Obaltan (1961)

"Gaja! Gaja!"

Aimless Bullet aka Obaltan was a relentlessly bleak look at an impoverished family in post-war Korea. While the film didn’t touch on politics, showing the hopelessness of the characters and the devastated economy got the film banned for a bit, before the censors relented and let it be released in South Korea.

Song Cheol Ho leads a family that includes his pregnant wife and young daughter, his traumatized and bedridden mother who cries out, “Let’s go! Let’s go!” repeatedly, Yeong Ho-his handsome brother who cannot find a job and spends his days drinking, a younger brother who dropped out of school to sell newspapers, and a sister who has been shunned by her fiancé. Yeong can usually be found with his buddies from the military. Most of them were wounded during the war and have had no luck finding jobs two years after the war. Cheol works a dead-end job as an accountant. He barely makes enough money to feed and shelter his family. His wisdom teeth cause him constant agonizing pain but he refuses to spend money at the dentist’s when he can’t even afford shoes for his daughter. As tragedy after tragedy hits, family members begin to seek alternate forms of income that have serious consequences.

The film utilizes broken glass throughout. With the exception of the daughter, most of the characters were like broken glass with little hope of putting them back together. Cheol took a deep breath every day as he shuffled into his hovel in worn out shoes, believing he was failing his family. Yeong received opportunities and blew them, found and lost love, and eventually used up all his chances. Tragedy after tragedy struck Cheol until he was like an aimless bullet, disoriented and not knowing where to go.

Just about every problem associated with the economy was shown, even in blink and you’ll miss them moments. The sheer financial hopelessness weighed on the characters like ominous millstones around their necks. After WWII most countries were able to begin rebuilding, Korea ended up torn in two by a calamitous war further devastating their country and economy. Men who had sacrificed so much for their country came home without job possibilities. Gut wrenching loneliness compounded by PTSD and infirmities only led to further isolation and emotional desolation.

Aimless Bullet occasionally gave the characters a brief glimpse of a better future only to burn it to the ground. This film was an aggrieved cry, “Gaja! Gaja!”, “Let’s go! Let’s go!” But go where? For some characters there was only one path that led to release from their suffering, others wandered in circles, aimless bullets searching for a direction that led to sunrise instead of the eternal night.

17 June 2025

Trigger warning: suicides both alluded to and shown

Leggi di Più

Genre de dépression à laquelle je peux m'identifier

Ce film est très personnel pour moi car j'ai lutté toute ma vie contre une immense dépression et d'autres maladies mentales, mais il suffit aussi à faire pleurer une personne normale.

C'est un classique mais je ne vois pas beaucoup de citations de ce film dans les médias modernes. Je pense que c'est toujours très pertinent pour les personnes vivant dans des pays du tiers monde et aux prises avec l'argent et le SSPT de différentes sortes, car celui-ci a une description très précise.

Il y a des personnages très variés, très profonds et bien écrits. celui-ci est la nourriture de l’âme d’un vrai cynique. je le recommande à tout le monde... c'est du vrai cinéma.

Leggi di Più