简介：ThisfilmisaCoreanoldie,datingfromthemid-1960's.It'salwaysastonishingtoseethecountryofmyparents'youthasitwouldbelikeintheiractualyouth.Despitethedistanceintime,Iwassurprisedbyjusthowfamiliareverythingseemed.Granted,thisfilmwasreleasedbutadecadeaftertheconclusionoftheCoreanWar.Inthissetting,thereisamilitaryregimecontrollingthepeninsulaandlimitingthefreedomofexpression.OnethingthatInoticedbyanumber(butnotamajority)offilmsfromthiserainCoreanhistoryisthattherewasapotentsegmentofneo-realistfilm-making,thatremindedmeofItalianneo-realistcinemaafterWorldWarII. Thisfilmisnotaneo-realistwork.Ratherthanfocusingonthepast,itweavesataleoftwoloversseparatedbytheirclass.OurprotagonistisDusu,agangsterwithastrongstreakofhonor,whomeetsandsavesanupper-classCoreanwoman,Joanna(that'sright,anEnglishname),fromabunchofthugs.Aromancesoonformsbetweenthetwoofthemandthereissomeinterchangeoftheirrespectiveworlds,butthesethingsneverturnoutwell,especiallyinCoreanfilmsandtheirrespectiveworldsthreatentotearthemapart. Likemanyfilmsfromthisera,thetechnicalaspectsofthefilmarelackingpolish,buttheactingisnaturalandthedirectingeventakesafewstabsbeyondthestraightforwardstylebyincludingsomeinterestingquickcutsaswellasusingframingandmis-en-scenetobuildsymbolism.(Oneofmyfavoritemomentsinvolvesakissandawindowpane.)Sure,itcanbealittleheavyhanded,butIfounditamusingnonetheless. Thestoryisratherstraightforward,detailingthelivesofthetwoloversandtheforcesaroundthemthatpushthemtotheirconclusion.WhatIfoundlikingaboutitishowcleanandsimpleitallis.There'snounnecessarydistraction,there'snothingthatseemsaddedintohypethedrama,andit'ssurprisinghowlimitedthemelodramaisinafilmculturesteepedinmelodrama. Thecodaseemsalittleunnecessaryandthevoiceworkisalittleover-codified,remindingmeofearlysoundpicturesfromHollywood.Whilethestorydoesn'thitanyspectacularhighsandittakesalittletimetogetofftheground,it'scleanandstraightforwardnatureissurprisinglyeasytolike.FromwhatIcantellviainternetresearch,BarefootYouthisanexampleofyouthfilmsthatwerepopularduringtheeraandIcanseetheappeal.Whilenotamovingmasterworkofanysort,BarefootYouthhasenoughgoingforitthatthoseinterestedinwatchingitwillfindsomethinglikableaboutit.7/10.…