Review Of Land Of Happiness Films: The Acting Duets Of Jo Jung Suk And Lee Sun Kyun Are Full Of Haru

Jo Jung Suk (ITS NEW)

JAKARTA - South Korea always has an interesting way of adapting history into a big screen narrative. Land of Happiness is Choo Chang Min's latest film marking Lee Sun Kyun's last film in the acting industry.

Land of Happiness also stars Jo Jung Suk, who this year shines thanks to the box office film, Pilot. The story is a true story from one of the historical events in South Korea.

Land of Happiness tells the story of Park Tae Ju (Lee Sun Kyun), a Colonel who is judged after being accused of killing President Park Chung Hee on October 26, 1979. Park Tae Ju will undergo a one-tier trial that determines Park Tae Ju's status.

Jung In Hu (Jo Jung Suk) is a lawyer who is known for his smart mouth. Jung In Hu won various cases thanks to his trivial personality until he got an offer to defend Park Tae Ju.

Jung In Hu took the offer for the sake of popularity, but In Hu began to realize that an unfair legal process made it difficult for him to win Park Tae Ju. He faced difficult situations including the fact that Park Tae Ju only wanted a one-level trial because he was a member of the military.

Land of Happiness is the latest Korean film to tell the story of the assassination of President Park Chung Hee including The Man Standing Next (2020) and 12.12 The Day (2023). Of the three, this film tells of murder incidents from a different point of view.

Don't know what the 'Happiness' means because it is full of tension and great intensity. South Korea's political situation shows characters with their morality in determining the position towards this case.

Jo Jung Suk as a lawyer has a different rhythm with Lee Sun Kyun as a prisoner. Initially, Jo Jung Suk's character was made legally with full expression and jokes, until they met on the main line.

The collaboration between the two makes chemistry throughout the film full of interesting developments. Both of them seem to reflect on the past in themselves. Their chemistry creates a touching emotional side.

The audience was emotional and also felt the difficulty of Jung In Hu to risk his life to defend Park Tae Ju. Jung In Hu's tears were smoothly displayed by Jo Jung Suk, who indicated his depression for his struggle,

Because this film concerns history, the ending of the story may be predictable. However, the process towards the end which is full of emotion makes the audience feel Jung In Hu too.

Land of Happiness is the latest Korean film featuring the story of a lawyer's democracy struggle. Apart from the two, this film is played by Woo Hyun, Jeon Bae Soo, Choi Won Young, Park Hoon, to Jin Ki Joo.

The film Land of Happiness will hit Indonesian cinemas starting Wednesday, September 4.