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From Wikipedia: “Samjin Company English Class” (Korean RR: Samjingeurup Yeongeotoikban; lit. “Samjin Group English TOEIC Class”) is a 2020 South Korean comedy-drama film written and directed by Lee Jong-pil. The cast is led by Go Ah-sung (“Life on Mars”), Esom (“Taxi Driver”), and Park Hye-su (“Saimdang, Light’s Diary”).
The film was released on October 21, 2020, topping the South Korean box office for six days following its release, with box office estimated at US$11.56 million.
The film was invited to the 20th New York Asian Film Festival. It was featured in ’Standouts’ strand and screened at Lincoln Center and SVA Theatre in the two-week festival held from August 6 to 22, 2021 in New York.
The film, staff, and cast won the following awards:
57th Baeksang Arts Awards: Best Film
41st Blue Dragon Film Awards: Best Supporting Actress, Esom; Best Art Direction; Best Music
26th Chunsa Film Art Awards: Best Screenplay
Women in Film Korea Festival: Technical Award
Lead star Go Ah-sung was nominated for the Best Actress Award in the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards. Park Hye-su was nominated for “Best Supporting Actress” in the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards. Writer/director Lee Jong-pil was nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay in the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Forbes articles about this movie: A Snapshot Inspired Lee Jong-Pil’s Film ‘Samjin Company English Class’; 20th New York Asian Film Festival Screens Several South Korean Films
How to use this spoiler-free synopsis
Based on the story arcs, I divided the movie into five parts, indicating the start and end of each part in minute marks. For each part, I narrated the main actions without revealing the twists and turns.
Part 5 is the movie’s finale (the last 23 minutes), so you can just read Parts 1 to 4, for example, to know what the movie is all about and then go watch the movie. (Part 3 is the midway point of the movie where it’s finally revealed who falsified the ___________ and who asked the Seoul National University lab to ___________.)
Part 1 (from 01:56 to 15:15): “Boys, be ambitious!”
1995 ...
Lee Ja-young (“Dorothy”), Jung Yoo-na (“Michelle”), and Shim Bo-ram (“Silvia”), are friends who have been working for the Samjin Company for the last eight years. Because they’re just high school graduates, they do menial jobs for the company such as preparing coffee, cleaning up the offices, and acting as go-fers for the predominantly male employees and officials.
The only male employee who’s considerate towards Ja-young is Choi Dong-soo, a junior official in the Production Management Team 3. But he gets reprimanded when his superior Mr. Hong hears him address Ja-young as “sunbae-nim.”
Bo-ra is a math genius who won the Mathematical Olympiad in high school; her mentor in the accounting department is the fatherly Mr. Bong.
Yoo-na is the know-it-all person among her fellow junior level employees; she’s rude and likes deflating her fellow employees’ hopes of being promoted. When Samjin Company announces that low level employees will be promoted if they score above 600 in the TOEIC exam, she warns her fellow employees that it’s the company’s first step in getting them fired.
After Managing Director Oh Tae-Young (the son of the company’s founding chairman) visits the Production Management Team 3 office, Mr. Hong orders Ja-young and Dong-soo to get Director Oh’s things from his former office in the company’s factory in Ok-ju.
Note: Part 1 spoilers are at the bottom portion of this post.
Part 2 (from 15:16 to 42:52): “Even a worm will turn!”
Despite his worries of being scolded by the higher-ups, Dong-soo gives in to Ja-young’s pleas to report to Mr. Hong that the factory is dumping into the river “phenol” (a toxic chemical used in the production of computer circuit boards).
During a meeting of the Marketing Department staff, the department head surprises everyone by asking Yoo-na if she has any idea as to who their model could be for their new marketing campaign. Meanwhile, Mr. Bong gives the goldfish to Bo-ram as a gift.
Mr. Hong’s inspection confirms that phenol indeed leaked into the river, but the water analysis report states that the level is 1.98, which is lower than the danger level of 3. Thus, Ja-young and Dong-soo are sent back to the village to convince the villagers to accept the company’s settlement offer of US $20,000 per villager. But at an apple orchard, Ja-young sees rotting apples on the ground and festering wounds on the orchard owner’s body.
Note: Part 2 spoilers are at the bottom portion of this post.
Part 3 (from 42:53 to 1:09:12): “I won’t stop!”
After receiving the genuine water analysis report (secretly sent by Ja-young, Yoo-na, and Bo-ram), Managing Director Oh Tae-Young creates a scene in the Production Management Team 3 office by breaking things and threatening the team’s boss, Mr. Ahn Ki-chang, with his golf club.
