A Taxi Driver

Showbox/Mediaplex | Release Date: August 11, 2017

7.8	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

JLuis_001Jun 12, 2021

One of the blackest pages in the South Korea that eventually rose to democracy is portrayed in this well-intentioned but not so thoughtful film.

A Taxi Driver tells a true story, as well as taking place in a real historical event. TheOne of the blackest pages in the South Korea that eventually rose to democracy is portrayed in this well-intentioned but not so thoughtful film.

A Taxi Driver tells a true story, as well as taking place in a real historical event.

The development of events narrates journalist Jürgen Hinzpeter's trip to South Korea to report and demonstrate to the world what was happening with the Gwangju Uprising that occurred in May 1980, during which citizens rose up against the then president Chun Doo- hwan and oppose his dictatorship.
Citizens were violently repressed, and it's estimated that more than 2000 people were killed by the military.

Now that's the background to other real story. Since Jürgen Hinzpeter was driven in and out of city of Gwangju with the same taxi driver who helped him during the time that he was in the city recording the incidents that occurred there.

This film portrays the events faithfully up to a point, and evidently fictionalizes others. That was to be expected.
However the transition that is made to develop the character of Song Kang-ho - the taxi driver - doesn't feel the most fitting.
That's not a negative criticism of Song Kang-ho's work, but let's just say the script doesn't allow him much.

Thomas Kretschmann plays Jürgen Hinzpeter, but the truth is that he doesn't have much to do. I mean his character is 100% relevant, but in terms of acting, the film belongs to Song Kang-ho

Also, even though the film is a tribute to the reporter, and what he did, his story is ultimately anecdotal in front of the terrible event that he was reporting, and despite not trivializing what happened there in any way, I feel that the creators preferred not to be so openly critical, and perhaps it was necessary because from what I understand, they were harassed by the government during the filming.

I liked. I definitely liked it. But I also think it lacked more punch.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

Mauro_LanariDec 15, 2019

(Mauro Lanari)
A "hero" by chance (Frears 1992) and student protests lacking a proposal, the new partisans and revolutionaries inexperienced
since without a "pars construens", the skills and competences of founding, constituent, reforming(Mauro Lanari)
A "hero" by chance (Frears 1992) and student protests lacking a proposal, the new partisans and revolutionaries inexperienced
since without a "pars construens", the skills and competences of founding, constituent, reforming fathers: a film that history has already proposed to us too many times.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

SPARKOSJun 15, 2020

This film is a brilliant historical lesson that utilized Song Kang-ho's emotional acting remarkably. Many have criticized the film for being propaganda in South Korea, but it is so close to non-fiction, that South Koreans should replace someThis film is a brilliant historical lesson that utilized Song Kang-ho's emotional acting remarkably. Many have criticized the film for being propaganda in South Korea, but it is so close to non-fiction, that South Koreans should replace some textbooks with 'A Taxi Driver'. Some parts of the film could definitely explain the excessive tension between the protagonists, but overall, this will always be a exciting, spine-chilling, funny and heart-wrenching two hours for anyone from anywhere.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

aminaminAug 14, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It is a very impressive and excellent film and I think South Korean cinema is very admirable and respectable.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews