The Divine Move ~ Who Knew Baduk Was Such a Deadly Game?

“The Divine Move” is a Korean neo-noir, action, crime film, revenge drama, released in 2014. This gem was just made available on Viki in the USA a few months ago.

SUMMARY: What was supposed to be brother helping brother turned into murder. One brother was framed for killing the other because they were both caught cheating at a game of baduk.

♦ Not Only Can I Play Baduk, But I Can Kick Your Butt too!

In “The Divine Move”, Tae-Suk is a master player when it comes to the game of baduk. But he doesn’t want to get involved with gambling and gangsters. His brother approaches him and promises he doesn’t have to play. That was partially true. Instead, his brother played but he had a concealed microphone and a camera on the board. While Tae-Suk remained at a safe distance, he tells his brother which moves to make.

Everything was fine. Until it wasn’t fine. The criminals also had the same setup. While one guy was playing there was a master player in another room telling him which moves to make. It’s OK if they cheat. But it wasn’t OK when they found out Tae-Suk’s brother was cheating.

Long story short. The Big Bad Guy murdered Tae-Suk’s brother and framed Tae-Suk for the crime. Tae-Suk went to prison where he found his baduk skills useful. It seems the warden likes to play and he will make bets with the prisoners. One of the prisoners suggested that the warden play with Tae-Suk. What would Tae-Suk get if he won the game? Uuhhh … beer, cigarettes, and an opportunity to go outside. He would be temporarily released and get to enjoy some freedom. Tae-Suk WON! But before he got released he asked his new friends in prison to teach him how to fight.

The people who killed Tae-Suk’s brother miscalculated. They should have also killed Tae-Suk. But they probably didn’t think he was going to come for them. By the time Tae-Suk was released from prison, he was ripped and ready. He remembered the faces of all the people who were there the night his brother was murdered. One by one, he planned to PAY THEM BACK!!

Main Characters:

• Tae-Suk (played by Jung Woo-Sung, “12:12 The Day”, “Steel Rain 1 and 2”, “Cold Eyes”, “Beasts Clawing At Straws”)
• Salsoo (“Executioner”) (played by Lee Beom-Soo)
• Joonim (“Jesus”) (played by Ahn Sung-Ki)
• Kkongsoo (“Trick”) (played by Kim In-Kwon)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 6.6 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: out of 10 stars
• Amazon customers rated this film 4.5 out of 5 stars
• Viki viewers rated this movie 10 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is 8.5 out of 10 stars.

• For your information, in the game of baduk, “A divine move is an exceptional, inspired and original move; one that is non-obvious and which balances strategy and tactics to create an unexpected turning point in a game. A divine move is singular, it is of such rarity that a professional Go player might reasonably hope to play a single such move in a lifetime.” (Per Wikipedia “List of Go Terms”)

The first time I saw the game of Baduk being played in a Korean drama was when the Jade Emperor was playing the game in “Arang and the Magistrate” (2012). Then “The Glory” (2022-2023) and “Captivating the King” (2024) were released and now my interest in this game is keen. I love the way scriptwriters work a storyline around Baduk. It can either be deadly game with high stakes or a harmless game meant to teach strategy and how to make decisions.

“The Divine Move” won an award for Best Editing at the 51st Daejong Film Awards.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Lee Bum Soo Looks Sharp as He Discusses “The Divine Move” in a Pictorial for Marie Claire Korea | Soompi

Kwon Sang Woo And Woo Do Hwan’s New Film “The Divine Move 2” Surpasses 1 Million Moviegoers | Soompi

In a Man’s World, Female Go Players Make Strategic Moves | Sixth Tone

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Rotten Tomatoes Indie. “The Divine Move Official Trailer 1 (2014) – Korean Crime Drama HD.” YouTube Video. YouTube, July 18, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNe2QKOYqjU.

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