The Piper

At first I thought this movie is horror, but almost half of the movie is period drama. I enjoy most of them, although I am not expecting that the movie really doesn't adding some hints/mystery until the last half. Luckily, all's worth to wait and the climax is really good. I guess it's the uniqueness of many Korean movies/dramas, which able to put climax/super important scene in the middle, then keep the tense until the end. Same thing happens here. Sonnim (literally, The Guest), brings all drama sequence into a twisting climax that I've never encounter it before in my watching experience.

What's discourage me to give this movie Perfect 10 is its prolonged drama sequence that ruins the pace for me. I don't know, the mass characters in odd town/village always strange to me, but due to the different nature between the first and last half of the movie, it makes their action seems can't be justified easily. Still, it's a great film and for those who love twisted side of a classic lore turns into a live action, surely it's one of the magnum opus(es) you want to see.

I recall watching the American movie Willard more than thirty years ago. Roddy McDowell was the star. He befriended a bunch of rats who obeyed him like trained dogs. This time around, a man travelling with his ten year-old son through the Korean countryside, stops at a remote village where the people are hiding from the war. They have a major rat infestation and the stranger agrees to rid them of the rodents for the price of a pig. He uses an ingenious method to extract the vermin. Betrayal follows soon after and that is when the fun begins. Revenge is sweet and I will leave it at that. The film is a bit too long but it is a fun ride nonetheless.

The Piper: South Korean Folk Horror take on the legend. It's 1953, just after the Armistice, a man and his young son wandering through a forest finds a village. The chief of the settlement invites them to stay for the night. The stranger entertains the locals playing tunes on his pipe. His music causes rats to move. He is asked to stay on and is offered a reward when he claims he can rid the village of it's plague of rats. These are fearsome rodents, they eat cats and menace humans. When the villagers had to flee during the war, the sick and there Shaman wouldn't leave and they were massacred by the rampaging Chinese soldiers. The Chief and his followers returned to find their bodies being devoured by rats. Using his pipe and bait the piper clears the rats out. But as in the fable the villagers renege on the deal. There is real horror ib this film, the rats descending in swarms, devouring the living and the dead, the spirit of a wronged Shaman returns and possesses a young woman, gruesome murders. It is far darker than the original legend as the villagers are also hiding secrets which shame them. The rats deserve an award for best ensemble performance. The psychological horror is also impressive as the Piper's achievements are denied, accused of being a spy, the far of the stranger used to turn a mob against him. The existential terror of the final scenes will stick with me for a while I reckon. Written and Directed by Kim Gwang-tae. 8/10.

So I cant say much more than what's been written before because others are much more eloquent than I... however, I just have to say that I really enjoyed this movie. It tugged at the feels at times, had some great dark sections that gave some chills and others made me want to get up and yell at the screen ask why couldnt they see the injustice here?! Lol. Overall, it was very worthy and I actually watched it twice..

This is an interesting take on the classic Pied Piper tale, but be warned, this is not for kids. The film's acting and atmosphere was really great. It is the type of film where you never know what to expect and will not be prepared for what is to happen. The bond between Father and son was excellently portrayed, and made the film's ending that much more effective. It is a very dark tale of revenge and the film's ending might leave you a bit disturbed, knowing what will ultimately happen.