Breath (2007)

A love story involving a convicted prisoner who "slowly falls for a woman who decorates his prison cell".

Director:

Ki-duk Kim

Writer:

Ki-duk Kim

Stars:

Chen Chang, In-Hyeong Gang, Jung-woo Ha

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Chen Chang	...	Jang Jin
In-Hyeong Gang	...	Young Cellmate
Jung-woo Ha	...	Husband
Ki-duk Kim
Ji-a Park	...	Yeon

Storyline

A love story involving a convicted prisoner who "slowly falls for a woman who decorates his prison cell".

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Plot Keywords:

prison cell | taxi | surveillance camera | suicide attempt | strangled to death | 

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Taglines:

Love Can Take Your Breath Away

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The license plate number of the couple's car is 5795. Jang Jin's prison number is 5796.

User Reviews

Another Kim Ki-duk gem

This is the third film I have seen by Kim Ki-duk. Each one has been very different to the other, and I have loved them all. Address Unknown was bleak and emotionally challenging, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter… and Spring was beautifully poetic, while Breath is hard to describe. It has aspects of the earlier films - it's visually poetic and bleak - but it's very different to both most notably for its surreal/absurdist devices combined with very black humour (slightly reminiscent of some of the work of Raúl Ruiz).

Sparse dialogue makes for great intrigue as we attempt to make sense of the two main protagonists and what they have in common. One, a man on death row, the other a suburban mother who follows news of his exploits on the TV. To discuss how the story unfolds is to spoil the film if you haven't watched it. However, the story is so elusive, that even with the details, much remains unexplained, adding to the mystique of the film. The prisoner does not speak during the film and the mother does not speak to her family; she is on screen for about twenty minutes before we hear a word uttered from her mouth.

There is a really competent and confident film-maker at work in Kim Ki-duk, and he's not afraid to experiment. Beautifully photographed in winter, the use of steel/blue tones indoors accentuates the sense of cold and contrasts some of the surreal aspects. The film is contemplative, giving one ample opportunity to appreciate the superb visual aesthetics and make sense of the narrative.

I enjoyed this film immensely, and highly recommend it. It screened as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, where Kim Ki-duk's films are always well-received.

Details

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Release Date:

29 April 2007 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Aliento

Filming Locations:

Seoul, South Korea

Box Office

Budget:

KRW370,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$652,321

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cineclick Asia, Kim Ki-Duk Film, Sponge

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1