Ja-young finds out that Managing Director Oh Tae-Young contacted his father (Samjin’s founding chairman) after receiving the analysis report; she, Yoo-na, and Bo-ram decide to follow him to Samjin Hotel. While Ja-young and Bo-ram search his room, Yoo-na follows him to the bar.
When Managing Director Oh Tae-Young tipsily goes back to his room, Yoo-na races back to the room to warn Ja-young and Bo-ram. But on her way there, she’s accosted by two American guys.
Bo-ram visits Mr. Bong at the hospital and tells her about the falsified water analysis report. Meanwhile, Ja-young and Dong-soo are ordered to go back to the village because a pregnant woman has complained that phenol was found in her urine.
Note: Part 3 spoilers is at the bottom portion of this post.
Part 4 (from 1:09:13 to 1:27:28): “Smoking gun”
After the heavy rain, phenol leaks again into the river and affects the tap water in homes. Because of the public outcry and the media coverage, the Prosecutors’ Office investigates Samjin. But Mr. Ahn Ki-chang orders everyone to be creative in their lies and mental reservations when they speak to the prosecutors.
Ja-young and Yoo-na ask an investigative journalist for help, but the journalist says that they don’t have evidence that Samjim officials systemically covered up the phenol leak. Meanwhile, Bo-ram visits Mr. Bong again and tells him that she’s thinking of resigning from Samjin.
After studying the analysis report, Ja-young and Yoo-na decide to go back to Samjin Hotel where Managing Director Oh Tae-Young is staying. At the lobby, they see Mr. Ahn Ki-chang and follow him.
Note: Part 4 spoilers is at the bottom portion of this post.
Part 5 (from 1:27:32 to the end): “I can do it! You can do it! We can do it!”
Ja-young, Yoo-na, and Bo-ram get hold of another copy of the “Bear Hug Project” documents. After translating the documents and studying them at their TOEIC classroom, they find out that Billy Park schemed — through the phenol leak — to bring down the value of Samjin’s stocks. When Samjin Company merges with a Japanese company, Billy Park plans to immediately leave, the villagers will not get paid their settlements, and most of the employees will be fired.
As Ja-young, Yoo-na, and Bo-ram meet with their fellow low level employees at an eatery, Dong-soo and Mr. Hong arrive.
Note: Part 5 spoilers are at the bottom portion of this post.
Historical / cultural backgrounders and other information
1. “Samjin Company English Class” depicts the leak of a toxic chemical into a river. This is based on a 1991 incident in Korea.
“Chemical Leak in Korea Brings Forth a New Era” (The New York Times, 1991)
That was before one morning last month, when South Koreans turned on their taps and were overcome by a tremendous stench. It came from a caustic, highly toxic form of phenol, a chemical used in processing circuit boards, that had leaked overnight from a storage tank at an electronics plant in Kumi. It had coursed its way through the reservoir system of Taegu, South Korea’s third-largest city, which is about 200 miles southeast of Seoul.
“Water Shocks Rouse South Korea” (The Christian Science Monitor, 1991)
The latest shock made many Koreans gag, literally. An electronics factory owned by the Doosan Group, located upstream of 10 million people and a wild-bird sanctuary on the Naktong River, allegedly dumped some 30 tons of a dangerous chemical, phenol, in mid-March. The phenol is used to make most of the nation’s electronic circuit boards.
The plant had been dumping smaller amounts of phenol for several months, but the release two months ago was so massive that the obnoxious odor was strong enough in the tap water to compel a public outcry.
2. The main characters and their fellow low level employees take the TOEIC exam, hoping that they will be promoted once they pass.
“Koreans rank 2nd in Asia on TOEIC scores” (The Korea Times)
Koreans ranked second in Asia last year in terms of TOEIC scores, with only Filipinos doing better than them in the English capability test.
According to the Korea TOEIC Committee, Koreans scored on average 683 points ― on a scale of 10 to 990 ― in last year’s TOEIC, which is five points higher than the previous year. TOEIC, or Test of English for International Communication, gauges the English proficiency of non-native speakers of the language.
“TOEIC in South Korea” (Wikipedia)
Toward the end of 2005, there was a shift in South Korea, regarded as the second biggest consumer of TOEIC per capita. However, a person’s TOEIC score is still a major factor in hiring people for most professional jobs in South Korea.
Starting in 2011, Korean universities will no longer be allowed to use TOEIC and TOEFL scores as part of the admission process. However, many universities in Korea still require a minimum score of 900. This is apparently to discourage private English education (there are many private institutions that teach TOEIC-based classes). Another English proficiency test, TEPS (developed by Seoul National University, Chosun Ilbo), has been developed and may replace the status of TOEIC.
