Set in 1978, Once Upon a Time in High School tells the story of a new transfer student, Hyun-soo in a restrictive authoritarian high school full of corporal punishment, bullying, school violence and military guards to keep watch. Upon his arrival, Hyun-soo excels in nearly everything he does, and befriends Hamburger (a student who sells adult magazines for tuition) and Woo-sik (the rash “head of the class” and best fighter). At the same time, he takes notice of a schoolgirl Eun-ju, who probably could make a career out of standing in as a double for Olivia Hussey. Woo-sik also takes notice and a love triangle emerges, against the backdrop of all the students struggling to deal with the restrictive facets of their high school lives.
Despite its haphazard, choppy construction, Once Upon a Time in High School persuades us to forget narrative structure, and indulge in the characters and social commentary. The classrooms are filled with a variety of unique personalities and interesting interaction that displays frustration with the school system. The point however, isn’t driven home well until the end because director Yu Ha spends most of the movie juggling the romance and social themes with some difficulty.
It’s a bit odd, and can be alienating at points (especially when crucial turning points of the love triangle are casually handled), but in the end, the two dovetail nicely. The romance is rather touching, mainly on Hyun-soo’s unrequited end that displays a range of emotion he must stumble through all while dealing with his troubles in school and at home. The commentary on the education system and youth life hits its stride by the end complete with well-choreographed martial arts and a cathartic climax for our protagonist. Kwon Sang-woo puts in a very strong and versatile performance as our endearing lead, coming of age.
Once Upon a Time in High School feels like a tamer Blue Spring at times combined with Just One Look at moments when nostalgic romance comes into play. In effect, it’s a highly enjoyable and fascinating piece of personal, yet commercially viable Korean cinema. Any pacing and narrative errors are easily forgiven because the film maintains such a firm grip on the audience and has the thematic substance to back it up.
Reviewed by Tarun
