Sandwiched between his two, in my opinion, masterpieces, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring and 3-Iron, Samaria is an interesting pieces that provides a necessary link between them, sharing the themes of the former, and the style of the latter. The theme I'm talking about is the loss of innocence, something that is presented in the harshest possible manner in this film.
Two girls want to travel to Europe, so one acts as a pimp and the other as a prostitute. This seems shocking, and it is to the 'pimp' who becomes increasingly disturbed by their activities. To the 'prostitute' however, it's all a bit of harmless fun that she gets paid for. Eventually something happens, in fact it's no spoiler to say that the 'prostitute' dies. The scene that precipitates this is one of the most harrowing in the film, and shows that Ki-duk can create some subtly played shocks when he needs to. After this, the 'pimp' essentially assumes the role of 'prostitute' for personal reasons, and this is where the film begins to follow the same style as 3-Iron, in the sense of 're- visiting' past experiences and places in a new form. This is augmented when the girl's father begins following the men she sleeps with, confronting them in increasingly violent ways. One reviewer already spoke of the so called 'dinner-table confrontation scene' - it is perhaps one of the best scenes in Ki-duk's extensive library, and leaves a lasting impression.
I must applaud Lee Eol, who plays the father. His performance expresses emotions of confusion, anger and violence with remarkable subtlety and skill. As the film progresses into its final act, Ki-duk covers us with an increasingly dark pall of blue. He then, arguably, offers us two endings to choose from, although it is the latter that is the most affecting and so beautifully summarises the themes of the film. Most Ki- duk films leave me stunned with feelings of amazement. Samaria is no different. The ending is haunting, and true.
Not as good as Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring or 3-Iron, Samaria is still an excellent film that continues to prove why Kim Ki- duk is arguably Korea's greatest director.
Two girls want to travel to Europe, so one acts as a pimp and the other as a prostitute. This seems shocking, and it is to the 'pimp' who becomes increasingly disturbed by their activities. To the 'prostitute' however, it's all a bit of harmless fun that she gets paid for. Eventually something happens, in fact it's no spoiler to say that the 'prostitute' dies. The scene that precipitates this is one of the most harrowing in the film, and shows that Ki-duk can create some subtly played shocks when he needs to. After this, the 'pimp' essentially assumes the role of 'prostitute' for personal reasons, and this is where the film begins to follow the same style as 3-Iron, in the sense of 're- visiting' past experiences and places in a new form. This is augmented when the girl's father begins following the men she sleeps with, confronting them in increasingly violent ways. One reviewer already spoke of the so called 'dinner-table confrontation scene' - it is perhaps one of the best scenes in Ki-duk's extensive library, and leaves a lasting impression.
I must applaud Lee Eol, who plays the father. His performance expresses emotions of confusion, anger and violence with remarkable subtlety and skill. As the film progresses into its final act, Ki-duk covers us with an increasingly dark pall of blue. He then, arguably, offers us two endings to choose from, although it is the latter that is the most affecting and so beautifully summarises the themes of the film. Most Ki- duk films leave me stunned with feelings of amazement. Samaria is no different. The ending is haunting, and true.
Not as good as Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring or 3-Iron, Samaria is still an excellent film that continues to prove why Kim Ki- duk is arguably Korea's greatest director.