A Taxi Driver
May, 1980. Man-seob is a taxi driver in Seoul who lives from hand to mouth, raising his young daughter alone. One day, he hears that there is a foreigner who will pay big money for a drive down to Gwangju city. Not knowing that he’s a German journalist with a hidden agenda, Man-seob takes the job.
Despite its small-scale budget of $12.8M, A Taxi Driver became a runaway success, earning $81.9M worldwide—a remarkable 539% return. The film's fresh perspective connected with viewers, demonstrating that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
A Taxi Driver (2017) demonstrates strategically placed story structure, characteristic of Jang Hoon's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 14-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 18 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.7, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Kim Man-seob
Peter Jürgen Hinzpeter
Hwang Tae-sul
Gu Jae-sik
Main Cast & Characters
Kim Man-seob
Played by Song Kang-ho
An apolitical taxi driver in Seoul who becomes involved in the Gwangju Uprising while transporting a German reporter.
Peter Jürgen Hinzpeter
Played by Thomas Kretschmann
A German journalist determined to document the truth of the Gwangju massacre for the world.
Hwang Tae-sul
Played by Yoo Hai-jin
A Gwangju taxi driver and activist who helps guide Man-seob and Hinzpeter through the dangerous city.
Gu Jae-sik
Played by Ryu Jun-yeol
A student protestor and friend of Tae-sul who witnesses the military violence firsthand.
Structural Analysis
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Man-seob overhears another driver talking about a huge fare—100,000 won to drive a foreigner to Gwangju—and impulsively decides to steal the job by lying to German reporter Peter (Jürgen Hinzpeter) at his hotel.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 34 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Man-seob and Peter cross military checkpoints and enter Gwangju, passing the point of no return as they penetrate the city under lockdown, encountering armed soldiers and realizing the situation is far more dangerous than Man-seob imagined., moving from reaction to action.
At 69 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat The military opens fire on civilians in a massacre; Man-seob witnesses the horrific violence firsthand, including the death of innocent people, shattering his apolitical bubble and raising the stakes from a simple fare to life-or-death consequences., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 102 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Tae-sul is severely beaten (possibly killed) by soldiers while helping Man-seob and Peter escape, sacrificing himself so they can get the footage out—the death of Man-seob's mirror world guide and the moment his transformation becomes irreversible., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 109 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Man-seob fully commits to getting Peter out alive with the footage, understanding that bearing witness to the truth is worth risking his life—synthesizing his driving skills with newfound moral courage and purpose beyond money., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
A Taxi Driver's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 14 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping A Taxi Driver against these established plot points, we can identify how Jang Hoon utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish A Taxi Driver within the action genre.
Jang Hoon's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Jang Hoon films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. A Taxi Driver takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Jang Hoon filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Jang Hoon analyses, see The Front Line.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupTheme
A fellow taxi driver or colleague mentions that some things are more important than money, hinting at civic duty and moral responsibility—ideas Man-seob initially dismisses.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of 1980 Seoul under martial law, Man-seob's daily struggles with debt and raising his daughter alone, his competitive relationship with other taxi drivers, and the distant rumors of unrest in Gwangju that he ignores.
Disruption
Man-seob overhears another driver talking about a huge fare—100,000 won to drive a foreigner to Gwangju—and impulsively decides to steal the job by lying to German reporter Peter (Jürgen Hinzpeter) at his hotel.
Resistance
Man-seob lies about the situation in Gwangju to secure the fare, deceives Peter about his intentions, and they begin the journey south, with Man-seob planning to dump Peter and return quickly with the money while Peter grows suspicious.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Man-seob and Peter cross military checkpoints and enter Gwangju, passing the point of no return as they penetrate the city under lockdown, encountering armed soldiers and realizing the situation is far more dangerous than Man-seob imagined.
Mirror World
Man-seob meets Gwangju taxi driver Hwang Tae-sul and the local community who show solidarity, hospitality, and courage despite the danger—embodying the collective responsibility and moral courage that Man-seob lacks.
Premise
Peter films the protest and military violence while Man-seob tries to leave but is repeatedly pulled back; they witness escalating brutality, Man-seob begins bonding with locals, and he starts understanding the stakes beyond his personal profit.
Midpoint
The military opens fire on civilians in a massacre; Man-seob witnesses the horrific violence firsthand, including the death of innocent people, shattering his apolitical bubble and raising the stakes from a simple fare to life-or-death consequences.
Opposition
Man-seob and Peter are hunted by soldiers and intelligence agents; the military intensifies its crackdown, blocking all exits from the city; Tae-sul and other locals risk their lives to help; Man-seob's selfish instincts battle his growing conscience.
Collapse
Tae-sul is severely beaten (possibly killed) by soldiers while helping Man-seob and Peter escape, sacrificing himself so they can get the footage out—the death of Man-seob's mirror world guide and the moment his transformation becomes irreversible.
Crisis
Man-seob grieves Tae-sul's sacrifice and processes the weight of what he's witnessed; he must decide whether to risk everything to get Peter and the footage out or save himself; his daughter's face haunts him but so do the faces of the dead.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Man-seob fully commits to getting Peter out alive with the footage, understanding that bearing witness to the truth is worth risking his life—synthesizing his driving skills with newfound moral courage and purpose beyond money.
Synthesis
Man-seob uses every ounce of his driving skill and street smarts in a desperate chase to break through military blockades; other Gwangju taxi drivers sacrifice themselves to help; he finally gets Peter across the checkpoint and to safety with the film.
Transformation
Man-seob returns to Seoul and his daughter, no longer the selfish, apolitical hustler but a man transformed by conscience and sacrifice, watching Peter's footage broadcast worldwide, having become part of something greater than himself.