REVIEW 'Concrete Utopia' is a gripping, 130-minute extravaganza

By Yoo Su-kyung

What would you do to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where everything has been reduced to ruins save for a single apartment building? “Concrete Utopia” is a film that lays bare some of the more uncomfortable truths about the dark side of human nature under extreme circumstances.

The film begins with a group of survivors gathering to seek shelter at an apartment building in Seoul, the only structure left standing in the city after it is destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake. Based on the popular webtoon “Amusing Neighbor,” director Um Tae-hwa has added another film to his impressive resume that includes “Forest,” for which he won the Best Film Award at the 11th Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival, and “Vanishing Time” which netted him an award for Best New Director Award at the 54th Golden Bell Awards.

With a running time that clocks in at 130 minutes, “Concrete Utopia” is not short, but it is such an engrossing experience that some viewers may feel the end comes too quickly when the credits start rolling. The production team deserves a lot of credit here for portraying such an unlikely setting and scenario in a way that feels so close to home.

A massive, three-story-tall film set was constructed for the shooting, and the ruins of a city in the dead of winter was very realistically depicted, aided by the clever use of lighting to create a chilling, ominous atmosphere. The makeup and the attention to detail in creating the dust clouds from the earthquake are particularly impressive. Director Uhm said the visuals of the film were inspired by Pablo Picasso's oil painting “Guernica,” which he showed to his production staff for reference.

The actors also deserve praise for filming the movie in the punishing heat while dressed in heavy winter clothes. Lee Byung-hun plays the lead role as Young-tak, the head representative of the apartment residents who is determined to do whatever it takes to protect their property from outsiders. Lee once again shows the versatility of his acting talent, showing audiences why he remains one of the most-sought-after leading men in Korean cinema.

Actor Park Seo-joon plays Min-sung, a man who is also committed to protecting the apartment and his family, and actress Park Bo-young plays his wife Myeong-hwa whose character is layered in subtleties. They both succeed in connecting with the audience with their range of emotional expressions, telling a story of adversity and a family's unbreakable bond.

Kim Seon-young provides the much-needed comic relief in the film as Geum-ae, the head of the women's association at the apartment. Other supporting roles are filled by actors Park Ji-hoo, Kim Do-yoon and others who all deliver outstanding performances to create an incredible synergy among the cast.

“Concrete Utopia,” as Lee Byung-hun put it, is about ordinary people who are neither heroes nor villains, forced to make morally ambiguous choices under the most extreme circumstances. It will leave viewers wondering what they would have done in the same situation long after the film has ended. “Concrete Utopia” is scheduled to be released in cinemas across Korea on Aug. 9.

Yoo Su-kyung (uu84@hankookilbo.com) is a reporter at The Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times. This article, previously published in The Hankook Ilbo, has been translated as part of a news-sharing program.