In this blog post, we’ll examine how the movie “Marathon” elicits empathy from audiences by presenting disability—particularly autism—not as a simple story of overcoming adversity, but as a glimpse into a person’s inner world and daily life.
What is a human drama?
While “human” originally means “a person,” the film genre “human drama” carries a slightly more specific meaning. Generally, stories that center on humanity, the subtleties of human emotion, and mutual recognition and compassion are called human dramas. Such works touch the audience’s hearts through an individual’s small, everyday victories, acts of sacrifice and kindness, or moments that evoke sympathy.
Simply put, human dramas are stories that tug at the heartstrings and resonate on a deeply human level. Because many of these moving narratives are based on events that could happen in everyday life or on true stories, they easily strike a chord with audiences and tend to emphasize narrative emotion to such an extent that they are often referred to as “novels on screen.”
Universal Trends and Limitations of Human Dramas
Many human dramas follow the archetype of a character who starts out as insignificant or down-and-out but overcomes adversity to grow. The climax, in which the character overcomes trials and ultimately achieves success or reconciliation, provides audiences with a safe and predictable emotional experience. While this structure is familiar and stable, it is sometimes criticized as clichéd.
Furthermore, in today’s film landscape—where digital technology and dazzling visual effects take center stage—simple, emotionally driven human dramas often struggle to capture the attention of audiences seeking spectacle. Some Hollywood-style productions have also faced criticism for unconsciously reproducing Western-centric values or family-oriented, patriarchal perspectives, leading to the genre as a whole being shunned at times.
However, in the Korean film industry, humanist films that capture the warmth of family, neighbors, and everyday life have gained immense popularity, bringing the human drama genre back into the spotlight. In particular, with the emergence of works dealing with disabilities, the themes and approaches of human dramas are becoming more diverse.
The Depiction of Disability and Distinctiveness in ‘Marathon’
Rather than using disability as a mere symbol of “inability to communicate,” the film ‘Marathon’ presents the characteristics of the protagonist, Cho-won—who exhibits symptoms of autism—as they are, inviting the audience to understand him. In other words, it does not treat disability as a means of overcoming obstacles or as a mere object of pity; instead, it broadens the scope of empathy by showcasing the character’s inner world and daily life.
The film is structured so that the audience follows the perspective and actions of a person with autism, maintaining an attitude of seeking to understand them as a person rather than othering them as a “person with a disability.” This approach sets it clearly apart from some previous works.
Why I Love “Marathon”
The emotional impact of this film does not rely on forced sympathy or exaggerated heroism. By skillfully blending comedy with gentle sentiment, it naturally reveals Cho-won’s innocence and the sincerity of the characters around her. Its greatest appeal lies in the lingering afterglow and the “feel-good tears” it evokes long after the credits roll.
The origin of the film’s title, “Marathon,” also perfectly captures its tone. The title is taken from a passage in the protagonist Chowon’s diary where he misspells the word, writing “To-do for tomorrow: Marathon.” This small mistake symbolizes the innocence and sincerity that underlie the entire film.
While there is room to feel that the theme or motifs might be clichéd, the solid plot, delicate direction, and beautiful cinematography make up for these weaknesses. The film’s strength lies in its balance: it draws audiences in with humor and warmth without trivializing or exaggerating disability.
Synopsis
Kyung-sook is deeply shocked when her son, Cho-won, is diagnosed with autism. Though it’s difficult, she resolves to raise him, but as she struggles to do so, she grows increasingly exhausted, and a rift begins to form within her family. One day, during a trip to the zoo, she accidentally lets go of Cho-won’s hand while holding it. Deeply remorseful, Kyung-sook runs through the rain to find Cho-won and beg for his forgiveness.
Cho-won loves running and tends to become deeply absorbed in a single activity. Upon discovering this trait, Kyung-sook uses Choco Pies as rewards and tries to improve her son’s running ability through hiking training and other exercises. In the process, Kyung-sook becomes so absorbed in Chowon that she grows distant from her husband and second child, deepening the family conflict.
Jeong-wook, a former marathon runner, is assigned community service for drunk driving and ends up at a school for children with autism. Kyung-sook persuades him to coach Chowon, and although Jeong-wook initially takes on the role reluctantly, he gradually opens his heart to Chowon’s innocence and comes to believe in his running talent. While helping Cho-won train, Jeong-wook sets the goal of achieving a “sub-three” (finishing a marathon in under three hours).
