[FOUNTAIN]The Great Return of Django Park

A "macaroni western" is unfolding in Korea. More on this later, but first some background.

In a small American village close to the Mexican boarder, a man wearing a long coat appears in the middle of a heavy sandstorm. Dragging a coffin, his machine gun inside, the man's eyes were filled with revenge and anger. This is how the movie "Django," by Italian director Sergio Corbucci, filmed in 1966, begins. Like most Westerns, the plot is somewhat predictable: the hero, played by Franco Nero, beats rascals.

Django is known as a "spaghetti western" (or "macaroni western" as they are referred to by Koreans), a film genre that began in Italy. The first of the spaghetti westerns was "A Fistful of Dollars," a film directed by Sergio Leone in 1964, two years earlier than the production of Django. Clint Eastwood, who was then a nameless actor, became a world star after shooting a sequel to that movie, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly."

Spaghetti westerns are different from the original westerns, in which John Wayne and Gary Cooper starred. For one thing, the backdrop of the spaghetti westerns is gloomy and dreary. The structure of the story is not a confrontation between good and evil. The hero is not a defender of justice dueling with evil, but rather is a perfect picture of avarice, often surrounded by conspiracies and betrayals. Most of all, spaghetti westerns are extremely cruel.

Spaghetti westerns became widely popular throughout the world during the 1960s and 1970s. More than 50 sequels with the name Django in the title were filmed, among them was "Django 2: il grande ritorno," better known as "Django Strikes Again." The title of the sequel literally translates to "The Great Return," and this title was once quoted to hint at the return of an influential figure in Korean society.

The great return of Park Jie-won, recently appointed to the senior presidential secretary for policy and planning, is now attracting public attention. Although there are many comments about his return, one point is definitely clear. No matter what other people say, it is definite that he is a man of strong influence whom the president trusts. Given that the president reappointed Mr. Park, who had recently stepped down from his post due to a loan scandal in which the court judged that he was a figure of suspicion, despite the possible public criticism.

Keeping this circumstance in mind, it is not a surprise that the people have extremely high expectations of Mr. Park. Since he made a "great return" like Django, the people hope that he will play his role properly. The people earnestly hope that he will become the real power, delivering the will of the people to the president.

by Yoo Jae-sik