The Last Witness (2001 film)

The Last Witness (Korean: 흑수선; RR: Heuksuseon) is a 2001 South Korean action thriller film written and directed by Bae Chang-ho, starring Lee Jung-jae, Lee Mi-yeon, Ahn Sung-ki, and Jung Joon-ho. It is based on the novel of the same name by Kim Seong-jong, and is the second adaptation of the book, the first being in 1980.^[1]

The Last Witness
Theatrical release poster
Hangul	흑수선
RR	Heuksuseon
MR	Hŭksusŏn
Directed by	Bae Chang-ho
Written by	Bae Chang-ho
Based on	The Last Witness by Kim Seong-jong
Produced by	Jeong Tae-won
Starring	Lee Jung-jae Lee Mi-yeon Ahn Sung-ki Jung Joon-ho
Cinematography	Kim Yun-su
Distributed by	Cinema Service
Release date	November 16, 2001 (2001-11-16)
Running time	106 minutes
Country	South Korea
Language	Korean

Synopsis

A political prisoner, Hwang-seok is released after 50 years of solitary confinement. A day later, a body with stab wounds is recovered from a harbor. Detective Oh investigates the death and determines the body is that of Yang, a former soldier. Discovering a diary amongst Yang's possessions, Oh follows a trail of clues to a blind antique dealer, Ji-hye. It transpires that it was Yang who was responsible for the imprisonment of Hwang-seok, a suspected communist sympathizer in the Korean War. This makes Hwang-seok the prime suspect for the murder of Yang. But not all is as it seems, and a series of flashbacks back to the dark days of the Korean War and the infamous Geoje POW Camp on Geojedo leads Oh to Han, a former North Korean soldier living in Japan, and a final, tragic resolution for two ill-fated lovers.^[1]

Cast

• Lee Jung-jae as Detective Oh
• Lee Mi-yeon as Ji-hye
• Ahn Sung-ki as Hwang-seok
• Jung Joon-ho as Han Dong-ju
• Lee Ki-young as Yang

See also

• Cinema of Korea