Kyung-sook struggles with the question of whether she has forced this dream upon her son, but Cho-won ultimately decides of his own volition to run the marathon. On the day of the marathon, Cho-won runs with a determined attitude, clasping hands with the cheering crowd, and the scene where he finally achieves his goal becomes the film’s moving climax.
Character Analysis
Yoon Cho-won (Jo Seung-woo) is the film’s protagonist. He was diagnosed with autism as a child; although physically a young man in his 20s, his mental age remains at the level of a 5-year-old. He has a simple and pure personality—he loves Choco Pies and zebras, and enjoys watching “Animal Kingdom,” which airs every evening at 6:00 PM. Although his IQ is low, he has an excellent memory—he can recite almost everything related to his favorite things—and he carries deep emotional scars from remembering that his mother once tried to abandon him when he was a child. Thanks to his mother’s efforts, he begins running marathons. He loves running like a zebra and physically expresses his way of connecting with the world by feeling the wind with his hands and savoring its texture.
Kyung-sook (Kim Mi-sook) is Cho-won’s mother. After learning of her son’s autism at age 27, she suffered great despair and even let go of Cho-won’s hand at the zoo at one point. After getting her son back, she struggles desperately to live with him, trying to prove through achievements like marathons that her son is no different from others. In the process, she struggles daily between her own desires and her genuine concern for her son. As an ordinary housewife, she carries the worries and anxieties of a mother, yet she also reveals a strong maternal instinct as she desperately tries to hold onto her son and help him get back on his feet. At the same time, driven by the anxiety of not being able to directly understand Cho-won’s inner thoughts, she also shows a human, vulnerable side as she struggles to live even one day longer than her son.
Jeong-wook (Coach) is a former marathon runner who, having left his past glory behind, is assigned to perform community service at a school for children with autism as a result of a DUI. Plunged into despair and relying on alcohol and cigarettes, Kyung-sook’s plea becomes the catalyst that leads him to coach Cho-won. At first, he is flustered and baffled by Cho-won’s baffling behavior, but he gradually becomes drawn in by his purity and shifts to an attitude of actively teaching him to run a marathon. He is a character who relatively clearly illustrates how a third party approaches and builds a relationship with a child with autism.
Yoon Jeong-won (the younger sister) has harbored resentment since childhood, feeling that her mother devoted all her attention solely to her autistic brother. Feeling she didn’t receive enough care, she distanced herself from the family; the conflict deepened to the point where she even considered divorce. However, an opportunity for reconciliation arises when her mother is hospitalized with a peptic ulcer and opens up about her true feelings.
The father is portrayed as a man who feels burdened by his son and his wife’s apparent obsession with their son, leading him to leave home and throw himself into his work. He repeatedly uses work as an excuse to distance himself from family life, but the conflict begins to resolve following his wife’s hospitalization and her confession.
To summarize the personalities and backgrounds of the main characters, what sets this film apart from other films dealing with disability is its relatively realistic portrayal of Mother Kyung-sook’s emotional expressions and conflicts. Kyung-sook displays a complex emotional arc, including her restrained expressions of affection, her frustration at not being able to understand her child’s true feelings, and her doubts about whether she is projecting her own goals onto her child. Coach Jeong-wook’s perspective also convincingly conveys, from a third-party viewpoint, the process of meeting and building a relationship with a child with a disability.
However, there are also some disappointing aspects. The motivations behind Cho-won’s decision to run a marathon, as well as the reasons why she does not actively express her own opinions despite having a low mental age, are not explored in depth; as a result, she is sometimes portrayed simply as an “obedient child,” much like a typical scene where a child throws a tantrum. Furthermore, family members such as her younger brother and father—who hold the potential for conflict and inner turmoil—are not sufficiently highlighted. Consequently, the film leaves the impression that it glosses over the resolution of internal family conflicts in the latter half without clearly presenting a convincing catalyst for their resolution.
Plot Analysis
The most central motifs in the film’s plot are the “zebra” and the “Serengeti Plains.” From the very beginning, the film uses narration based on the story of a mother zebra and her foal from ‘The Lion King’, drawing a parallel between the zebra and the savanna itself. The zebra thus becomes a metaphor for the savanna itself, and the Serengeti Plains are presented as the fantastical and liberating inner world he experiences while running the marathon. The Serengeti, as an untouched, ideal, and pure space of desire, serves as the stage where Choyeon’s free will is revealed.
The fantasy sequences intersect with the real world through settings such as a supermarket, the subway, and a swimming pool, visually depicting his process of recovery from social isolation. The many people who appear in these scenes also symbolize the audience. The audience participates in Chowon’s dream world through applause and cheers, and the director, by introducing fantastical elements, reveals an intention to reconnect social ties that have been severed by the division between “people with disabilities” and “people without disabilities.”
Another key motif is “hands.” Rather than expressing emotions through language or facial expressions, Chowon communicates with the world through his hands. Her mother, Kyung-sook, teaches Chowon how to feel the wind and nature with her hands, and by having her place her hand on her chest to feel her heartbeat, helps her realize that “I am just like everyone else.” Scenes of them running together with their palms pressed together symbolize a sense of oneness with nature and connection with others; ultimately, the hands serve as a medium for reconciling with the world and restoring communication.
In summary, this film explores the theme of restoring broken communication through the fantasy of zebras and the Serengeti, as well as the physical communication of the hands.
The film’s attempt to draw the audience into the heart of the savanna through fantastical imagery and to shed light on the relationships between families and society surrounding disability—through the conflicts and reconciliations of the supporting characters—is clearly successful. However, if the motivations of certain characters and the resolution of family conflicts had been refined to be more convincing, the overall narrative would have been even more cohesive.
Analysis of Memorable Scenes
‘Marathon’ also garnered significant attention for its cinematography; in particular, the aerial shots of the marathon taking place in Chuncheon toward the end of the film reach a visual climax. The aerial shots taken from a helicopter capture the vast landscape and serve to evoke both the protagonist’s inner state and his surroundings simultaneously. The iconic scene that often comes to mind for audiences—namely, “running alongside zebras on the Serengeti Plains”—is also the result of this kind of fantastical imagery.
However, the most striking scene is a different one. When his mother, Kyung-sook, is hospitalized with a peptic ulcer, Chowon watches her from outside the hospital room. This scene makes active use of close-up shots to draw the audience into the moment. At the same time, since Chowon is portrayed as a character who cannot express her emotions verbally, the combination of close-ups and the absence of verbal expression actually creates a sense of tension.
The scene where Chowon says, “It’s raining steadily,” as the camera zooms in for a close-up amid the falling rain is executed with great restraint. The protagonist’s emotions—unable to shed tears—are conveyed through the medium of “rain” rather than direct crying, and this delicate scene composition compellingly portrays her inner sorrow without resorting to forced melodrama. This form of expression serves as a device that helps the audience understand the emotional appeal of a character with autism (spectrum) traits.
Memorable Scenes and Symbolism
The story of the zebra that the protagonist recited early in the film expands in meaning as it intertwines with the fantasy sequence in the latter half. The imagery, which begins with a story of a mother zebra teaching her calf how to survive in the wild, is visualized toward the end of the film in a scene where Chowon, having left her mother’s protection, runs freely across the Serengeti plains. This fantastical transition is a key device illustrating the protagonist’s inner growth.
Additionally, the image of hands is used repeatedly. The scene where Choyeon—whose hands had always been connected only to her mother—lets go of that connection and, through the marathon, experiences nature for herself while holding the hands of others symbolizes communication and reconciliation with the world. This shift in physical contact implies more than mere action; it suggests the expansion of relationships and independence.
Conclusion and Areas for Improvement
Through elements such as the film’s title and the protagonist’s name, “Chowon,” the director primarily reveals the narrative’s purity while also demonstrating a wit that makes audiences smile as they recall the title after watching the film. These devices were effective in shaping the film’s emotional tone.
If this film had merely been a story of “a heroic triumph of the human spirit through sports for people with disabilities,” it would have struggled to garner significant public interest. Instead, while addressing the nature of disability head-on, the director drew the audience in with a fantastical and pure visual language, offering a new perspective on communicating with people with disabilities and helping to reduce one-sided aversion.
However, it is regrettable that the latter half of the film focused too heavily on the protagonist’s goal of achieving a “sub-three” time, leaving the conflicts and narratives of other characters relatively sidelined. Had the conflicts involving the family and supporting characters been explored in greater depth, the film’s overall quality would have been significantly enhanced.
