Road To Sampo Themes

The Road to Sampo directed by Lee Man-hee tells the story of 3 wandering strangers who find themselves traveling together through the snowy mountains in search of a new shot at life. On the surface, this film seems like a lighthearted journey about unexpected friendship and love. But if we look deeper, we learn about the human condition and how each character had their own personal experience that shaped them over time. As the film progresses we are able to observe how their dark pasts left scars and how it deeply impacted their actions towards others and the way they viewed themselves. In addition, we also discover the importance of companionship between people during desperate situations. These are just a few of the themes that I will …show more content…
Each character had his or her own personal battles: Young-dal Roh did not share his life story with anyone (except with Jeong later on) because it brought him shame to admit his true occupation and failed relationship. Jeong discovered his hometown is not what it used to be, which might have thwarted his desperate search for his daughter. Baek-hwa (or Lee Jeom-sun) did not know her parents and found strength in her power over men. Each character had their own secrets and issues, but understood each other’s differences and was able to put their immediate goals and relationships first. Although at first Jeong and Roh were tasked with capturing Baek-hwa, they concluded it was better to travel with her. This was an interesting surprise for the audience because Roh seemed desperate for money, which he would’ve received had he turned Baek-hwa in to the Bar owner. Although Jeong was indifferent to capturing Baek-hwa, it would have made sense for two poor men to do a sketchy task for money. I think that is exactly why Lee Man-hee chose for the three characters to become friends; it was a testament to faith in humanity and the magic of taking a leap of faith. Although Baek-hwa resisted the two men, and the men didn't actively attempt to catch her, they eventually met and were able to joke and understand one another on a common level. Baek-hwa’s charm, Roh’s innocence and outgoing personality, and Jeong’s wisdom led them to come together as one rag tag team of friends. Throughout the film we were able to see each character’s surface level personalities, and then dig into their history to understand their actions. Lee Man-hee successfully shared an important lesson with his audiences; he displayed the importance of curiosity over judgment. While each