Ode to My Father
As a child, Deok-Su loses his father and youngest sister while escaping from a war-torn North Korea. His vow to take care of his remaining family marked the beginning of a lifelong promise spanning 60 years.
16 October 1964, South Korea
25 November 1973, South Korea
7 November 1973, Seoul, South Korea
15 June 1968, Taegu, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea
1 September 1970, Masan, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea
May 30, 2016
It's too bad the treatment of Capt. LaRue will likely put off those who are familiar with him as a historical figure, because the work of Hwang and Oh give Ode real heart.January 10, 2015
Heartwarming, brilliantly acted and unexpectedly funny, Ode to My Father is an epic odyssey through Korean history that feels so personal, it is impossible not to be engrossed in the emotion of the story.January 08, 2015
"Ode to My Father" may have slain them in South Korea, but its packaged pain and bullet-point structure are likely to leave Western audiences cold.January 08, 2015
Everything is lathered with a syrupy, string-laden musical score designed to gnaw at a viewer's tear ducts. It's about as subtle as having an off-screen narrator yell "Start crying!" before big scenes, and probably as effective.January 09, 2015
[Director JK] Youn proves himself a truly versatile and accomplished filmmaker.January 08, 2015
Tugging shamelessly yet persuasively on the heartstrings, "Ode to My Father" is an epic South Korean melodrama capturing more than half a century of recent history through the eyes of an everyman shopkeeper.