In the Korean drama "Climax", the character Bang Tae Seop (Joo Ji Hoon) - haunted by the death of his father, a worker who committed suicide after being wrongly imprisoned by a corrupt prosecutor for labor activities - is determined to become a prosecutor to seize power and reach the peak.
Along with his wife, Chu Sang Ah (Ha Ji Won) - who used to be an A-list star but has now declined - and WR Group "boss" Lee Yang Mi (Cha Joo Young), who takes advantage of the weaknesses of stars to "entertain" the powerful, the film dramatically portrays the ambition to climb to the upper class along with each other's betrayals.
Born into poverty, Tae Seop once believed that becoming a prosecutor would help him master everything, but soon encountered barriers in school factions and regions. He attracted public attention after marrying leading actress Sang Ah, and took advantage of that fame to advance in society.
Meanwhile, Sang Ah - a star involved in a scandal - needs protection and the status of a prosecutor to maintain her career.
In the first two episodes, Yang Mi gives an ultimatum to Sang Ah: to force her male co-star to have sex with a mayor, otherwise her career will end. The plot makes Sang Ah face the past of being a victim and fall into mental crisis.
But her husband, Tae Seop, took advantage of this incident to serve his personal ambitions, even when it was related to his wife's past, and used it as a springboard to step into politics.
The next two episodes gradually reveal a contract marriage. It turns out Sang Ah used to have a romantic relationship with rookie actress Han Ji Soo.
Being forced by the company's head to participate in sensitive scenes and have sex in exchange for the role, Ji Soo committed suicide. Sang Ah then planned to kill manager Oh Kwang Jae for revenge.
In that situation, Tae Seop offered to stand on her side, promising to bury her past record. This is not just a confession of love but a declaration to enter the power game.
According to Korea Times, the film evokes real tragedies. In 2009, actress Jang Ja Yeon, famous from "Boys Over Flowers", was found dead at her home.
In her suicide note, she revealed that she was forced by the company to attend alcohol parties, "go to customers" in exchange for opportunities, and also named many media moguls and officials - creating the shocking "Jang Ja Yeon List" exposing the network of interests between power and the entertainment industry.
However, most of the people involved have escaped punishment due to lack of evidence and expiration of the statute of limitations.
In "Climax", the storyline of the character Han Ji Soo also evokes the late actress Lee Eun Joo in 2005, who suffered severe psychological trauma after bold scenes in the movie "The Scarlet Letter", leaving a haunting aftertaste in the entertainment industry.
Outstanding acting is the highlight of "Climax". Joo Ji Hoon portrays Tae Seop with a calm, polite appearance, but his eyes clearly reveal a strong desire for power. The audience is both drawn into his love and ambition, and witnesses him acting without hesitation with sex lines associated with powerful corporations.
Ha Ji Won subtly portrays Sang Ah - a star who is "out of fashion" but still yearns for the stage, and is always afraid of the risk of collapse.
The character Yang Mi played by Cha Joo Young - the second wife of a group young master - has a rough, careless appearance, creating an interesting paradox, contributing to increasing the appeal of the film.
Climax" consists of 10 episodes, currently airing on the cable TV channel ENA of Korea.
