Kundo: Age of the Rampant

Kundo: Age of the Rampant
Theatrical poster
Hangul	군도: 민란의 시대
Hanja	群盜
Revised Romanization	Gundo: Min-ran-eui Si-dae
McCune–Reischauer	Kundo: Min-ran-eui Si-dae
Directed by	Yoon Jong-bin
Produced by	Yoon Jong-bin Yoo Jeong-hun
Written by	Jeon Cheol-hong
Story by	Yoon Jong-bin
Starring	Kang Dong-won Ha Jung-woo
Music by	Jo Yeong-wook
Cinematography	Choi Chan-min
Edited by	Kim Sang-bum Kim Jae-bum
Distributed by	Showbox/Mediaplex
Release dates	July 23, 2014 (2014-07-23)
Running time	137 minutes
Country	South Korea
Language	Korean
Budget	US$7 million

Kundo: Age of the Rampant (Hangul: 군도: 민란의 시대; RR: Gundo: Min-ran-eui Si-dae) is a 2014 South Korean period action film starring Kang Dong-won and Ha Jung-woo, and directed by Yoon Jong-bin.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} Set in mid-19th century Joseon, it is about a power struggle between the unjust wealthy noblemen who run society and a group of righteous outlaws who steal from corrupt officials to give to the downtrodden and starving.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

Plot

The year is 1862. The late Joseon dynasty was a period of social and economic unrest in Korea, and it was also a time of great tyranny. Due to continuous natural disasters and poor harvests, poverty, hunger and death are rampant. The aristocracy rule the country and, concerned only with their own wealth, they exploit and persecute the poor.

In these turbulent times, a band of fighters named Kundo rise against the authorities. They raid corrupt officials, then share their loot with the vulnerable and impoverished. While the king stands powerless against them, Kundo becomes a figure of fear to undeserving nobles, and a ray of hope in the lives of long-suffering citizens. The members of Kundo believe that their cause is more important than their own lives.

In an era when one's status is decided by birth, Dolmuchi was born to a poor butcher, while Jo Yoon, though born into a powerful and wealthy family, is illegitimate. The two men strike a dangerous deal and Dolmuchi loses his mother and sister as a result. He is trampled by Jo Yoon who commands absolute power in his oppressive world. Bringing together the men who are on the fringes of this dark society, Dolmuchi is accepted as a member of Kundo and opens his eyes to the world. Reborn under the new name "Dolchi," he draws his sword out of its sheath and disperses the shadow cast on the poor and helpless. Then before him, the man who took away his family appears. Standing in front of Jo Yoon, Dolchi challenges his arch-enemy to a final duel.^{[11][12][13][14]}

Cast

Box office

Kundo: Age of the Rampant drew 551,848 viewers on its first day in theaters on July 23, 2014, grossing ₩4.08 billion (or US$3.997 million). This was the all-time highest opening day box office in South Korea, for both a foreign and domestic film, breaking previous records set by Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) and Secretly, Greatly (2013) (Kundo's record would shortly be broken eight days later by The Admiral: Roaring Currents.^[15][16][17] It reached 3.1 million viewers in five days.^{[18][19][20][21]}

Awards and nominations

References

External links

• Official website (Korean)
• Kundo: Age of the Rampant at HanCinema
• Kundo: Age of the Rampant at the Korean Movie Database
• Kundo: Age of the Rampant at the Internet Movie Database