The Good, the Bad, the Weird

The Good, The Bad, The Weird
International Film Poster
Title (English)	The Good, The Bad, The Weird
Title (Korean)	좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈
Title (RR)	Jo-eun nom, Nappeun nom, Isanghan nom
Directed by	Kim Jee-woon
Written by	Kim Jee-woon Kim Min-suk
Screenplay by	Lee Mo-gae
Produced by	Kim Jee-woon Choi Jae-won
Starring	Song Kang-ho Lee Byung-hun Jung Woo-sung
Release date	May 24, 2008 (Cannes) July 17, 2008 (South Korea)
Running time	139 minutes
Country	South Korea
Language	Korean Mandarin Japanese

Plot

In the desert wilderness of Manchuria in 1939, months before the beginning of the Second World War. Park Chang-yi, The Bad (Lee Byung-hun)—a bandit and hitman—is hired to acquire a treasure map from a Japanese official traveling by train. Before he can get it however, Yoon Tae-goo, The Weird (Song Kang-ho)— a thief —steals the map and is caught up in The Bad's derailment of the train. This involves the slaughter of the Japanese and Manchurian guards, and various civilians. Park Do-won, The Good (Jung Woo-sung)—an eagle-eyed bounty hunter—appears on the scene to claim the bounty on Chang-yi. Meanwhile, Tae-goo escapes, eluding his Good and Bad pursuers. A fourth force—a group of Manchurian bandits—also want the map to sell to the Ghost Market. Tae-goo hopes to uncover the map's secrets and recover what he believes is gold and riches buried by the Qing Dynasty just before the collapse of their government. As the story continues, an escalating battle for the map occurs, with bounties placed on heads and the Imperial Japanese Army racing to reclaim its map as it can apparently "save the Japanese Empire".

After a series of graphic shootouts and chases, a final battle erupts in which the Japanese army, Manchurian bandits, Do-won, Chang-yi and his gang are chasing Tae-goo all at once. The Japanese army kills most of the bandits. Do-won kills many Japanese soldiers and sets off an explosion that drives them away. Chang-yi's gang is slowly killed off and he kills those that attempt to leave the chase. Only Chang-yi, Tae-goo and Do-won make it to the "treasure". However, they find that it is nothing more than a boarded-over hole in the desert. Chang-yi recognizes Tae-goo as the "Finger Chopper"—a criminal that cut off his finger in a knife fight five years ago—and the man that Do-won had thought Chang-yi to be. Turning on each other in a final act of vengeance for the slights they suffered, they finally gun each other down after a prolonged Mexican standoff. The three lie in the sand, dying and alone, as the "useless hole" that they fought and died for suddenly and belatedly erupts with a geyser of crude oil. Do-won survives along with Tae-goo. With a newly raised bounty on Tae-goo, a new chase begins as he flees across the Manchurian desert.

Alternative versions

Two versions of the film were released in cinemas: one being for the native Korean market and the other for international sales. The Korean theatrical cut is 136 minutes long and the international cut is 129 minutes long. The Korean ending is more "upbeat" than the international version, including several more minutes of footage. In the alternative ending, The Weird, Tae-goo, gets up. He reveals the thick metal sheet he hid under his quilted jacket and limps over to demolish the corpse of Chang-yi, The Bad. While doing so, he discovers diamonds in Chang-yi's pocket and giggles with delight before realising he's surrounded by the Japanese army. Inadvertently lighting a stick of dynamite, Tae-goo scares off the Japanese and dives for cover after realising it was lit. Over the credits, Tae-goo sets off to continue hunting for the treasure with his bounty multiplied sevenfold, while The Good, Do-won, vindictively pursues him. The ending of the international version reflects the end that director Kim Jee-woon originally wanted.

In the United Kingdom, the British Board of Film Classificationordered five seconds of cuts to the cinema release due to scenes of horse falls judged to be animal cruelty that violated the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937.

Cast

• Song Kang-ho as Yoon Tae-goo, the Weird
• Lee Byung-hun as Park Chang-yi, the Bad
• Jung Woo-sung as Park Do-won, the Good
• Yoon Je-moon as Byeong-choon, Manchurian Bandit Leader's Right-hand man
• Ryu Seung-soo as Man-gil, Yoon Tae-goo's friend
• Song Yeong-chang as Kim Pan-joo
• Ma Dong-seok as Gom (Bear)
• Son Byong-ho as Seo Jae-sik
• Oh Dal-su as Park Seo-bang
• Uhm Ji-won as Na-yeon (cameo appearance)
• Oh Yeon-ah as Japanese female train passenger (cameo appearance)

Release and Reception

The film was screened out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival on May 24, 2008. It also received screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival, Sitges Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, and the London Film Festival.

American distribution rights were acquired by IFC Films, who released it in theaters on a limited basis on April 23, 2010.

The Good, the Bad, the Weird received generally positive reviews. Review aggregating website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 84% of 60 sampled critics gave the film positive reviews and that it got a rating average of 7.2 out of 10 stating that "Whilst never taking itself too seriously, this riotous and rollicking Sergio Leone-inspired Korean Western is serious fun." On Metacritic, it received generally favorable reviews with a total score of 69. Variety said that "East meets West meets East again, with palate-tingling results, in 'The Good the Bad the Weird', a kimchi Western that draws shamelessly on its spaghetti forebears but remains utterly, bracingly Korean" awarding the film 3.5 out of 5 stars. The A.V. Club gave it a B+ saying that "The story’s many advances and reversals can be hard to follow at times, but this isn’t really a movie where plot is paramount. Everything boils down to the action, and what that action means". The New York Post gave it a four star rating out of five stating that "The Good, the Bad, the Weird may owe a lot to other films but it is always fresh and never boring". Empire magazine gave it a three star rating out of five commenting that "A tangled narrative and damp -squib ending detract from an otherwise joyous Spaghetti Eastern Western." Time Out critic Tom Huddlestone stated that "This is filmmaking as rodeo ride: bruising and ultimately pointless, but thrilling as hell while it lasts" and awarded the film four out of five stars. The Hollywood Reporter gave it a positive review declaring the film "a jaunty, happy-go-lucky adventure that packs a fistful of dynamite in the spectacular showdown."

On the other hand, there were criticism directed towards the excessive violence and the simplicity of the script. In particular, the Village Voice Nicolas Rapold mentioned that "Kim's filmmaking is generally cartoonish in a bad sense, as he squanders his set pieces, flashbacks, and other attention-getting with sometimes downright wretched staging" while The Boston Globe wrote that the film "goes for shallow pop instead of narrative depth. It's a lot of fun before it wears you out, and it wears you out sooner than it should." Additionally, Robert Abele from the Los Angeles Times mentioned that "Knives, explosions and knockabout humor have been added to taste. As vigorously staged as it all is -- sometimes confusingly, occasionally with camera-torqueing flair and impressive stuntwork -- the urge to thrill grows wearisome. Were audience members to be included as a collective character as well, they'd be 'The Tired'."

Awards and Nominations

Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result
2008	Sitges Film Festival	Best Director	Kim Jee-woon	WON
		Best Special Effects	Jeong Do-an	WON
		Best Film	"The Good, The Bad, The Weird"	NOMINATED
	Hawaii International Film Festival	Maverick Award	Kim Jee-woon	WON
		Best Supporting Actor	Jung Woo-sung	WON
	Asia Pacific Screen Awards	Achievement in Cinematography	Lee Mo-gae	WON
		Achievement in Directing	Kim Jee-woon	NOMINATED
	17th Buil Film Awards	Best Cinematography	Lee Mo-gae	WON
		Best Art Direction	Cho Hwa-sung	WON
		Special Effects	Jeong Do-an	WON
		Special Jury Prize	Ji Jung-hyeon	WON
		Best Actor	Jung Woo-sung	NOMINATED
		Best Supporting Actor	Song Young-chang	NOMINATED
		Best Editing	Nam Na-yeong	NOMINATED
		Best Music	Dalparan and Jang Young-gyu	NOMINATED
		Buil Readers' Jury Award	"The Good, The Bad, The Weird	NOMINATED
	29th Blue Dragon Film Awards	Best Director	Kim Jee-woon	WON
		Best Cinematography	Lee Mo-gae	WON
		Best Art Direction	Cho Hwa-sung	WON
		Most Popular Film	"The Good, The Bad, The Weird	WON
		Best Film	"The Good, The Bad, The Weird	NOMINATED
		Best Actor	Lee Byung-hun	NOMINATED
		Best Actor	Song Kang-ho	NOMINATED
		Best Music	Dalparan and Jang Young-gyu	NOMINATED
		Best Lighting	Oh Seung-chul	NOMINATED
		Technical Award	DTI	NOMINATED
	Korean Film Awards	Best Cinematography	Lee Mo-gae	WON
		Best Art Direction	Cho Hwa-sung	WON
		Best Sound	"The Good, The Bad, The Weird	WON
		Best Director	Kim Jee-woon	NOMINATED
		Best Actor	Song Kang-ho	NOMINATED
		Best Music	Dalparan and Jang Young-gyu	NOMINATED
	Director's Cut Awards	Best Director	Kim Jee-woon	WON
2009	3rd Asian Film Awards	Best Supporting Actor	Jung Woo-sung	WON
		Best Film	"The Good, The Bad, The Weird"	NOMINATED
		Best Director	Kim Jee-woon	NOMINATED
		Best Actor	Song Kang-ho	NOMINATED
		Best Supporting actor	Lee Mo-gae	NOMINATED
		Best Cinematography	Dalparan and Jang Young-gyu	NOMINATED
		Best Composer	Dalparan and Jang Young-gyu	NOMINATED
		Best Visual Effects	Kim Wook	NOMINATED
	45th Paeksang Arts Awards	Best Film	"The Good, The Bad, The Weird	NOMINATED
		Best Director	Kim Jee-woon	NOMINATED
		Best Actor	Song Kang-ho	NOMINATED
	46th Grand Bell Awards	Best Costume Design	Kwon Yu-jin	WON
		Best Cinematography	Lee Mo-gae	NOMINATED
		Best Editing	Nam Na-gyeong	NOMINATED
		Best Art Direction	Cho Hwa-sung	NOMINATED
		Best Visual Effects	Kim Wook	NOMINATED
		Best Sound	Kim Kyung-tae	NOMINATED

Academic Analysis

Character Analysis

I will start with character analysation as the movie focuses on a fateful encounter between three different people with different personalities, each motivated by different aims. In overview, The Good (Park Do-Won), value honors above all else while also being driven by the cash rewards if he manage to turn in Park Changyi (The Bad) and Yoon Tae Goo (The Weird). The Bad (Park Changyi), is really prideful to a point where he cannot take losing as a final word - hence, is motivated by revenge after he got defeated by The weird (Yoon Tae-goo). The Weird (Yoon Tae-gu), on the other hand, sees the value in material wealth over everything as his sole focus was to reach the place where the treasure was buried.

The Good

Park Do-won (박도원) is a charismatic bounty hunter with remarkable talents. His talent goes as far as him taking and inflicting the highest casualties on the entire Japanese army alone. In addition to this, his outstanding weapon handling is also what makes him talented of a hunter. For instance, the way he handles his rifles - quick aiming and speedy loading. Furthermore, he also exhibits his intelligence by utilizing his environment. For example in scenes where he sneaked out of a train and using a mirror to line up a shot against an approaching enemy. He later shot a chain in a pulley and used it to gain high ground while overwhelming Park Chang-yi's gang. His enormous talent was even recognized by the Korean independence fighters as they often need his aid.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, I do not understand the reason why he is "The Good", as the movie does not really elaborate on his character. I see him as ruthless as the other two because he is willing to kill any that get in the way of his target. While many gang members were obvious targets for Park Do-Won, his most ruthless choice of action was to wage war on the Japanese army because they stood in between him and his targets. Park Do-Won did mention his country was stolen. It is possible that this was his personal motive to kill Japanese soldiers because he judged them to be the "evil thieves". If you look at things in this perspective, probably this is one of the reasons why he is being seen as "The Good", to some extent. On top of this, he was hunting Park Chang-yi (The Bad) because he is the most notorious gangster in Manchuria and also him thinking Park Chang-yi as the "Finger Chopper". In which, this automatically makes him being known as someone fearless.

However, I also think that Park Do-won is an opportunist as he was on the hunt for Park Chang-yi, he is also doubling the amount of rewards (6000yen/yuan for Park Chang-yi's head) he was going to get if he ever get to the treasure which he agreed to have it split 60-40 with Yoon Tae-goo, whom he met in his pursuit of capturing Park Chang-yi . Also, there was a scene where he mentioned that when living in a stolen country, a man needs money, hence why the bounty hunting. Park Do-Won's value of principles also causes him to disagree with Yoon Tae-goo, the Weird, in matters of desire. When Yoon Tae-goo tells Park Do-Won of how he desires to use the treasure to buy land and livestock and other material wealth, Park Do-Won subtly expressed his surprise and disappointment that Yoon Tae-goo has not thought deeper than material wealth. Park Do-Won then reveals an introspective side of himself: speaking of how owning land in a stolen country is meaningless and that those like Yoon Tae-goo who chase a desire will always be chased in turn - that chasing is what life is. Thus, in many of his interactions with Yoon Tae-Goo, Park Do-Won looks down on him as an untrustworthy ally at best and a fool of an outlaw. However, as it was revealed that the real "Finger Chopper" was actually Yoon Tae-goo, he also decided to put Yoon Tae-goo in his "criminals to kill" list. I guess, him hunting bad people made him into the most heroic.

Having said that, Park Do-won is a man of few words, hence, it is truly difficult to interpret what kind of person he is. To me, between the three of them, I find him the most mysterious as the movie did not expand on his background as much as the other two. Especially in a scene where when Yoon Tae-goo asked him what he would do with the wealth if they found the treasure. However, what he would actually do with the treasure is left a mystery as Yoon Tae-goo fell asleep before Park Do-Won could share his dream.

The Bad

Park Chang-yi (박창이) is the main antagonist of the story. He is the most feared hitman in Manchuria and also, the leader of a group of bandits. He took pride in being the "most deadly man" in Manchuria ever known. He values his own pride and immense individual power above all else to an extent where he could not accept a defeat. Hence, due to this nature of his personality, he is also sensitive when someone mentioned about his defeat(s). There were few scenes in the movie where you could see how one act of doubting his ability would scratch his ego. First instance is when he could not retrieve the map within given period of time where he tried (but failed) to trick his boss; in my opinion, he was not only doing that because of the material gains, but he also did it mainly to maintain his reputation as the fearful hitman in the region. Hence, when his boss found out he lied about the map, he ended up murdering his own boss because in a way, his boss discovered that even a skillful hitman/bandit like him could fail a mission. Thus, I think, this situation actually made him feel belittled. Another instance is when one of his followers questioned him about his past - whether or not the rumor about him being defeated by Yoon Tae-goo was real. In which, he ended up killing this follower for the offense of reminding him of such a defeat.

Later in the movie, we got to know his past encounter with Yoon Tae-goo; the backstory of how he lost his right index finger. While Yoon Tae-goo fled from Korea to forget his past, Park Chang-yi never really did forget this event as the defeat scarred him for life. Hence the burning need to hunt and avenge for his lost finger; also, to restore his reputation as the "best hitman". So, whenever he heard about someone related to Yoon Tae-goo, he will make them suffer by chopping their fingers and even also try to kill them. He also had chopped so many to make Park Do-won assumed that he was the "Finger Chopper".

Nevertheless, this is not to say that Park Chang-yi does not value material wealth and the power that his subordinates add to his own. He is a leader of dangerous bandit group, in one way or another, material wealth does matter as he also pursued the treasure before knowing it was Yoon Tae-goo who had the map. After learning that the person who had the map was Yoon Tae-goo, the need for the wealth got blurred out instantly. Because to Park Chang-yi, defeating Yoon Tae-goo would help him to redeem his loss and restore his reputation again. For instance, you could see that after he murdered his boss, he took the pouch of wealth in the hope of luring Yoon Tae-goo to battle with him again since he knew ho materialistic Yoon Tae-goo is.

He described losing his gang as losing all that he had, though even this loss barely distracted him when the prey he had chased was directly in front of him.

To say that Park Chang-yi is the most violent and cruel of the three is a gross understatement; which is saying a lot when refering to three killers. Park Chang-yi has a psychotic personality and a high propensity for treachery and violence. So much so that everyone who has the misfortune of being in his presence is in constant mortal danger or one erant step from it. This fact gives Park Chang-yi a highly disarming presence around both civilians and criminals who possess more common sensibilities. Examples of Park Chang-yi's evil behavior include killing five of Yoon Tae-goo's men to prove himself top killer, betraying and murdering his employer for reasons unknown, slaying his subordintates for fleeling, and forcing subordinate to duel with him to the death after the subordinant mentioned the rumor that Yoon Tae-goo had defeated Park Chang-yi. Park Chang-yi has no qualms about killing bystanders, including women.

For example he always uses a knife when he fights. He's got huge pride when he fights. Even though he has guns, he still fights with knife, because he wants to show that he can kill people without a gun. Although he is bad, there must be a reason behind every gesture and characteristic and mannerism, so I try to understand the reasons behind all of that.

Park Chang yi appears to have a the slightest bit of care for his subordinates in a twisted way. After he killed in a duel a subordinate who offended him, Park Chang yi buried is victim neatly and poured a shot of liquor on his grave. This was among the few signs of respect he made in the film. Later, in the chase after Yoon Tae go and fleeing the Japanese Army, Park Chang yi executed a subordinate for his horse and killed many of his subordinates for fleeing after many more had been shelled by artillery. What little respect Park Chang yi gives to his followers is nothing when compaired to his willingness to kill them all.

To Park Chang-yi, money will always be less valuable than his reputation. In the mexican stand off between the three, Park Chang-yi tossed a small fortune into the ring to sweeten the pot for the winner to take all. Park Chang-yi primarily did this to entice Yoon Tae-goo to duel, the money itself was an afterthought for Park Chang-yi himself.

To say that Park Chang-yi is the most violent and cruel of the three is a gross understatement; which is saying a lot when refering to three killers. Park Chang-yi has a psychotic personality and a high propensity for treachery and violence. So much so that everyone who has the misfortune of being in his presence is in constant mortal danger or one erant step from it. This fact gives Park Chang-yi a highly disarming presence around both civilians and criminals who possess more common sensibilities. Examples of Park Chang-yi's evil behavior include killing five of Yoon Tae-goo's men to prove himself top killer, betraying and murdering his employer for reasons unknown, slaying his subordintates for fleeling, and forcing subordinate to duel with him to the death after the subordinant mentioned the rumor that Yoon Tae-goo had defeated Park Chang-yi. Park Chang-yi has no qualms about killing bystanders, including women.

For example he always uses a knife when he fights. He's got huge pride when he fights. Even though he has guns, he still fights with knife, because he wants to show that he can kill people without a gun. Although he is bad, there must be a reason behind every gesture and characteristic and mannerism, so I try to understand the reasons behind all of that.

When killing, Park Chang-yi is exceptionally capable of inflicting instant death with his guns though he favors slower work with his knife. A master knife fighter, Park Chang-yi will smile as he slowly cuts his victims to pieces, one slice at a time. Arguably for the sake of proving himself the true "Finger Craver," Park Chang-yi will often slice off a victim's finger. This is especially true if the victim is an associate of Yoon Tae-goo.

As a lifelong killer, Park Chang-yi finds humor in death and is amused by how people live as though they will never die, despite its inevitability. Park Chang-yi seems to truly understand this as he is willing to risk death to solidify his legend, even when dueling a foe who had defeated him in the past. Of all the three warriors, Park Chang-yi was the most dangerous person to be in the presense of.

Powers / Abilities Psychotic Personality: Park Chang-yi embraces a life of constant violence. He kills for very little reason and often has already commited to killing someone before his victim realizes or accepts that they are in danger. His comfort with death keeps him steady in combat. Master Gunslinger: Park Chang-yi is an extremely fast and accurate shot. He favors pistols though is very adept with a wide assortment of firearms, including rifles and submachine guns. Park Chang-yi is skilled enough with a pistol to land three rapid shots on the base of a knife, hammering the knife into the wall. The only gunslinger of comparable accuracy is Park Do-Won. Master Knife Figher: Park Chang-yi can throw knives with amazing speed and accuracy. In knife fights he is able to overwhelm his foes with fast and compact slashes that punish every opening. Park Chang-yi is so talented with a knife that he is often free to sadistically enjoy a slow painful kill. Only Yoon Tae-goo has been known to defeat Park Chang-yi in a knife fight. Amusingly, and in spite of his incredible talent, Park Chang yi doesn't know how to slice off a person's finger; trying to saw through bone with a sharp blade instead of crushing the bone with it. He made excuses for it, blaming his knife's sharpness and the rain for his difficulties. This is an early hint that Park Chang yi is not the true Finger Chopper. Exceptional Reflexes: Park Chang-yi's relflexs make him overwhelming on offense and able to avoid most attacks. Intimidation: Park Chang-yi's name alone is often enough to terrify those around him. His psychotic personality cows most witnesses. Gang of killers: Park Chang-yi' has amassed a gang of talented killers, many of whom are deadly enough to lead gangs in their own right. They add to Park Chang-yi's influence and further prove how terrifying he is with their unquestioning obedience to his orders. Tactical thinker: Park Chang-yi was able to successfully stop and assault a moving train with a track obstruction and his gang. He also took advantage of a thunderstorm to mask the sound of his movements before surprising Park Do-Won and Yoon Tae-goo with a submachine gun. Nearly fearless / immensely brave: Park Chang-yi fears nearly nothing. Only a killer of similar skill can shake him. Yoon Tae-goo scared Park Chang-yi when he took his finger and Park Chang-yi was briefly shaken when he realized that Park Do-Won was killing off his gang. While Park Chang-yi may feel fear he bravely faces a source and even hunts it. Expert Horse Rider: Park Chang yi was able to ride horses effectively in combat, even when being shelled by artillery.

I always create the history of the character for myself. Not only his behaviour, but the way of his speaking, his eyes, his habits. I need to put that kind of research into the character so that I can see a perfect human, and then I can get into that person.

The Weird

Yoon Tae-goo (Hangul: 윤태구/Yun Tae-gu) aka the Weird is a bandit and one of the two protagonists in the Korean movie The Good, The Bad and The Weird. He is the one who steals the treasure map from Japanese officials and ignites a conflict where various gangs, bounty hunters, and the Japanese army race to acquire the map and treasure for themselves. Yoon Tae-goo is an eccentric man whose odd behavior often leads others to underestimate him, though he is truly a master survivor that is driven by enrichment. He is an anti-hero, showing signs of kindness and yet is a ruthless bandit with a bloody past he would rather forget. The events of the film put him on a collision course with Park Chang yi (The Bad) and Park Do-won (The Good).

Yoon Tae-goo, the Weird, is a bandit and a master survivalist. An eccentric man who is driven by greed and enrichment. Yoon Tae-goo's personality is full of contradictions and nuance; escaping easy definition.

While Park Chang-yi values pride and Park Do-Won values honor, Yoon Tae-goo values monetary gain and his life above all else. The balance of how Yoon Tae-goo's life and treasure stand as priorities is very nuanced. Yoon Tae-goo passed up early opportunities to sell the treasure map, even though it put him in danger, and yet he later turned down a chance to win a small fortune if it meant dueling with Park Chang yi and Park Do-won. In the end, Yoon Tae-goo is willing to face incredible danger for incredible rewards but there is a line he draws where the reward doesn't justify the danger.

Yoon Tae-goo cannot understand killing or risking one's life for reasons other than survival or monetary gain which puts him at odds with both Park Chang yi and Park Do-won. Both of his foes are motivated by intangible desires and risk their lives to pursue them. Yoon Tae-goo finds both Park Chang yi and Park Do-won to be insane, stupid, and terrifying for this reason.

However, when backed into a corner Yoon Tae-goo is a ruthless warrior. Shown when Park Chang yi killed his gang 5 years before the events of the film and again when Park Chang yi and Park Do-won made it clear that he couldn't escape the mexican standoff. In that latter moment Yoon Tae-goo said: "You are digging your own graves. Don't regret this, boys. Lets roll."

Yoon Tae-goo dreams of using the treasure to buy a farm with livestock in his native country, Korea. Park Do-won found his dream shallow and remarked at the futility of owning land in a stolen country. Yoon Tae-goo then said that the rulers are not that much different revealing that he sees all authorities as authority. Perhaps, Yoon Tae-goo's life as a criminal influenced this belief as any authority would punish him for his crimes and it was up to him to make a livelihood for himself in spite of these authorities. Yoon Tae-goo also seemed to dream of sharing the treasure with his Grandmother.

Yoon Tae-goo's other interactions with Park Do-won reveal much about both of their personalities. Neither trusts each other much at the best of times. While Park Do-won looks down on Yoon Tae-goo as a criminal, Yoon Tae-goo sees Park Do-won as a high threat who is motivated by forces he cannot understand. Yoon Tae-goo even went so far as to say that Park Do-won scared him more than Park Chang yi because he would hunt a man to Hell itself for reasons of principles. In spite of all this Yoon Tae-goo demonstrates that he respects Park Do-won. When sleeping near Park Do-won, Yoon Tae-goo got up and had every opportunity to kill Park Do-won but didn't take it. Why exactly he spared Park Do-won is unknown but it was an incredible choice; given that Yoon Tae-goo is a survivor and Park Do-won a deadly warrior in the film who would certainly chase after him.

In terms of taking pride in his legacy, Yoon Tae-goo is a complete inversion of Park Chang yi. Yoon Tae-goo has a bloody and infamous past that he would rather leave behind. This is befitting for his survivalist bandit lifestyle as having infamy makes him a target and interferes with his ability to keep a low profile. Why Yoon Tae-goo left Korea and his past as the "Finger Chopper" behind is one of the film's mysteries. What is clear is that he was able to lose his infamy and had to change himself to do it. Yoon Tae-goo dresses, acts, and even moves differently than how he did five years before the events of the film. Yoon Tae-goo describes his past as "sad" to Park Do-won and was visibly pleased when his friend, Man Gil, made it clear that the public currently sees him as a lowly thief. He succeeded in leaving his past and forgetting most of it until Park Chang yi reminded him of it.

Given that Yoon Tae-goo's desire is to achieve the life of a wealthy farmer, infamy and his past would make the dream impossible. Yoon Tae-goo's attitude puts him completely at odds with Park Chang yi who lives to make a legacy for himself as the most infamous killer on earth. This difference of opinion and Yoon Tae-goo's victory over Park Chang yi made conflict inevitable between them. The events of the film end tragically for Yoon Tae-goo as, while he does survive, he loses his anonymity and his actions gain him new notoriety as one of the most infamous criminals in Manchuria. This was made more devastating when Yoon Tae-goo realized that the treasure he fought so hard for was oil, immensely valuable to an organization but not to a thief. The alternate ending does give him a small fortune though, taken from Park Chang yi's pockets.

Of the three, Yoon Tae-goo is the only one who has significant interactions with women. He finds them interesting and they often find him interesting as well. Yoon Tae-goo is not a particularly lustful man; he often keeps his attention on acquiring money while he is around women. Still, Yoon Tae-goo frequently finds himself surrounded by beautiful women.

Yoon Tae-goo has a thieves mentality. He believes that thieves have a code and was angered that Park Chang Yi would try to steal the map that Yoon Tae-go already had stolen. Believing in a "first finders" rule for thieving.

Yoon Tae-goo has an odd mix of ruthless behavior mixed with acts of kindness. 1st and foremost, Yoon Tae-goo is a bandit and will readily attack and kill anyone who has his desired money. In his past, Yoon Tae-goo was a brutal criminal with a MO of slicing off the fingers of his enemies. Throughout the film, he always looks out for himself first. And yet, Yoon Tae-goo also demonstrates care for his Granny, his partner Man Gil, and even Park Do-won on occasion. When jailed in a brothel, he met three kids sold into sexual slavery and immediately began protecting them; ultimately saving them and driving them away from their captors. Yoon Tae-goo's kind hearted nature is comparable to Park Do-won, though Yoon Tae-goo is still more ruthless in his pursuit of money.

Powers / Abilities Apex Survivalist: Yoon Tae-goo is easily the greatest survivalist of all the characters in the film. He achieves his survival using a combination of fighting prowess, intelligence, caution and charismatic negotiation. During the race to the treasure multiple gangs, drug lords, bounty hunters, and the Japanese army were all specifically chasing Yoon Tae-goo. In spite of having most of the country hunting him, Yoon Tae-goo survived the events of the film with minimal injuries.

Combat Gear: Yoon Tae-goo has a goofy appearance but his combat gear is actually laid out very deliberately and with intelligence. His belts are strapped across his chest to allow for swift drawing and reloading. In the alternate ending, it is revealed that he wears a metal chest shield underneath his suit which prevents the chest shots he received in the Mexican standoff from being fatal.

Gunslinger: Yoon Tae-goo was the least talented gunslinger of the three warriors. Unlike his peers, Yoon Tae-goo frequently demonstrated a lack of accuracy in his shots. However, Yoon Tae-goo has exceptional reflexes and his speed at drawing made him a deadly shooter in firefights. He would compensate for his lack of accuracy by duel-wielding two high magazine pistols with which he could lay down a barrage of bullets at his targets. In the Mexican standoff, Yoon Tae-goo was unable to land a single blow against his foes though he survived as Park Do-won and Park Chang yi destroyed each other.

Expert Brawler: While Park Do-won and Park Chang yi tend to finish their melee fights with speed and grace, most of Yoon Tae-goo's melee fights turn into drawn-out brawls. However, Yoon Tae-goo has defeated very powerful foes with well-placed hits, scrappiness and creative use of the resources at hand. He has had assistance in defeating some of his foes though that to can be credited to Yoon Tae-goo's ability to find support in unlikely places.

Interestingly, Yoon Tae-goo displayed uncharacteristic speed and effectiveness in his duel with Park Chang yi five years before the events of the film.

Expert Knife Fighter: Though Yoon Tae-goo rarely uses a knife he easily bested Park Chang yi in a knife fight when he was the Finger Chopper. He is also able to remove a man's finger in a single slice; hence his nickname.

Exceptional Intelligence and Creativity: Yoon Tae-goo's greatest weapon is his mind; made doubly strong since most assume he is a fool. Yoon Tae-goo is exceptionally creative, thinking of ways to use his environment in ways that others don't. He will frequently win fights and survive encounters using this skill. His use of a diving helmet as body armor is one such example. He is also a master of surprise attacks and fake-outs. Examples include being pretending to be dead after Park Do-won shot his motorcycle wheel and going for his gun once the sniper got close. Another example is when he jumped onto the car that an attacker had just jumped off to land on his motorcycle.

Frequently Underestimated: Due to his goofy appearance and eccentric mannerisms, most who meet Yoon Tae-goo assume he is an idiot. This misperception usually means that Yoon Tae-goo's enemies are dying by the time they realize that he is, in fact, a genius.

Criminal Sensibility: Yoon Tae-goo is fully immersed in the life and culture of banditry. It is part of his ability to survive; a mixture of violence and social acumen. Yoon Tae-goo knew that he might be pursued when he stole the map and had the good sense to be very cautious with it; something his partner, Man Gil, didn't do and got killed for. He would use distrust, sneakiness, scrappiness, and intimidation exceptionally well.

A Sense of Self Preservation / Brave at Heart: Unlike Park Do-won and Park Chang yi, Yoon Tae-goo is not particularly daring and will avoid fighting if at all possible. While not as fearless as his peers, it is his fear that makes him a great survivor. If he is in a possibly lethal situation he will first try, often successfully, to negotiate his way out. If a fight is necessary, he faces it with no fear. Yoon Tae-goo may try to avoid danger but proves that he is strong at his core when danger is unavoidable.

Charismatic Negotiator: As mentioned, Yoon Tae-goo will turn to negotiation socialization when put in a sticky situation. He is very good at it too. When captured by Park Do-won, instead of giving Park Do-won reason to turn him in for the bounty, Yoon Tae-goo offered him a cut of the treasure. This was the start of what would become a temporary partnership that kept Yoon Tae-goo alive through multiple few fights. When locked in an opium den, Yoon Tae-goo immediately made allies of three children who had been sold into sexual slavery. Together the four of them killed all their captors and escaped.

Expert Liar: Yoon Tae-goo was able to effectively walk away from his past and keep it secret not only from Manchuria but the intelligent Park Do-won until Park Chang yi made the truth public.

Escape Artist: While captured Yoon Tae-goo has a good sense of when he can make a move to escape. He nearly succeeded in escaping from Park Do-won while being tied to a wall. He later not only escaped Park Do-won while sleeping but had an opportunity to kill him in his sleep. Later he escaped an opium den, murdering all his jailors.

Master Driver: Yoon Tae-goo is the only one of the three who uses vehicles; never once riding a horse. He favors a motorcycle though he can drive cars as well. Yoon Tae-goo is a master driver, proven when he survives a chase involving multiple pursuers and artillery. He was even able to knock down a pursuing horse with skillful driving.

Personal Commentary

what do i think about the movie? good cinematography. it's flawed but forgivable. The map connects all of them together - all with different goals

All three main characters have incredible exaggerated skills. Such skills that it seems clear that if joined forces together, they could overcome the Japanese colonial army themselves. However, they focus on chasing treasure and each other

three aoutlaws trying to one up each other and find the valuables hidden out in the desert.... but we arent really sure why its valuable...they never really elaborate.

That said, the longer version at least gives some background to the presence of the Good (Jung Woo-sung), who is literally suddenly just there in the IV.