Tough as Iron (Korean: 깡철이; RR: Ggangcheoli) is a 2013 South Korean action drama film written and directed by Ahn Gwon-tae, starring Yoo Ah-in and Kim Hae-sook in the title role.[1][2][3]
| Tough as Iron | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Ahn Gwon-tae |
| Written by | Ahn Gwon-tae |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | Yoo Ah-in Kim Hae-sook |
| Cinematography | Lee Hyung-deok |
| Edited by | Kim Sun-min |
| Music by | Jo Yeong-wook |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | CJ Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$7.9 million |
Plot
editGang Cheol (whose name means "iron" in Korean[4]) was once a legendary street gangster in Busan,[5] but he put away his fists and cleaned up his act for the sake of his mother Soon-i, who has dementia. Things are going well for him; he now works as a stevedore at a loading dock and is pursuing a relationship with Soo-ji, a free-spirited woman from Seoul vacationing in the port city. But Soon-i is diagnosed with kidney failure and needs an expensive organ transplant that he cannot afford. Knowing that Cheol is desperate for money, local gang leader Sang-gon proposes that Cheol come work for him and his brother Hwi-gon. At first Cheol refuses, but when his debt-ridden best friend Jong-soo gives the deed to Cheol's house to Sang-gon as collateral for a private loan, he's left with no choice but to get dragged back into Busan's criminal underworld. Cheol is ordered to kill a visiting Japanese Yakuza boss whose death will enable Sang-gon's ascension within the Korean branch of the mob organization.
Cast
edit- Yoo Ah-in as Gang Cheol
- Kim Hae-sook as Kim Soon-i
- Kim Jung-tae as Sang-gon
- Kim Sung-oh as Hwi-gon
- Jung Yu-mi as Jo Soo-ji
- Lee Si-eon as Jong-soo
- Shin Jung-geun as Yagami
- Bae Seul-ki as Go Jae-sook
- Jang Tae-sung as Lee Byeong-hee
- Kim Byeong-seo as Poloti
- Kim Seo-kyeong as Chyurining
- Choi Young-sung as Adidas
- Song Young-chang as Hwan-gyu
- Kim Hyun-sook as Organ broker
- Go In-beom as Police substation captain
- Lee Jeong-heon as Director of internal medicine department
Release
editTough as Iron opened in South Korean theaters on October 2, 2013.[6] It grossed US$7,889,145 on 1,209,363 admissions.
It also received a limited theatrical release in the United States (October 11, 2013) and Japan (May 2014).[7][8][9]
References
edit- ^ "Yu A-in to return to screen with new flick". 10Asia. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ "Yu A-in Gets Tough in New Flick". The Chosun Ilbo. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ Yun, Chloe (3 September 2013) [next day]. "Tough as Iron movie press conference to be held on September 2". BNTNews. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ Lowe, Justin (15 October 2013). "Tough as Iron: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ Song, Soon-jin (20 January 2014). "Busan Films on the Rise". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ "Tough as Iron (2013)". The Chosun Ilbo. 4 October 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ Conran, Pierce (5 October 2013). "TOUGH AS IRON Set for US Bow". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ Jin, Eun-soo (14 February 2014). "Tough as Iron to get Japan release". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ Conran, Pierce (19 February 2014). "TOUGH AS IRON Heading to Japan". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
External links
edit- Official website (in Korean)
- Tough as Iron Archived 2016-03-24 at the Wayback Machine at CJ Entertainment
- Tough as Iron at the Korean Movie Database (in Korean)
- Tough as Iron at IMDb
- Tough as Iron at HanCinema