Modern Boy


Modern Boy is a 2008 South Korean period drama film written and directed by Jung Ji-woo. It follows a rich, hedonistic playboy who cannot care less that his country was colonized, and falls head over heels in love with a beautiful independence fighter.

Plot

In 1937, during the Japanese occupation, Lee Hae-myeong, a top-level secretary of the, becomes instantly captivated by a dancer named Jo Nan-sil, whom he sees for the first time at a secret club he visits with his best friend Shinsuke. After using all sorts of methods, he begins a dreamlike romance with her, but the happiness is short-lived. A lunchbox packed by Nan-sil explodes at the Government-General building, and she vanishes without a trace after ransacking Hae-myeong's home. Desperate to find her, Hae-myeong scours Gyeongseong, only to discover that Nan-sil is a woman of many names, many jobs, and even many lovers. Despite the mounting sense of danger, Haemyung cannot quell his longing for her.

Cast

Modern Boy was released in South Korea on 2 October 2008, and topped the box office on its opening weekend with 329,956 admissions. As of 26 October, the film had received a total of 761,090 admissions, and as of 9 November had grossed a total of $3,839,780.

Awards and nominations

;2008 Blue Dragon Film Awards
  • Technical Award - Insight Visual
  • Nomination - Best Cinematography - Kim Tae-gyeong
  • Nomination - Best Art Direction - Jo Sang-gyeong, Park Ju-yeong
  • Nomination - Best Music - Lee Jae-jin
;2008 Korean Film Awards
;2009 Grand Bell Awards
;17th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards