(Movie Review) Candidly brutal, 'Breathless' takes stab at audience's heart

(ATTN: photos available)
By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, April 5 (Yonhap) -- Warning: this film is recommended only for the
strong-hearted who have a high tolerance threshold for violence, doom and gloom.
There is no doubt that "Breathless" (Ddongpari) deserves the long list of
international honors it has picked up thus far -- and many more are expected to
come.
Yet, given the intensity of its brutality, the 130-minute running time may prove
to be too much for some; there were several walkouts during the film's
international premieres, according to news reports.
The feature debut by South Korean director, scriptwriter, producer and actor Yang
Ik-june, "Breathless" has been invited to 17 international film festivals and
has, so far, grabbed seven awards, including the top honor at the Deauville Asian
Film Festival and the best actor award at Spain's Las Palmas International Film
Festival.
The film opens with anti-hero Sang-hun, played by director Yang, "saving" a woman
being brutally beaten by a man. After battering the attacker, Sang-hun turns to
the woman and slaps her several times across the face. "Bitch," the
gloomy-looking gangster spits out. "Why the hell do you take this crap?"
Almost the first full hour of the film carries on this way; the camera tracing
Sang-hun's groundless anger and grudge against the world. But while some may view
the lengthy depictions of violence and endless cursing as excessive or
unnecessary, they actually work to the film's advantage in indicating the extent
of brutality psychological wounds can lead to.
Sang-hun is a hired thug working for his friend and canny boss Man-sik (Jeong
Man-sik) -- an uncharacteristically "benevolent" character for a gangster -- who,
while extorting money from local shops in exchange for providing "protection," is
happy to do odd jobs when someone needs an extra fist or two.
While his constant cursing and violent behavior keep everyone at bay -- including
audiences who find it hard to sympathize with their hero -- the film slowly
reveals a wounded soul underneath Sang-hun's stony facade. A victim of years of
domestic abuse, Sang-hun witnessed the deaths of his mother and sister as a
child, which led him to hate his father, as well as the rest of the world.
But Sang-hun begins to change following an encounter with a foul-mouthed high
school girl Yeon-hee (Kim Kkot-bi), who appears neither disgusted nor scared by
him.
A daily victim of her demented father and abusive brother, Yeon-hee bonds with
Sang-hun, who discovers, perhaps for the first time, his compassionate side. The
relationship is so much more refreshing because it avoids a simple sexual angle
and focuses on the comfort of family-like friendship.
"Extremely hard gangster-and-his-mol film is borne by masterful acting by the
debutant director Yang Ik-June. A true actor's film," the Rotterdam Film Festival
praised, while the Fribourg International Film Festival of Switzerland called the
film "violent, yet extremely touching."
The film indeed appears very much an actor's movie, largely driven by characters
rather than plot or cinematography. Not just the main character but even the
smallest of roles seem fleshed out and believable thanks to the superb acting by
the whole cast.
Yang said he filmed the movie fully based on what he "knew and thought."
"I wouldn't dare say this film is aimed at exposing social problems," he said at
the film's preview Friday. "I wanted merely to talk about family, a subject
matter I know well. The film is a mix of personal experience and imagination."
The director added the reaction from overseas audiences was "delightful." Many
asked for a handshake jokingly saying "ssibalnoma," meaning "bastard," a word
most constantly uttered by the main character, he said.
The film, which debuted at Korea's Pusan International Film Festival last year,
will open at local theaters beginning April 16.
The Korean title "Ddongpari" means "dung fly," a widely-spoken Korean term
referring to underdogs not worth knowing.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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