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diamond in exchange for Haruko and ten crates of gold. Yamada is sent to make the exchange, but the Chief is stopped by the chef and nightclub owner, who are trying to make good on their assassination attempt. The two independence fighters are injured in a shootout with
Japanese soldiers, but succeed in their objective, blowing up the Chief's car. Yamada makes the exchange with Kamemura, but attempts to double cross him, and the two men fight. The diamond is broken, and Kanemura manages to escape with Haruko and the gold. He later reveals that the diamond was in fact a fake, and that he manipulated the whole event to secure gold from the Japanese for the purposes of rebuilding Korea. Back in Seoul, the execution of civilians is halted by the
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shop, but her accomplice Jang-cheon is really an agent of the Korean independence movement, and when
Kanemura reveals himself as the leader of the Korean secret intelligence, the two men turn against her. Disguised in Japanese military uniforms and with the diamond now in their possession, they are about to make their getaway when Hasekawa arrives on the scene and holds them at gunpoint. Suzimura and his other police officers soon follow, but he misreads the situation; believing Hasekawa to be a traitor who has taken Japanese soldiers captive, he orders his men to shoot him. This allows Kanemura and Jang-cheon to escape through a hidden tunnel, but Haruko is captured.
250:. Receiving orders to send the diamond to Japan, a lavish send-off party is arranged. Kanemura attends the event with Haruko; he plans to steal the diamond, but she has the same idea, and both are surprised to see the other when they get to the safe where it is kept. After a brief struggle, it is Haruko who makes her escape with the diamond, leaving Kanemura to face the authorities. But the nightclub owner and his chef are also at the party, and their bungled assassination attempt on the Chief of State results in a fire, allowing Kanemura to slip away in the confusion.
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Unable to discover the diamond's whereabouts, Yamada rounds up 100 Korean civilians and orders them to be executed if it is not returned. Kanemura is also unsuccessful in getting Haruko to give up the diamond, so he allows her to slip away and then secretly follows her. She leads him to a local pawn
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Yamada is given the task of retrieving the diamond, much to the chagrin of
Suzimura, the chief of police, who feels that he has jurisdiction. Hasekawa, a police inspector, immediately suspects Haruko, but Yamada won't hear of it, blinded by his feelings for her. Meanwhile, Kanemura manages to track
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Jang-cheon thinks that he has the diamond, but
Kanemura has switched it, and, feigning injury, he tells Jang-cheon to go on without him; he does, but is soon after arrested and thrown in with the other hostages. Now on his own, Kanemura negotiates a deal with the Chief of State: he will return the
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noted that although the film shows the harsh realities of life under
Japanese colonialism, it could also be enjoyed as a comedy "because it focuses on personal journeys, not just historical events," and that the film was "Funny from beginning to end," with "a delightful finish." James Mudge of
230:. Kanemura is a well-connected con artist who makes money by selling ancient Korean artifacts to wealthy Japanese collectors. His eyes are set on Haruko, a beautiful jazz singer in a downtown nightclub; unbeknownst to anyone, Haruko has been moonlighting as "Haedanghwa" ("
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After a twenty-year search, the
Japanese Chief of State—a high-ranking official in Korea—has recovered the "Light of the East", a 3,000 carats (600 g) diamond and lost treasure from the ancient kingdom of
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regarded Jeong's direction as being "slick and confident throughout," and commented that while the film lacked originality, "it stands as a solid, entertaining action comedy that should be enjoyed by all."
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disguised as a geisha. She refuses to hand over the diamond, but he has planted explosives on the railway track, and, having cut off her escape route, succeeds in dragging her back to Seoul.
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as being "technically excellent" and "a well balanced heist comedy," also praising the film for its use of music and portrayal of 1940s Korea. Yang Sung-jin of
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218:'s film division, established late 2007, and was released in South Korea on January 30, 2008, under the company's CH Entertainment banner.
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commended the "solid performances of the leading characters," while also giving credit to the comic relief provided by supporting actors
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367:. As of March 31, 2008, the total number of tickets sold was 1,562,752. It was released on DVD in South Korea on March 31, 2008.
238:, who is jealous of Kanemura's affections towards her. The owner of the nightclub and his chef, Hee-bong, secretly work for the
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234:"), a cat burglar who has carried out a succession of high-profile thefts. She is also pursued by Yamada, a colonel in the
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as a con artist and a jazz singer, respectively, who each plot to steal a valuable diamond from the
Japanese authorities.
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was released in South Korea on
January 30, 2008, and was ranked third at the box office on its opening weekend, grossing
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The film screened at the 7th New York Korean Film
Festival, which took place in August 2008. It was also shown at the
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Note: While most characters in the film are Korean, some are referred to by both their
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292:. For the historical context of forced name changes in Korea during this period, see
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707:"Han Ye-seul, Lee Bo-yeong, Jeong Ryeo-won, Compete for the New Actress Award"
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423:. Yang Min-hye was also nominated for Best Costume Design at the
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In a review for the Korean Film
Council, Yi Ch'ang-ho described
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and adapted from a screenplay by Cheon Seong-il. The film is a
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The film is set in Seoul, 1945, during the final days of
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Kim Goo-taek as Suzimura (Korean name: Hwang Choon-duk)
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Kim Hyeong-beom as Hasekawa (Korean name: Oh Duk-soo)
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374:'s 2008 Summer Fest, held during the same month.
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691:"Once Upon a Time in Corea (2008) Movie Review"
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832:Films about the Korean independence movement
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446:"South Korea Box Office March 21–23, 2008"
419:was nominated for Best New Actress at the
202:comedy film set in 1940s Korea, and stars
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598:"Summer movie fest offers 2 Korean films"
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488:"SK Telecom adds to $ 25 mil film fund"
254:down Haruko, finding her on a train to
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638:"Retro movies rediscover colonial era"
509:"Box-Office Admission Results (2008)"
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305:as Kanemura (Korean name: Oh Bong-gu)
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469:plays big in S. Korea"
425:45th Grand Bell Awards
412:Awards and nominations
323:as the nightclub owner
192:2008 South Korean film
16:2008 South Korean film
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329:as the Chief of State
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290:Korean name
232:Rugosa Rose
184::
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141:South Korea
133:110 minutes
90:Kim Sun-min
57:Produced by
39:Directed by
772:2008 films
766:Categories
431:References
216:SK Telecom
177:원스 어폰 어 타임
154:Box office
117:2008-01-30
49:Written by
757:HanCinema
712:Hancinema
649:Hancinema
465:"Holiday
317:as Yamada
87:Edited by
146:Language
65:Starring
675:24 July
493:Variety
474:Variety
352:Release
190:) is a
138:Country
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172:Korean
149:Korean
248:Silla
200:heist
746:IMDb
677:2013
646:via
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288:and
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