Review (scenes and shots I liked)
1. In two scenes, the film uses the change in lighting to signify that Ja-young realizes something.
At around the 1:05:16 mark, Ja-young and Dong-soo are in the village. While Ja-young is speaking to the SNU guy over the phone, Dong-soo is talking with the village elders. Ja-young finds out from the SNU guy’s description that it was Dong-soo who asked that the genuine analysis report be destroyed. The light on Ja-young’s face changes as the headlights of an off-frame car illuminates her. (The next scene shows Ja-young and Dong-soo in their car on the way back to Seoul.)
At around the 1:15:00 mark, Mr. Bong tells Bo-ram that the rain has stopped. In the place where Ja-young and Yoo-na met the investigative journalist, the light falling on Ja-young’s face changes (because the off frame clouds moved, allowing the sunlight to move across Ja-young). At this point, Ja-young realizes how the phone number on the faxed analysis report was changed. (Of course, in shooting this scene, the director and cinematographer did not wait for the cloud cover to move; they could have manipulated the lighting setup to get the effect of sunlight moving across Ja-young.)
2. In two instances, the film uses simple but effective transitions.
As Mr. Hong and his team investigate the phenol leak, the village foreman arrives. As he blows smoke from his cigarette, the shot transitions to the goldfish inside the bowl.
Ja-young goes back to the Production Management Team 3 office because she finds out from Yoo-na that Managing Director Oh Tae-Young (dragging along his golf club) is about to confront Mr. Ahn Ki-chang. Notice that as she walks on the corridor, the camera zooms in on a painting on the wall. The painting is “Fight with Cudgels“ (Spanish: “Duelo a garrotazos“) by renowned Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco Goya, 1746 – 1828.
3. “Visual cues” are explained in an excellent series of articles from “My Drama List” written by someone with the username “3GGG.”
Popular Visual Cues found in K-Dramas, Part 1: visual ways to establish a conflict, division, or fight between two or more characters
Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas, Part 2: boxing to establish a character’s vulnerability, solitude, or fear; comfort and respite; change; danger; showdown
Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas, Part 3: Dutch angle
Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas, Part 4: Interpersonal cues (using cues simultaneously or one after another
Mr. Bong resigns from Samjin Company because he’s suffering from Stage 4 cancer. As he leaves the office, we see Bo-ram boxed in by the door, which reinforces her loneliness because of her concern for Mr. Bong and losing her mentor. The camera also pushes in on her.
Ja-young hastily leaves the SNU lab office when the official becomes suspicious of her request for a copy of the official analysis report on the phenol leak. After reading some inspirational posters on a bulletin board, she goes back to the lab office and timidly ask the official about the analysis report. Notice that she’s boxed in by the office door, thus reinforcing her nervousness and timidity.
Manager Kim is fired from her job in Samjin company necause she got pregnant. Notice the dividing lines between her and her boss; notice also that they’re boxed in separate frames.
4. In keeping with its feel-good and positive vibes (despite the phenol leak background story), the film uses a lot of warm colors — yellow, red, orange, and brown.
Relevant resources on color schemes and uses of colors in K-dramas and movies:
(a) “K-drama color: The power of the palette” from Dramabeans
(b) “The Power of Koreanovela Color Palettes in Storytelling” by Jess Convocar, May 2020: Using examples from K-dramas, the author explains the four uses of color: Color Sets the Atmosphere; Color Shows Time; Color Directs Attention; Color Helps Tell the Story.
Note: You might also be interested in the article “How to Use Color in Film: 50+ Examples of Movie Color Palettes” by Studio Binder, which has two excellent and free downloadable infographics titled “The Psychology of Color in Film.”
5. Aesthetic blur (motion blur)
At around the 1:42:17 mark (flashback), Ja-young, Yoo-na, and Bo-ram have been disciplined for leaking the phenol leak documents to the investigative journalist. On the street Ja-young stops walking, thinking about her pitiful situation, while the people around continue walking in a blur.
Note: Motion blur can be created in-camera or added during the post production.
Relevant resources:
(a) “What is Motion Blur, Is Motion Blur Good & Why Does it Happen?” (Studio Binder): Motion blur is the visual streaking or smearing captured on camera as a result of movement of the camera, the subject, or a combination of the two. The human eye naturally registers motion blur in real life, so a subtle blur in film often mimics reality better than if it were absent. When applied intentionally, this effect may be referred to as aesthetic blur.
(b) “Using Motion Blur for natural Movement”
(c) “Motion blur photography and shutter speed explained”
(d) “Blur and shutter angle explained”
6. Miscellaneous
In my analyses of the cinematography of several K-dramas, I’ve ranted against the overuse of highly dramatic Dutch angle shots. Compared to K-dramas, I’ve seen only a few K-movies, and so, I don’t know if K-movies have also gone berserk with their use of Dutch angle shots. Thankfully, the shot below is the only Dutch angle shot I’ve seen in this film.
In this blog and in my photojournalism seminar-workshops, I’ve always emphasized that using natural frames as a compositional device will immediately improve your photographs. The shot below shows Ja-young framed by the subway train’s doors.
Part 1 spoilers:
While about to release the goldfish into the river, Ja-young sees lots of dead fish. She recoils in horror as she realizes that the factory is dumping toxic chemicals into the river.
Part 2 spoilers:
Mr. Bong resigns from Samjin Company because he’s suffering from Stage 4 cancer.
Samjin Company’s CEO, Billy Park, accepts Yoo-na’s suggestion that he become the model for the company’s new marketing campaign. But Yoo-na’s rival in the Marketing Department accuses her of being a gold digger.
Ja-young can’t erase from her mind how phenol flowed into the river like a waterfall. With the analysis report, Bo-ram estimates that the amount of phenol that leaked into the river is much more than what the report indicates.
The TOEIC instructor tells Ja-young, Yoo-na, and Bo-ram that the "California Environment Research Institute" mentioned in the analysis report is actually a corn farm in Nebraska.
Ja-young finds out from an official at the Seoul National University lab that the level of phenol that leaked into the river is hundreds of times bigger than that indicated in the falsified report.
Ja-young tells Yoo-na and Bo-ram that the person who could have ordered the falsification of the analysis report is none other than Managing Director Oh Tae-Young. Despite their fears, Ja-young, Yoo-na, and Bo-ram decide to expose him.
Part 3 spoilers:
Mr. Bong reveals to Bo-ram that, on Mr. Ahn Ki-chang’s order, he falsified the water analysis report and prepared Samjin’s settlement offer to the villagers.
In the apple orchard, Ja-young meets the owner’s young daughter. The daughter says that her father’s very sick, but they don’t have any money for the medical expenses. When the daughter offers her an apple, Ja-young notices that the apple is rotting because of phenol; she reluctantly eats the apple.
Ja-young finds out that it was Dong-soo who ordered the Seoul National University lab to destroy the original report upon the order of Mr. Ahn Ki-chang.
Ja-young asks Dong-soo if phenol has leaked recently. Dong-soo replies that the leaks happen only when it rains.
Part 4 spoilers:
Ja-young and Yoo-na find out that the water analysis report was faxed from the Samjin Hotel where Billy Park and Managing Director Oh Tae-Young are staying. At the hotel, they see Mr. Ahn Ki-chang handing over some documents to Billy Park and his men.
Ja-young, Yoo-na, and Bo-ram convince Managing Director Oh Tae-Young that Billy Park set him up with the phenol leaks and that he’s the only one who can save Samjim. Managing Director Oh Tae-Young thus helps them get the fax records and the CCTV footages. In Billy Park’s war room, they find the medical reports of the villagers who were affected by the phenol leak. In a safe, they also find a bunch of documents marked as "Bear Hug Project."
At an eatery, Billy Park and his allies among the Samjin officials celebrate their impending victory.
Ja-young, Yoo-na, and Bo-ram trick Managing Director Oh Tae-Young and give the documents regarding the phenol leaks and the “Bear Hug Project” to the investigative journalist. To their dismay, however, the newspaper’s editor kills the story and confiscates all the documents.
With Ja-young, Yoo-na, and Bo-ram about to be fired and sued for violating their non-disclosure agreements, Mr. Bong pleads on their behalf and says that he will be responsible for everything.
Mr. Bong dies.
Part 5 spoilers:
All the TOEIC students work together with Ja-young, Yoo-na, and Bo-ram to translate the “Bear Hug Project” documents. Later on, through Ja-young’s suggestion, they enlist the help of Samjin’s founding chairman.
Ja-young, Yoo-na, Bo-ram, their TOEIC classmates, Dong-soo, Mr. Hong, and others rally Samjin’s shareholders to reject the merger between Samjin and the Japanese company.
Managing Director Oh Tae-Young, Billy Park, and some Samjin officials are arrested for violating the Water Quality Conservation Act.
Samjin’s new management increases the villagers’ settlement to US$130,000 and vows to clean up the river.
Six months later ... After passing the TOEIC exam, Ja-young, Yoo-na, and Bo-ram are promoted.
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