kr/archives/5793|access-date=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=19 January 2011}} the Hong Kong International Film Festival,{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=10 Korean films invited to Hong Kong film fest|url=http://us.tenasia.co.kr/archives/6509|access-date=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=21 March 2011}} the Shanghai International Film Festival,{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=4 Korean movies invited to international film fest in Shanghai|url=http://us.tenasia.co.kr/archives/7446|access-date=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=7 June 2011}} the New York Asian Film Festival,{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=11 Korean films invited to New York Asian Film Festival|url=http://us.tenasia.co.kr/archives/7429|access-date=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=3 June 2011}} the Fantasia Festival,{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=10 Korean films invited to the Fantasia International Film Festival in Canada|url=http://us.tenasia.co.kr/archives/7810|access-date=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=8 July 2011}} the Hawaii International Film Festival,{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=8 Korean pictures invited to int'l film fest in Hawaii so far|url=http://us.tenasia.co.kr/archives/8383|access-date=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=2 September 2011}} the Vladivostok International Film Festival - Pacific Meridian,{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=Several Korean movies invited to int'l film fest in Russia|url=http://us.tenasia.co.kr/archives/8370|access-date=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=1 September 2011}} the Sitges Film Festival, the London Korean Film Festival,{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=SHINee to perform at the London Korean Film Festival next month|url=http://us.tenasia.co.kr/archives/8933|access-date=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=26 October 2011}} and the Udine Far East Film Festival.{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=8 Korean pics invited to 14th Udine Far East Film Festival in Italy|url=http://us.tenasia.co.kr/archives/10492|access-date=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=9 April 2012}}
Awards and nominations
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.baddeal2010.co.kr}} {{in lang|ko}}
- [http://blog.naver.com/baddeal2010 The Unjust] at Naver {{in lang|ko}}
- [https://archive.today/20130218212810/http://www.cjent.co.kr/eng/lineup/info.asp?MovieNo=285 The Unjust] at CJ Entertainment
- {{Kmdb film|12528|The Unjust}}
- {{IMDb title|1843120|The Unjust}}
- {{Hancinema film|The_Unjust|The Unjust}}
{{Ryoo Seung-wan}}
{{Park Hoon-jung}}
{{Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Film}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unjust, The}}
Category:2010 crime thriller films
Category:2010 action thriller films
Category:South Korean crime thriller films
Category:South Korean action thriller films
Category:South Korean serial killer films
Category: South Korean neo-noir films
Category:Police detective films
Category:Films directed by Ryoo Seung-wan
Category:2010s Korean-language films
Category:Best Picture Blue Dragon Film Award winners
Category:South Korean crime action films
Category:2010 crime action films