A cop is sent to prison for a hit and run accident plus destruction of evidence. The prison that he is sent to doesn't operate like a normal prison should. Cellmates have power over the police there and the prisoners leave the jail in the dead of night to carry out jobs assigned by the leader of all the inmates.
First of all, I don't know what type of prison that was in this film. If a prison in reality operated the way that place did, it would be shut down quicker than a batch of kimchi could be made. The whole nail bitting aspect of this film is how crazy the whole situation was. What a crazy system to keep undercover. People who ran the prison in name where also being controlled by the inmates within. The Prison is a gangster movie basically set in mind blowing circumstances. Every kind of corrupt action that you can think of happened in this jail. A new inmate being added to the fray made matters worse for the people who are "suppose" to be running the jail. The underground leader on the other hand, will use anyone at his disposal to maintain control over the prison. Like I stated already, Watching was a nail bitting experience since you don't know what threat will be the undoing of the characters involved. Will they get caught sneaking out of the prison? Will the inmates from within the prison get their own cellmate's blood on their hands? Questions pop up the more you watch and you automatically want the best for the main character. Even though he has a few layers behind his surface persona.
Han Suk Kyu plays the leader of the whole prison. People like his character are dangerous because they change moods depending on what they need to do in order to control another person. He seems to be an alright guy at times then he suddenly flips into a maniac. Someone normally gets hurt when around him. I felt uneasy watching him be in the same room as the other characters. Han Suk's ability to develop a solid villain character with other emotions besides a cold heart was a driving factor in making this film fun to watch. The character also sometimes comes off like a big brother who is making decisions for the good of the one's who follow him. In these instances, I let my guard down and felt for the guy. Kim Rae Won is an actor that I grew up watching from the very early 2000s to currently. I know he has done roles like this one before but they didn't make a lasting impression on me like his character in The Prison. A lot is hidden about the driving force behind the reason he acts the way that his character does. His character's appearance in the prison the string that breaks the camal's back. He can't be tamed by anyone until get involved in the hustle that dominates everyday life in the prison. For some reason, he still reacts to people in distress in the same manner that a police officer would though…. ? ……. Old habits must die hard. The costars are every minor actor that has never got a lead role except for a few(excluding the veteran actors also). These guys are super talented in their craft. I liked looking at each actor while trying to remember what else I had seen them in. Got to give credit where it's due, All of these guys worked so hard for viewers to enjoy this film.
A few of the in prison shots where filmed during the daytime but most of the film is shot at night. I guess so what's done in the dark will not come to the light. Those inmates were living in that jail like it was a hotel though. I've also heard that a real prison was used for the film. It didn't look like a set at all to me.
The Prison stars Han Suk Kyu, Kim Rae Won, Jung Woong In, and, Kim Sung Kyun. Na Hyeon wrote and directed the film. My heart didn't care for the ending too much. Not because the ending made the film bad, just because I wanted a different outcome. Viewers are left with the "Well, go figure!" style of ending.
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