Tears (2001)

Tears 2001 / 눈물 2001 / Nunmul

A pair of Korean youths are thrust into premature adulthood in this controversial drama. Han is a teenage boy who doesn't always fit in with his friends; while his pals are by nature macho and boisterous, Han is introspective and mindful of the feelings of others. When he and his friends sneak into a bar one night, Han ends up helping a girl named Sa Ri sneak out when things get out of hand, and the boys want a group of girls to put on a strip show. Sa Ri is more hard-edged and independent than Han; while he lives at home with his mother, she has already been abandoned by her family and works at a ‟hostess club‟ run by short-fused gangster Yong Ho. Despite their differences, the two strike up a friendship, and while both are initially hesitant, a tentative romance begins to blossom. However, there is hardly a storybook romance; the two like to huff gasoline to get high and begin experimenting with sex (though Sa Ri will not permit Han to have intercourse with her). When Han chivalrously stands up to Yong Ho after he attacks Sa Ri, Han gets a severe beating for his troubles, which leads to ugly consequences for all parties concerned.