Just hearing the premise makes one curious. Action films abound, but there can’t be too many like ‘Man of High Heels,’ a moody, moving and violent Korean cop-gangster film written and directed by , this South Korean noir film stars Cha Seung Won, who plays a homicide detective who hides a big secret. Nicknamed Cyborg due to the metal plates on his arms and legs and his ability to make an arrest using only his formidable azed by his toughness and physical prowess: gangster gang leader Heo -Bol (Song Young-Chang), was singing praises to Yoon Ji-Wook moments before the man appeared to beat him and his henchmen. Skilled in hand-to-hand combat, Yoon Ji Wook is a tough homicide detective known for his ability to catch violent criminals using his own harsh methods.
Revered as a legend among police officers, he is simultaneously feared among the mafia for his brutality in cracking down on crime. However, beneath that macho and unscrupulous hard man appearance lies a secret that no one can know since the society in which he lives would not view him favorably: apparently the epitome of masculinity, Yoon Ji Wook feels that She is a woman in a man’s body. As much as she tries to suppress this inner desire, she can’t fight what she really is: Yoon identifies as transgender. The film is an intricate film noir story, and woven into the mask of the crime plot is the story of Yoon’s decision to live his true life.
Upon finally reaching the point where he resolves to be a woman and decides to take the step of undergoing a sex reassignment operation and thus be able to see his teenage dream come true, he requests discharge from the police force
This is when the turning point in the film occurs. Before having the opportunity to enter the operating room, unexpected situations begin to happen that interfere with their plans. His numerous enemies think his career change is also a perfect opportunity to take revenge. How much will revenge cost him? The members of a gang who had to go through bad times due to the actions of our narrative hero will come for him.
When some of his close friends are murdered and Jang-mi (Esom), a girl whose brother Yoon loved at school, is kidnapped, he realizes that he can’t stand by and follow his dream any longer
It is striking that in the history of cinema there has never been a film that deals with the issue of transgenderism in the way that ‘Man of High Heels’ does. Jang argued that he was inspired to write the script by friends who had encountered prejudice due to their sexual identities, and one of them had been forced to leave the police institution for being gay. Furthermore, its subversion of classic action movie tropes typifies the irreverent approach of its director, who has built his reputation satirizing Korean society and mischievously modifying cinematic 1r3n kadД±n traditions. On the one hand, the protagonist nails his role like very few other actors could have done. Cha Seung Won exudes masculinity from every pore. That is why it surprises many to see him dressed as a woman.
Reading comments from MDL users, one can notice the large number of people who are surprised to learn the premise of the film, and there are those who attack it because “I don’t like it” and “I don’t understand” or they simply attack it because they consider the way in which transsexuality is approached is crude. The film is not only about seeing one of Korea’s most mature actors transvestite, but also that ‘Man of High Heels’ debunks the idea, especially in the West, that South Korean cinema goes to the saga of what is produced in the rest of the world. Due to its story, its originality, its staging and, above all, its ability to surprise the viewer, Jang’s film speaks for itself about the quality of the cinema of that Asian nation.