The Uprising is Park Kwang-Su′s ambitious experiment on history and the cinema, deliberately reflecting the circumstances surrounding Korean cinema in the 1990s. In late 19th century Cheju Island, a small conflict between Catholic and Confucian Koreans results in confrontation between the two groups, dragging the entire island into a whirlpool of rioting villagers. Many lives are altered with the history, as young Lee Jae-Su takes charge against the Catholics. Defying conventional narrative styles, Park emphasizes fragmented scenes to capture the voices of the masses trying to flee a grand-scale historical battle. Within his raw directing style lies Park′s gaze regarding history and the cries of the people involved. That is represented by Lee Jae- Su, shown roaming the fields with a rifle, screaming at the mountaintops. When released domestically, some heralded the film for its courage while others condemned it for its recklessness. The differing appraisals of The Uprising center around its archaic interpretation and its being Korea′s highest budgeted film to date, overshadowing the excellent performance by Lee Jung-Jae and outstanding cinematography by Kim Hyung-Gu. Whether Park′s experiment is an opening of new possibilities or merely an unfinished investigation depends upon each individual s assessment. Still, his question remains: what comprises history and how should movies document it? For anyone interested in these questions, The Uprising needs to be seen again and again. (Kwon Yong-Min)