The President's Barber

The movie, The President’s Barber, is an interesting film that deals with South Korea’s dark period from 1960 to 1980 through the viewpoint of the barber’s son, Sung Nak-an. As Professor Cho mentioned in class, like in Forrest Gump, the audience see historic moments in South Korea through the eyes of the barber, Sung Han-mo. Han-mo, the main character, who is played by Song Kang-ho is a naïve person who just follows his associates without having his own view. After “Grandfather President” resigns after the April 19^th Student Movement in 1960, South Korean military take the opportunity to seize power by successfully launching a coup. As a result of this political event, General Park Chung-hee becomes the new president. At the same time, Han-no, who works as a barber in Hyoja neighborhood where the president resides in Blue House, becomes the President’s barber when Mr. Jang, President’s officer, orders him to work in the Blue House.

The film does an excellent job depicting the rivalry between Cha Ji-cheol, the Chief Presidential Bodyguard, and Kim Jae-gyu, the director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, which led to the assassination of President Park on October 26, 1979. One could guess that Jang Hyeok-su is the portrayal of Cha. For example, Jang reminds Han-mo that “President is the nation” the quote very often used by Cha. Also in the scene where Park Jong-man, the portrayal of Kim Jae-gyu, tells President Park that according to doctors, Marxus Disease is just a normal disease that has nothing to do with North Korean spies, Jang argues back by saying “We should first arrest those doctors” showing the hardline approach that Cha took which was in contrast with Kim Jae-gyu’s view.

Also it is interesting how the film portrays the relationship between President Park and his political actions imposed on South Korean citizens. It is surprising to see President Park as a gentle and soft-spoken character (human side unlike the typical image of a dictator who is heartless) who jokes with Han-mo and asks him “Have you seen and walked on the bridge that was built across the Han River?”. In the film, he is the president who has fun wearing sunglasses with Han-mo and who invites him for lunch at the Blue House. However, throughout the film, there are brutal repressions imposed by President Park such as tortures of innocent people including Mr. Wang and Mr. Choi who are accused of being in contact with communists. From observing this dual characteristic of President Park and his political actions, perhaps the charisma, the appealing personality, of a dictator is dangerous.