MovieChat Forums > Chingoo (2001) Discussion > My Interpretation of the Ending Version ...

My Interpretation of the Ending Version 1....

posted 17 years ago by cksdayoff
22 replies | jump to latest

Joon Suk didn't order the hit:

- First off, Joon-Suk values friendship. He mentions friendship several times in the film and its probably the one thing he truly values in life. It seems as if Joon-Suk was the one who always got the four of them together to hang out. All four of them were close friends.

- He finally realizes what the word 'friend' really meant, and that's someone who sticks close by your side through thick and thin. Now who has been that one person who stayed by Joon Suk's side ever since they were kids? Dong-Su.

- He goes and meets up with Dong-Su because he realizes that he was a true friend. Tries to save him by asking to go to Hawaii together. Dong-Su refuses and we know what happens afterwards.

- When Dong-Su is killed, Jook-Suk takes the blame because it was just straight up humiliating and embarrassing for his underlings to disrespect him like that and carry out the killing without his permission. He is the boss, yet his underlings didn't respect his orders (to not touch Dong-Su). Joon-Suk had no choice but to falsely admit that he ordered the killing of his friend to save face.

- Could Sang-Gon (Dong-Su's boss) have been possibly involved in Dong-Su's death? The boss is shady as hell. He's the one who talks about loyalty to Dong-Su early on in the film at the restaurant and yet, I got the sense that it was all talk and that loyalty = money to him.

- Both Sun-Taek and the other friend wanted Joon-Suk to deny any resonpsibility for the death of Dong-Su.

- At the end, Sun-Taek asks Joon-Suk if he admitted to the crime because he felt bad for Dong-Su. Joon-Suk felt horrible that Dong-Su was a victim of gang business, and with this sudden realization that Dong-Su was his one true friend who stood by him thick and thin, (and the fact that his underlings betrayed his words) he wanted to do him a favor by admitting to the crime. Also remember Joon-Suk was going to go to Hawaii to lay low for a while and told Dong-Su to come along with him because he knew sht was going to hit the fan. Why would Joon-Suk kill Dong-Su on the same day as his father's memorial service?

[–] cksdayoff 17 years ago

Joon-Suk DID order the hit:

- Joon-Suk always referred to Dong-Su as a gangster. When Sun-Taek visited Joon-Suk as a college student, Joon-Suk tells Sun-Taek that he alone was his only friend in the world. Sun-Taek asks about Dong-Su and Joon-Suk tells him that Dong-Su is a gangster and isn't a true friend.

- Dong-Su kills several members of Joon-Suks gang and Joon Suk even tells Sun-Taek over the phone that there is bad blood between the two of them. Maybe Joon-Suk was sincere when he told Dong-Su to come to Hawaii with him, maybe he wasn't sincere. Dong-Su could have turned down the invitation to Hawaii because it could have been a death trap. Afterall, Dong-Su still thought Joon-Suk was the one who ordered his assassination attempt. and Joon-Suk never clarifies that he wasn't the one who ordered it.

- When Sun-Taek visits Jung-Ho (4th friend), Jung-Ho tells him that Joon-Suk killed Dong-Su. If Joon-Suk DIDN'T order the hit, Jung-Ho would not have said this, since Jung-Ho is a friend and Joon-Suk would have told him the truth. Jung-Ho and Sun-Taek tries to help Joon-Suk escape a long prison sentence even though they know that he is the one who gave orders to kill Dong-Su.

- Joon-Suk DID NOT KNOW about the assassination attempt of Dong-Su so when Dong-Su goes and slays Joon-Suk's underlings, Joon-Suk realizes that he was right all along about Dong-Su. Dong-Su was never a true friend but a business partner who was always capable of stabbing him in the back if he had gotten power hungry enough. Remember, Joon-Suk never knew about the assassination attempt so when Dong-Su went on that killing spree, Joon-Suk felt truly betrayed and what he thought could really be a good friendship was just a mirage. Because of this, Joon-Suk orders the hit out on Dong-Su.

[–] spiky623 17 years ago

What I want to know is how did he get Eun-gi and others to go along with the plan...

[–] anthonytnguyen 17 years ago

yeah, these are all interesting points. I wasn't able to determine what his actions really were. From my interpretation, he did order the hit because while his friend was telling him to lie at court to defend himself, a simultaneous scene with Dong Su's dad saying how he thought of Joon Suk as a son.

I'm assuming that he couldn't bare the guilt, and decided to go to jail even if he could get away.

[–] codek14 14 years ago

Dong Su was loyal. Why else would he get pissed at the high school party when he tells the lead singer of Rainbow to do the deed with Sang-Taek. Dong Su felt betrayed and I would feel betrayed to. So after awhile Dong Su said *beep* this and went on his own cause he didn't want to Joon Suk's servant/slave. Later Joon Suk realizes how he messed up and tried to reconcile the relationship.

I don't think Joon Suk ordered the hit on Dong Su but it is a dangerous game. And one of them was going to die sooner or later.

[–] stvnwkim 17 years ago

Dongsu is killed by his own underlings. He was vulnerable because he was going to the car with his underlings, and someone from his own gang killed him. Joonsuk takes the blame because he says it is "jjokpalyuh" (humiliating), because dongsu was killed by his own gang. Joonsuk realizes that they were friends and their friendship has become like this, so he takes the blame for the killing so that dongsu would not be humiliated. in the end, when joonsuk walks into the light, (death penalty!) he looks back at the simple life that he and his friends had, and also when he and dongsu actually agreed on something and were good friends.

the ebd

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jimmyYAYA 17 years ago

I think Joon Suk gave Dong-su a chance by asking him to go to Hawaii. If Dong-Su agreed, he would not order the hit. If he didn't, then the hit was on.

The sign that the hit was on was the cigarette.

[–] theradioster 17 years ago

exactly

[–] jransom1984 17 years ago

Spot on. I don't think Joon Suk was asking Dong-Su to go to Hawaii with him, I think he was asking him to leave so that there wouldn't have to be any more violence between the two gangs. He says that when he gets back in a few years, everything will be like it was before. Since he isn't willing to leave, Joon Suk decides to go instead because he knows that he has to kill Dong-Su to save face in his gang. The humiliating part for him was that he killed one of his friends and he just couldn't live with it, so he decided that the honorable thing to do to redeem himself would be to admit his crimes and accept the consequences.

[–] samsneaky 17 years ago

this movie was raw

[–] moonjievax9 17 years ago

too many good points. but w/e good movie haha

[–] yutopia7-1 16 years ago

jrransom, you're right on the spot. That's exactly what the movie explained. Joon-sok's philosophy of being a gangster is that you should never live carrying a shame. His humiliation was killing one of his best friend and pretending to live just fine about it. That's his explanation of why he admitted the killing, even though all his friends tried to convince him otherwise (look at Joon-sok's face when they tried to, it's really painful to watch. He's completely torn, wishing he didn't have to hurt many people's feelings.) i feel sorry for Dong-Su's father as well. He believed Joon-sok didn't do it.

By the way, does anybody know the artist and the title of the song during the credits? It's a great song, I want to know where i could find it

[–] I_Love_Books 16 years ago

What..

He didn't order the hit! I thought that was a given. It was one of his men who were tired of their leader protecting his best friend.

[–] tvandfilmbuff 11 years ago

In my opinion, it's both.

1. Jeong-suk asks Dong-su to go to Hawaii until things calm down. If Dong-su agrees to go, Jeung-suk wont put the hit on him.

2. Dong-su refuses, asking Jeung-suk to go to Hawaii. Dong-su will put the hit on Jeong-suk if he refuses. IMO, Dong-su was going to have him killed after the meeting. It is only Jeung-suk's offer, in the name of friendship, to spare him if he will agree to lay low, that sways him to spare Jeung-su. His henchmen are waiting for his word to kill. Dong-su instead calls his men off the hit "today's his father's memorial", which signs his own death sentence.

3. Jeong-su leaves and gives the signal to kill Dong-su, by tossing his cigarette.

4. Dong-su reminisces on their friendship and the line "I've never resented you... Don't we just do as we're told?" There is a look of resignation. He knows it's wrong to ask Jeong-suk to be the one to go into hiding, and that it should be him. He leaves, asking his bodyguard for the car, and inquiring on how far a drive it is to the airport. He has decided to go to Hawaii to lay low.

5. Both Jeong-su's and Dong-su's hitmen attack Dong-su. They're not working together, it was just that both hits were ordered at the same time by both parties. Two different men stab him. The one delivering the mortal wounds was one of his own men, and his own bodyguard held his arms at his sides while he was stabbed with the first wounds.

6. Jeong-su admits his part out of respect and friendship.

[–] hascu 10 years ago

Are people here forgetting the fact that it was Dong-Su's underling (guy holding the umbrella for Dong-Su) that held him down while another stabbed him to death?

Also, it's quite presumptuous for you to say that the tossing of the cigarette was the "signal" to assassinate someone. For all we know, the director may have emphasized the cigarette drop as his stylistic way of showing symbolism or foreshadowing. I mean, for God's sake, the gang members were smoking in pretty much every scene in the movie. Logically, it would be confusing as hell for a well organized criminal enterprise to implement a system where one specific cigarette drop was meant "kill someone" while the millions they've smoked and dropped previously meant nothing.

[–] vampirock_x 16 years ago

The main point here is whether Joon-Suk ordered the killing. I think one of the good things about this film is various clues given are just enough to support either interpretation.

Personally I believe he ordered the hit 'cause it makes the film much sadder and powerful as the friends can't really always be due to fate, but then stvnwkim pointed out Dong-Su was killed by his own men, which is more interesting and makes Joon-Suk's friendship with him even more sublime.

What a great film!!!!

PS. always think Dong-Kun Jang is much more handsome with short hair, so cool!

What made the universe made me.

[–] The_Truth34 16 years ago

Joon-Suk did order the hit. Remember the scene when prior to getting into the car, he drops his cigarette? That was the signal to the others that the hit was on. Otherwise, he would have just took the cigarette into the car and called it a day.

Interesting that the restaurant scene earlier in the film was brought up because it was Sang-gon who said he killed the old boss, who was Joon-Suk's father. Any maybe we can see it as revenge for Joon-Suk to take out somebody in honor of his father's death. And that unfortunately was Dong-Su who, after all, had it coming to him sooner or later.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] t-d-t-m82 16 years ago

I think he was told to go to Hawaii as a form of mob withdrawal. Or hiding. Ala Romeo and Juliet and Casino. A place so far out that it doesn't matter what happens to them. Then he would be protected for a couple of years by his own men and then return back once things had cooled down. Obviously he didn't suspect that it was do or die.

The film was good although a little stretched out in areas. Direction was supurb with great editing techniques and fantastic cinematography. The girl band was a great idea for them to revolve some tension in another group of close unit.

This film had some great close fighting shots ala Oldboy. The film was much better than Typhoon and shows the director has a great sense on directing well under budget. I would like to see the director film something again under a small budget and maybe a mob or character based story. 'Friend' was both mob and character based but the character development was first rate. Much better than the gangsta element of the film.

For those who enjoyed this I can only recommend 'A Bittersweet Life'. A film by Kim Ji Woon.

[–] kingbubba 13 years ago

It was pretty clear that he didn't order the hit. In the final conversation between the two friends he says 'why did you say those things in court' not 'why did you kill your friend.' Then he mentions the humilation aspect, and is willing to die to save his dead friends.

He went to see Dong su earlier to warn him. But it was too late by then.

[–] timlin-4 12 years ago

I thought he was just giving him a last chance. He obviously wasn't planning on going to Hawaii! And he certainly didn't confess to a crime he didn't commit just to mourn his friend

[–] thomas975 8 years ago

Guys\Gals,
The whole plot is on Wikipedia. Read it.