“Pieta” was the first film from South Korea to win the top prizes at the Venice International Film Festival, Cannes and Berlin.
Any follower of South Korean cinema knows that revenge is often a theme used to drive the narrative forward. In Kim Ki-Duk’s Golden Lion winning feature “Pieta,” revenge is at the forefront of the foreign thriller as the story delves into the haunting world of loan sharks and how far a person would go to collect a debt owed.
For Ki-Duk and the entire South Korean film industry, “Pieta” is a groundbreaker. The film was the first from the country to win the top prizes at the Venice International Film Festival, Cannes and Berlin. With a story that is rooted in material matter but tackles it with a spiritual spin, seeing such awards attached to the title isn’t a surprise.
The story follows Gang-Do, a ruthless debt collector for prominent a South Korean loan shark. Gang-Do’s disposition is dark -almost stale – and it’s easy to see why delivering such pain upon those who owe money is but a daily routine for him. Something’s missing in Gang-Do life’s.
Gang-Do’s violent life gets thrown a curveball as a mysterious woman named Mi-Son confronts him claiming to be his mother. The two try to form their lost mother-son relationship as Gang-Do’s professional life becomes increasingly dangerous to both himself and Mi-Son.
Ki-Duk’s direction is bold and unapologetic as he weaves through the dark thriller. The torture seens are cruel and the contrast is sharp. Sure, sometimes Ki-Duk goes a bit too far, but considering the subject matter, the cruelty feels awfully human. In fact, at the heart of “Pieta” is a chilling story about poverty and the human condition.
Ki-Duk isn’t the only person involved in “Pieta.” Jeong-jin Lee’s Gang-Do is about as honest as a character can get. Lee opens up for the character and delivers a numbingly gritty performance in the process. Min-soo Jo’s matriarchal Mi-Son is just as raw.
Even in a summer filled with homegrown superhero romps and star-studded comedies, “Pieta” is a welcome foreign addition to the lineup that is a sobering summer must-see.
“Pieta” is currently playing at the Angelika Dallas.
