Revisiting the 1992 LA Riots Via the Film "Gook"

After reading reviews promising a film bursting with "passion in every single frame," I was a bit underwhelmed as "Gook" opened.  The film, named for the derogatory term used to refer to Asians (especially Koreans and Vietnamese), is set against the 1992 Rodney King riots and depicts the friendship of an 11 year-old African-American girl and two Korean brothers, played by Twilight/21 and Over star Justin Chon and Youtube comedian David So.  In the first few scenes of the film, I couldn't help but notice the dialogue laden with f-bombs and often felt it was a misguided attempt at comedic actors attempting dramatic roles.  The tone also felt a bit uneven, vacillating from light-hearted and comedic to dark and gritty.

Yet as the film progressed, the characters became more dimensional, some verisimilitude was achieved, and I could feel the film's heart beating through.  The creative team behind the movie definitely had something to say without reducing their film to a "message movie."  By the end of "Gook," I was in tears (though to be fair, movies are my soft spot as I seem to tear up at a good number of movies).

The LA riots occurred in the spring of 1992, triggered by the acquittal of LA police officers of assault and the excessive use of force (for three of the four officers) against Rodney King.  The officers had engaged in a high-speed chase with King after he did not pull over after a speeding violation.  Footage of the officers beating King over and over again had been recorded and broadcast widely on news stations prior to the trial, and pictures of a post-beating King had also circulated.  The acquittal, then, appeared to many to be a dramatic failure of the legal system and yet another example of institutionalized racism.

Many liquor stores in Koreatown ended up as targets of the riots, incited by already strained relations between Korean immigrants and African-Americans.  Ultimately, 2,000 Korean businesses were attacked, 63 people died, over 2,300 were injured, and over $1 billion in damages were sustained.

The riots extended even to Long Beach, the city next-door to the upper-middle class neighborhood of Seal Beach where I grew up.  At the time I was peacefully unaware of the turmoil occurring miles away (granted, most 4 year olds would be), and I was shocked when I learned about the riots my freshman year of college.  Viewing news footage of Long Beach in flames effectively punctured the comfortable suburban bubble I had been living in up until that point.

The film also shed a light on growing up in impoverished inner-city areas, and it made me reflect on the patients I had seen in the Bronx and how little of their lives I really understood.

Producer Alex Chi was a surprise guest at the "Gook" screening I attended, and he shared about how the film drew from his and writer-director Justin Chon's childhoods.  I also found it interesting that they styled the film after French film La Haine, and that they ended up raising most of the funds through their families and Kickstarter after not receiving the funding they had hoped for from the Asian-American business community.

"Gook" is not a movie for everyone, given its dark tones and profanity and it definitely shows its "indie film" roots.  Even still, it's a film that will definitely haunt you for a while and potentially spark discussion of the tragic episode in LA's history from 25 years ago.  And who knows- maybe it can help us avoid similar events and contribute to increased understanding among people of all different backgrounds.