WARNING: This Article May Contain Spoilers
Fans of Korean cinema would have been aware of Ma Dong (Don Lee as he was credited for this film) prior to the release of The Eternals but, like the actual character of Gilgamesh, I had absolutely no idea who he was. However, I am not saying this as a criticism because I think choosing little-known actors means that viewers don’t go into the film with any preconceptions.
Train to Busan
I just want to start off by saying that no horror film has ever taken me through such a range of emotions! Ma Dong Seok has possibly the best character in the whole film. Wait, what am I saying? Scratch the ‘possibly’ he IS the best character. I worried at the beginning that he was just going to be a cameo but he ends up being so much more, including being a hero. This also shows a large range for him, as the character is both the light relief and is the first to take on the zombies in hand-to-hand combat.
The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil
From playing the hero in Train to Busan to playing the bad guy here – wait, that’s a little harsh – yes, his character, Jang Dong-Soo, is the titular ‘gangster’ of this film but I don’t think he is an out and out bad guy. OK, his ways of going about trying to catch ‘The Devil’ aren’t 100% clean cut, but being that the cop, Jung Tae-Seok, gets him involved his hands aren’t exactly clean either. To be honest, they influence each other in a way. However, on that note, I am glad that we didn’t have the predictable moment of Jang Dong-Soo going to kill the serial killer and then changing his mind and turning him instead. You know, showing the typical 180 change of his character.
Derailed
For those of you who have seen this film, I’m probably about to say something pretty controversial right now. I actually feel quite sorry for Ma’s character towards the end of the film. I oddly understand his character for most of the film if I’m completely honest. In the beginning, he’s just trying to be nice to Ga-young but a switch is flipped when the two boys break into the room. OK, maybe what happens to her as punishment is what he had planned all along as he runs a karaoke bar with a side-hustle of prostitution attached. You get the feeling he is only doing it because his family has no other choice and need the money to fund his daughter’s education.
Honorary Mentions
So, there is a film missing from here that I really wish I had been able to cover. I talked before about Train to Busan showing Ma’s range by adding him also as the light relief. Well, he had also made a film called Start Up which is a comedy as well as an action film but this isn’t his only comedy! He had made The Soul-Mate in 2018. He has also acted on the right side of the law by playing Detective Oh in The Chronicles of Evil.
