‘Smugglers’ from Director Ryu Seung-wan is a crime action saga that takes its audience back to the 1970s and places female characters in the centre of the film’s narrative. The opening scenes transport the viewer to the seemingly peaceful and harmonious seaside town named ‘Guncheon’ and introduces us to a group of women divers, or ‘Hanyeos’. For those not familiar with the term, Hanyeo (해녀), it is the name given to female divers who dive to gather shellfish without the use of an oxygen mask. It is a tradition that has been practiced on Jeju Island for generations. The women are highly regarded within the community and known for their spirit and determination. You can find out more about them here and here. The main characters to note amongst the group are lead characters Chun-ja (Kim Hye-soo), and Jin-sook (Yum Jung-ah). The former is vibrant, self-assured and outgoing whereas the latter is more stoic and reserved. The differences between the two offer an interesting contrast, and the two women have great on-screen chemistry, which you can feel as they become embroiled in the game of cat and mouse that follows as the film progresses.
But the facade of peaceful perfection presented at the start fades away as we learn more of the reality that the characters face: the nearby chemical factory is causing pollution to the sea where the Hanyeo dive, making their harvesting efforts increasingly futile which in turn is causing financial hardship. At the same time, the government is cracking down on the import of illegal goods. Naturally, the Hanyeos are convinced to enter the cycle and trade driving for crates full of contraband. For the divers, who live in a community where dismemberment is common, the decision to gather a different type of goods is not a simple one. Some of the group find themselves embroiled in the heist largely due to the necessity of feeding their families. It all goes rather well for the group until gold enters the equation, a commission that the ship’s captain refuses to entertain, always feeling hesitant about the scheme in the first place. Although further entreaties do not alleviate his concerns, he is nevertheless eventually persuaded into pulling off one last heist. Unfortunately, said heist sees the boat’s crew and divers caught red-handed by customs officers. This raid leads to a fatal accident and all those on board (with the exception of Chun-ja who escapes), receive prison sentences and serve time in jail.
The film then fast-forwards to two years later. Chun-ja appears unphased by the tragedy and still pursues the same line of ‘work’, but now is based in Seoul and sporting a groovy new hairstyle associated with this period of time. You really get a sense of the character’s confidence and pride that stems from having escaped poverty and hardship, no matter what the means may have been: “I’ve cleaned houses since I was 14, and I’ve learned that being poor is a sin”. Unfortunately for her, however, she attracts the attention of Sergeant Kwon (Zo In-sung), a Vietnam War Veteran, later “smuggling King” and all-around not nice very guy. Tied to a chair and facing the threat of dismemberment, Chun-ja employs some quick thinking and smooth talking to save both her life, and Kwon’s once thriving, now flailing black market “business” enterprise. Her plan: return to Guncheon.
Chun-ja does not have a happy homecoming waiting for her. Instead, she is greeted by former friends set on revenge, and has corrupt officials and a new Gangster Boss Do-ri (Park Jung-min) to contend with. As the film builds towards the final heist, tensions between all the various parties are in full swing. ‘Smugglers’ features a delightful amount of the pageantry associated with the 1970s, adding a touch of glamour which distracts from the otherwise criminal and violent operation.
Smugglers, with its impressive cast is full of twists and turns that will leave the viewer never completely quite sure of who they should be rooting for (spoiler: sometimes it’s the sharks). Hint of a possible sequel.
Rating:
⭐⭐
Trailer: