Unfortunately, the high life comes with a heavy price, as Goni is pulled into a vicious circle of revenge and deceit, which threatens to cost him far more than just money. Along the rocky road, he encounters the mysterious Madam Jeong (Kim Hye Su, recently in The Red Shoes), a seductive beauty who attempts to lure him into her employ for her own ends. He is taken on by reigning card master Pyung Kung Jang (played by Baek Yun Shik, who previously worked with the director on The Big Swindle), who recognises his potential and slowly trains him into a devious gambling machine. The film begins as a young man called Goni (Cho Seung Woo, also in Marathon and Love Phobia) loses money belonging to his family in a rigged game of cards, and leaves home to try and redeem himself. Based upon a comic by Heo Young Man (whose Duelist was also recently adapted for the big screen by director Lee Myung Se), the film was a massive hit at the domestic box office, managing over six million admissions, an impressive figure which makes it one of Korea's all-time top ten grossing films. War of Flowers) is Korean director Choi Dong Hoon's follow up to his crime caper The Big Swindle, which sees him taking on the complex subject of hwatoo, the Korean game of flower cards. War of Flowers / Tajja / The War Of Flowers 泰沙大豪客 泰沙大豪客 War of Flowers / Tajja / The War Of Flowers War of Flowers / Tajja / The War Of Flowers But it only pulls him into a cycle of swindling and violence. Happening upon hwatoo master Pyung Kung Jang (Baek Yoon Shik of Save the Green Planet), Goni finally learns the tricks of the game, and becomes a high roller himself.
The film has also been a critical success, winning the Best Director and the Daesang awards at the 43rd Baeksang Awards, Best Actress (Kim Hye Su) at the 27th Blue Dragon Awards, and Best Supporting Actor (Kim Yoon Suk) at the 44th Daejong Awards.Īfter losing a fortune in a game he should have never played to begin with, Goni (Cho Seung Woo of Marathon and Love Phobia) leaves home and dedicates all his time to playing cards. Tazza: The High Rollers ended its box office run with over six million tickets sold, making it one of the top ten grossing Korean films of all time. Director Choi met with several experts in the field to perfect shooting techniques and capture the impact of the game on film, and his efforts have more than paid off. Based on the popular comic book Tazza by Hur Young Man (whose Damo and Duelist have also been successfully adapted to television and film), Tazza: The High Rollers is possibly the most realistic cinematic portrayal of hwatoo ever. Unlike other films of the genre, Tazza: The High Rollers wraps its mind games around hwatoo, a traditional Korean flower cards game with its own hidden language and tricks ("tazza" means "master of tricks").Īfter the success of The Big Swindle, director Choi Dong Hoon, one of the most exciting talents in Chungmuro, comes back with another winner. War of Flowers) brings some distinctive cultural touches to the gambling table. The blockbuster Tazza: The High Rollers (a.k.a. "When you're playing cards, there are no eternal friends, just like there are no eternal enemies."īe it poker (Hollywood) or mahjong (Hong Kong), the world of gambling always walked hand in hand with cinema, and it was only a matter of time before Korea would join the game.
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