Samaria
( Korean R3 DVD)
(2004)
review by Don't Feed the Dead

Kim Ki Duk's first appearance in my dvd player, the Isle, was as every bit disturbing as it was drawn out. A somber tale of love and abandonment, the Isle etched itself a lasting memory in my mind and initiated the desire to seek out subsequent films from this director. Along comes the Chiller Theatre back in January, and I was given the opportunity to get a glimpse at Duk's latest offering, Samaria. Described to me as a "less painful Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," I grabbed the title up and let it sit in a pile of unwatched movies until now.

Samaria is the story of two high school girls, Yeo-Jin and Jae-Yeong, who dream of one day going to Europe. To gain funds for their trip, the two turn tricks with Jae-Yeong posing as the pimp/lookout and Yeo-Jin sacrificing her body to benefit the duo. Much of the trick turning is received with ill will by Jae-Yeong, as she sees Yeo-Jin's innocence and purity diminish with every john she takes on. Of course, toss in a strong bond between the girls that leads to pre-adolescent lesbian intimacy, and the jealousy factor begins to play a strong role as well.

When one of the tricks turns awry, Yeo-Jin decidedly jumps from a third story window and suffers a fatal head wound, which ultimately leads to her demise. Feeling an immense amount of guilt over her friend's death, Jae-Yeong sets out to find every john that Yeo-Jin slept with to return their money and clear her conscience. By a stroke of pure coincidence during one of her hookups with a john, Jae-Yeong is seen in "action" by her overprotective police detective father. Awestruck by his daughter's willingness to sell her body and disgusted by the actions of the john, Jae-Yeong's father sets a course of revenge on every name in Yeo-Jin's little black book of customers.

A true master of confronting the issue of purity, Kim Ki Duk once again uses a serene backdrop in the form of two highschool girls to paint a nightmare scenario. While the Isle uses nature as its idol to convey Duk's message, Samaria utilizes youth to portray innocence in a world where society is a constant pollutant. Sex, which was portrayed as "natural" in the Isle has now become a sin, and viewed as a dirty act, especially since it involves underage girls. What was once considered evolutionary is now being judged on a moral level against the differing contrasts of love. The fine line between love and lust has been drawn by Duk, with the former being the vehicle for redemption and revenge.

As far as special features go, this Region 3 disc is lacking severely in the quality department. A behind the scenes "making of" featurette is the only available option, and unless you speak Korean it's pretty mundane.

As with the Isle, I was kind of at a loss when Samaria hit the end credits. Although the film does set its sights on placing moral boundaries in regards to love, the end results seemed a bit rushed and unsubstantiated. Why would a father who cared so much for his child not confront her on her sexual activity? Why would he rather choose the course of vengeance than understanding? If anything, Samaria gets the viewer to pondering greater messages than that of sex and violence.