Amid a flurry of Hollywood-style blockbusters, a small, low-budget movie about an autism sufferer has emerged as South Korea's biggest box-office hit. Marathon is based on the true story of autism patient Bae Hyung-jin, who completed the 26 miles, 385 yards in less than three hours.
The film was made for only US$1.5 million, a fraction of the cost of most other South Korean movies these days. And it was shot in just three months. Yet, 5 million people saw it in less than two months, making it the biggest draw for five consecutive weeks.
The main reason for its success is that it tells the touching story of a 20-year-old real-life role model with the intelligence of a five-year-old boy. He suffers from serious autism, and is a misfit. But when it comes to running, he is as good as anyone else. His story, in which he overcomes many hurdles to complete the race, appeals to viewers yearning for a new type of hero.
But there is another reason for its success: since the late 1990s, South Koreans have been addicted to running. In parks, health clubs and on school fields, people run day and night. Men, women, the young and the old jog to keep healthy.
The marathon, in particular, has a special meaning for Koreans. It symbolises the unyielding spirit of people who faced and overcame numerous challenges and difficulties during their 5,000 years of history. In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, a young Korean named Sohn Ki-jung won a gold medal in the marathon in front of Adolf Hitler, who expected his athletes to win every race, thus proving the supremacy of the Aryan race. Koreans, however, were unable to celebrate Sohn's victory, as they were under Japanese colonial rule. As such, Sohn wore the Japanese, not the Korean, flag.
Fifty-six years later, another Korean, Hwang Young-jo, won gold in the marathon at the Barcelona Olympics. This time, the Korean flag was there for all to see. The whole nation celebrated, as if the victory had finally healed the painful wounds of Berlin.