Unbowed (2012 Film)
Unbowed (Korean: 부러진 화살; RR: Bureojin Hwasal) is a 2012 South Korean legal drama film directed by Chung Ji-Young. The film is based on the real-life 2007 case involving mathematics professor Kim Myung-Ho, who was accused of assaulting a judge with a crossbow following a dispute over a university entrance exam question.
Plot
The story follows Professor Kim Kyung-Ho (played by Ahn Sung-Ki), who challenges the validity of a mathematics question on a 1995 university entrance exam. After his dismissal from the university, Kim initiates a lawsuit against the institution. When the court rules in favor of the university, Kim confronts the presiding judge, Park Bong-Joo, outside his apartment with a crossbow. A physical struggle ensues, leading to Kim's arrest. While the judge claims he was shot, Kim maintains his innocence throughout the legal proceedings. The film depicts his subsequent trial and his partnership with Park Joon, a struggling lawyer who specializes in labor rights.
Production
The film was directed by Chung Ji-Young, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Han Hyun-Geun. Principal photography took place between March 13, 2011, and May 17, 2011. The production was handled by Aura Pictures, with distribution in South Korea managed by Next Entertainment World.
Reception
Unbowed premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in October 2011 before its wide release in South Korea on January 18, 2012. The film performed well at the domestic box office, opening at number two during its debut weekend and rising to the number one position during its second weekend, selling over 700,000 tickets on 528 screens.
Cast
- Ahn Sung-Ki as Kim Kyung-Ho
- Park Won-Sang as Park Joon
- Kim Ji-Ho as Jang Eun-Seo
- Na Young-Hee as Kim Kyung-Ho's wife
- Moon Sung-Geun as Judge Shin Jae-Yeol
- Lee Kyoung-Young as Judge Lee Tae-Woo
- Kim Eung-Soo as Judge Park Bong-Joo
