The movie is about Kang Do, a brutal being works for the loan sharks and a middle aged woman claim to be his mother. Most of the movie takes place in Myeongdong district in Seul, the poorest one. Apparently if you expect a korean to film outside Gangnam, it's mainly Kim Ki duk or, Park Chan Wok. The movie itself a painful journey, a journey you are glad that you take and you wont take again. Don't take me wrong, i love everything about the movie, from Michelangelo inspired poster to grusome mutilation, but I am quite sure I wont re watch it.
There's nothing much to say about it anyway. It is the first Korean film to win the top prize at three major international film festivals — Venice, Cannes and Berlin. If it suits your taste watch it, if don't, stay the heck away from it.
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This review may contain spoilers
<<Darkly Exaggerated , Dramatically Brilliant !>>And here we are with another work of art , from Korean award-wining director "Kim Ki Duk" :
"Pieta" (2012) , which name is taken from a famous impressive statue of Virgin Mary and Jesus with the same pose you can see in the movie's poster ! Before a movie is watched , it can present nearly half of what it has through its title and poster . They call it "First Impression" ! I say "A Movie's Greetings" !
I believe a movie has been started in one's mind as soon as he/she sees the title and the poster .
So let's say "Pieta" had the best greeting it could ever have and knowing it's actually the winner of Golden Lion at 69th Venice International Film Festival ... I knew It was definitely worth it !
Until where a mother goes for sake of her child ?! Well , "Pieta" says it clearly : THERE'S NO LIMITATION !
As we all know , mother's love and sacrificing for her child is surely one of the Inexplicable magical wonders of this world and It's such a risky and sensitive plot to work on , cause it NEEDS to be amazing and perfect enough to associate that maternal love we can ever imagine ! And Kim Ki Duk , did it !
" Kang-do is a heartless man who has no living family members and whose job is to threaten debtors to repay his clients, the loan sharks who demand a 10x return on a one month loan. To recover the interest, the debtors would sign an insurance for handicap, and Kang-do would injure the debtors brutally to file the claim. One day he receives a visit from a strange, middle-aged woman claiming she is his long-lost mother. Over the following weeks, the woman stubbornly follows him and he continues to do his job. But he is slowly moved and changed by the motherly love expressed from this woman ! "
The story plot is already impressive , strong and stirring even in these few lines ! And this is called a real cinematic story ! It's unique , artistic and dramatic ... I'm not gonna write any spoiler just be sure that it's even much more than it seems ! It's more than you can ever imagine !
Let's be frank ! To many people , "Pieta" is not they wanna see ! So if you're obsessed with those stereotype love stories , ordinary melodramas or fantasy actions , please forget you've ever heard of "Pieta" and go somewhere else watching for favorites ! Cause "Pieta" is not your cup of tea.
Cause It's dark and darkly exaggerated , but has A LOT to say !!!
Personally , I think there's a movie you love , there's a movie you hate ... and then there's another movie you HATE but you LOVE ! "Pieta" was like this to me ! This emotioanl roller-coaster is what any good dramatic movie needs and It can be truly felt at this one !
Actings left me speechless ! "Lee Jung Jin" could brilliantly transfer from a heartless criminal to a hapless little kid who's tasting what he had never tasted for 30 years and that's Love Of A Mother !
I got goosebumps seeing him acting like a little boy when it came to his long-lost mother !!!
"Jo Min Soo" was also unexplainable in her hard , sensitive and delicate role ! She truly shined !
This movie might not have lots of background music but I do believe it had the best music when it was needed. And I loved the meaningful silences between two first roles.
Rewatching ? If you're spiritually strong , of course !!! It's a dark work of art !!!
I was really honered to write a review for Kim Ki Duk's Pieta and I hope you get impressed by this movie like me and many others did !
Thanks for reading my words ^_^
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Unpopular opinion ahead
I watched this movie on local TV (meaning it was dubbed) and thought I share my (unpopular) opinion about it.While I agree with the majority saying it's a good movie I can't say I enjoyed it much.
Maybe because the style of the director is not my cup of tea. Maybe because I find the things that happened throughout the movie a little bit too much on the disturbing side. I know what I signed up for but the overall feeling of the movie is tense and there is no happiness at all. It does contain a deeper meaning though so the violence comes with a plot. Otherwise I would not have watched it.
The story is focused on the main protagonist Gang Do who visits debtors to collect the money and if they don't pay, beats them up, threatens them or even goes beyond that. Mi Sun, the mysterious woman who claims to be his mother seems to be calm and gentle and despite his aggression and violent behavior stays by his side. The whole story has a plot twist though because Mi Sun carries a dark secret.
The cast does a good job. For me Jo Min Soo stood out the most as Mi Sun but Lee Jung Jin could also portray Gang Do believable.
I didn't pay attention to the music so I can't say anything about it.
Rewatch value is low. I do recommend watching the movie once, for the messages it contains and because it makes you think but one watch is enough for me.
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it makes you ask yourself a lot of questions
I'm still watching it - but i feel like it's already meaningful... I read spoilers and reviews though, so im not an "innocent" watcher! It is surely worth watching, it says a lot abt loneliness, sadness, and mother love and survival... Even for people who dont usually fall for these topics, it still conveys a lot! The actors look too good if you ask me - i shrink from commercial things, and unnecessary beauty is one of them. But i'm still easy to fool, so these beautiful faces grew up on me.I read abt this film being "realistic" - it certainly is, but drama-realistic, not docu - realistic. The art factor added to it is obviously important.
It's such an expressive movie that it makes me dig up ideas and feelings that havent crossed my mind in a long time. If this is not a proof of its value - than what is it??
Highly recommended.
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