The premise behind Road to Boston was the desire to re-tell and pay homage to the inspiring real-life story of 3 national athletes: The trio forming two runners Suh Yun-bok (Im Si-wan) and Nam Sung-yong (Bae Sung-woo) and coach Sohn Kee-chung (Ha Jung-woo), participated in the Boston International Marathon in 1947, the first international marathon following WW2. The film, as the title suggests, records their journey to the competition and the obstacles they faced along the way. This film is a lovingly created, fun and entertaining feature from Director Kang Je-gyu and after a lengthy wait of 3 years due to the COVID pandemic, Road to Boston has now finally made its premiere.
There is a lot to love about this film. For starters, the quality of the film-making is superb. Director Kang shared with the audience in attendance for the post-screening Q&A that he had wanted to make a marathon film since watching the 1981 Chariots of Fire film. He wanted to create a sense of adrenaline from a sport that you can do with just your own body. Director Kang felt this story was an important one to tell and make visible to a new generation, feeling a sense of pity that not many people knew about it.
The cinematic strength of this film lies primarily in the casting, with Kang having selected not only great actors, but those who were as close as possible in appearance and stature to the historical figures being portrayed – Kang considered this to be of great importance. The chemistry between the trio was incredibly entertaining to watch. The most interesting thing about the characters is that they were all at different stages in their lives, and the diversity between them allowed for a relatability for everyone. For example, Sohn gave the stereotypical ‘strict father’ image, and was a nice juxtaposition against Nam who had a softer character. That all three were very different people who had come together to work towards a common goal resulted in a lot of scenes for the audience to enjoy, ranging from the moving scenes to those which were funny and playful. The film allowed for the exploration of male emotions and focused on the forging of real bonds, which felt natural as the script developed. The Korean spirit was alive in these characters in their own unique way.
Turning to period and place, it is evident a lot of care and detail went into ensuring that the film looked authentic to 1947. The colour of the period was important to Kang, who shared he wanted to stay true to the period of time, and not alter it for more vibrant colours. The film score is also impressive, striking a balance between the modern and traditional. Kang tried to incorporate music into the script writing to allow the younger generation to engage but retaining traditional music incorporated into the score to ensure that there was a good balance.
Of course, the film’s context within Korean history and how that is explored is equally important, both to the film and to the Director himself. “Korean history,” Kang said, “is riddled with pain and suffering. Korea has been through so much historically speaking and there are lots of events to touch on. However,” he continued, “there are very little stories that involve success in the same way this story does” so it was important to him to share it with the world.
There are many scenes throughout the film that are created in a way that gets the heart pounding – the press conference scene in particular. The principled devotion to Korea and her flag are commendable. When we reach the film’s climax (the marathon) the Korean support while the race is underway is perfectly delivered. Interspersed with scenes from the marathon itself, the highs and lows, compliment the action of the race, capturing both the joy and emotions in a manner which mirror ones own feelings. Kang perfectly captures how this really special and momentous event must have felt for people at the time in Korea.
Happily, Kang reports, the reception to the film (both at home in Korea and abroad) has been good. Audiences cried and clapped along while watching the film, he shared, and the feedback he has received has included a lot of positive comments, leaving Kang feeling fulfilled over and above the figures and statistics that amount to the film being deemed a commercial success at the box office.
Road to Boston is a simple film in that there are no grand or unexpected plot twists. It is simply a wonderful and heartfelt retelling of three men following their dreams. It is inspiring, uplifting and heart-warming. It is also a great example of wonderful film-making, and very much a benchmark for running/sports films.
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trailer: