Movie Digest
The subway around the city of Busan opens in the daytime and closes at night. But another world wakes up afterward as the laborers work in inconspicuous places to maintain their living. The conductors leave the night duty room and begin their work after four in the morning. Control room monitoring and inspections of subway cars got done by other workers. The cleaning crew sweeps the stations, the repairman fixes the subway cars, and workers inspect and repair the tracks. Underground documented these people who remain in the shadows to gain minimum wages and gaze a respectful idea of their work. But most importantly, it portrays a different class of workers who are discriminated against in their labor as they work the more dangerous jobs. The non-regular workers come under the lowest status of the hierarchical order around this facility to perform difficult labor called outsourcing death.
The Feel-Good Part
The movie captures the realistic environment of the subway workers and their struggles during their work time. The show takes a few high school students on an extensive tour around the subway and the station to meet with the workers, cleaners, and the other staff as they get familiar with their work. This show is an eye-opening and unique experience for the students and the audience watching. It showcases how the people lost their jobs when the subway changed into an automatic system and how some people needed different educations after technological developments, which are saddening and emotional. The directorial and production value was suitable for this movie. It managed to capture the true essence behind this documentary. The historical information around this movie is quite engaging to watch.
The Disappointing Factor
The two-thirds of this movie only showcases worker working in the subway, which can be boring for the audience as there isn’t much context to it. The acting performances could have been better.
In-Depth Analysis
This movie provides a cautious tale of the people who belong to the lowest group of the underground with much observing and fewer words. The film portrays a realistic view of the subway facility and how people get treated differently due to their status and captures a hidden part of the regular world that needs more attention from the audience. As mostly, people only see the regular staff on the subway, this movie appreciates the unknown underground workers who risk their lives to perform their daily tasks. It speaks about the modernization and technological changes affecting livelihoods as they need to increase their skills. The audience needs to understand these workers and treat them more humanely. The director only captures their daily activities without commenting on their social problems, but the audience can connect with them anyways.
Star Power
The director and producer of this documentary movie are Kim Jeong Keun, known for his eye-opening works on social causes like, Get on the Bus and The island of Shadows which spoke about the labor movements at Hanjin Heavy Industries. Kim Kuk Jin is the cast member of this movie.
Overall Opinion
This movie is a commendable watch for audiences interested in getting a truthful view of lower-class workers but portrays it as an art.
