Watch Breath
- 2007
- 1 hr 24 min
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6.9 (5,136)
Breath is a haunting and beautifully crafted film that explores the complexities and contradictions of human nature. The movie, which was directed by Kim Ki-Duk and released in 2007, follows the story of a criminal named Jang Jin (Chang Chen) who escapes from prison and seeks refuge in a remote, mountainous village. At first, Jang Jin's arrival in the village creates a stir, and the villagers are initially suspicious of him. However, they eventually warm up to him, and he starts to integrate into their community. He quickly becomes interested in a woman named Yeon (In-Hyeong Gang), who is married to a strong and silent fisherman named Hyun (Ha Jung-woo). Despite their initial mistrust of him, Yeon and Hyun develop a strange relationship with Jang Jin, forming a complex triangle of desire and mistrust.
As the story unfolds, we see Jang Jin trying to come to terms with his past and find redemption for his sins. He is a tortured soul, haunted by the traumatic events of his life, and his interactions with Yeon and Hyun become a kind of reckoning for him. Meanwhile, Yeon and Hyun's relationship is also complicated, as they struggle with their own feelings of desire and longing.
One of the most striking aspects of Breath is its stunning visuals. Kim Ki-Duk is a master of visual storytelling, and he uses the natural beauty of the Korean countryside to great effect in this film. The landscapes are breathtakingly beautiful, and the cinematography is often dreamlike and surreal. There are moments in the film that are like waking dreams, as the characters move through the misty, foggy mountainscape and interact with each other in sometimes bizarre and ethereal ways.
The film's score is also notable, featuring hauntingly beautiful music that perfectly complements the visuals and adds to the film's overall mood of melancholy and longing. The use of sound in the film is particularly effective, with the sound of the wind and the waves often serving as a kind of leitmotif that underscores the themes of nature and mortality that run throughout the film.
At its core, Breath is a meditation on the beauty and fragility of life. The film is suffused with a sense of melancholy and sadness, as the characters grapple with their own mortality and try to make sense of the fleeting nature of existence. It is a film about the search for meaning and the struggle to find redemption, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
Despite its themes of loss and sadness, however, Breath is ultimately a life-affirming film. It reminds us of the beauty and wonder of the natural world, and of the moments of connection and grace that are possible even in the darkest of circumstances. It is a powerful and thought-provoking film that will linger in your mind long after the credits have rolled.
Breath is a 2007 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 24 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.9.