Directed by KIM Ki-duk
Starring CHO Jae-hyun, SEO Young-joo, LEE Eun-woo
Release Date September 5
Arthouse director KIM Ki-duk has never been afraid to court controversy but with his latest feature, he seems to be attracting more attention than usual. Moebius will be released this month in Korea, but it was a long and rocky road for it to get into theaters as the film required three trips to the Korean Media Ratings Board, a number of cuts and a personal plea from KIM before it was finally approved for release, albeit with a rating that will bar any teenagers from viewing the film.
An upper-middle class family quickly ruptures when the husband’s affair with a local storeowner becomes know to his wife. One evening she attempts to castrate him in his sleep but when she fails she turns her blade onto her son’s genitals instead. Wracked with guilt, the father tries to amend his son’s wound by trawling the internet for a miracle procedure, while the teenager finds himself drawing close to his father’s former mistress.
Featuring absolutely no dialogue, the film invites the viewers to interpret the many violent and uncomfortable actions that take place on screen. CHO Jae-hyun is no stranger to these dark roles, having working with KIM before on numerous occasions . New to the KIM fold are SEO Young-joo and LEE Eun-woo, both of whom stretch themselves as performers. LEE, who plays both the wife and the mistress in the film, and SEO, who is only 15 in real life, find themselves in compromising situations as KIM pushes them to their limit, drawing raw performances from each.
KIM burrows deep into what he sees as the dark elements of his country in Moebius. Though grim, the film is also outrageous and not without a keen sense of humor. While the film will likely prove difficult for some, it demonstrates a maverick filmmaker undergoing another change.
Moebius was screened out of competition this month at the Venice International Film Festival, following KIM’s Golden Lion triumph there last year with Pieta. The print screened at Venice was the unedited version but director KIM has stated that this is the only time he will show the original cut. The film is also scheduled to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival later this month and then the Busan International Film Festival in October, where it will be shown in its newly edited version.
By Pierce Conran