Samaritan Girl Review

Samaritan Girl

Year: 2004

Director: Kim Ki Duk

Writer: Kim Ki Duk

Starring: Kwak Ji Min, Han Yeo Reum, Lee Eol,

Some films defy all critiques and can be summed up in a simple anecdote. During my time as a student most evenings ended by putting a film on and falling asleep to it. One night I chose Samaritan Girl as that film, which was an odd choice as I had never seen it before and usually I would choose films I was familiar with. It was 2 AM when I started watching and not only did I not fall asleep, but I watched it three times in a row, finally finishing at 6:30 AM. This just demonstrates the sheer power of Kim Ki Duk films.

Kwak plays a young girl, Yeo Jin, who works as her friend’s Jae Yeong’s (Han) pimp. Pimp is obviously a strong word, but she arranges the clients, handles the money, and looks out for police while Jae Yeong is with her customers. While being distracted during one of Jae Yeong’s meets, the police burst into the room and Jae Yeong jumps out of a window, hitting her head and eventually dying. Yeo Jin decides to meet up with all of the former clients, sleep with them, and return their money. Unfortunately Yeo Jin’s father, Yeong Ki (Lee), is a determined police officer who discovers his daughter’s secret and seeks vengeance against the men who would use her.

Samaritan Girl, like all of Kim Ki Duk’s work, is a very difficult piece in many ways. It deals with the exploitation of underage girls, but also shows them as being in a position of power. We never feel as though the two girls are out of their depth, and some of the customers are even shown as caring. It’s all part of Kim’s non-judgemental style. Kim’s films are also more akin to poetry than traditional cinema. Sometimes there are huge leaps of logic and common sense, but the impacts these events have are significant and very symbolic. You may find yourself doubting certain scenes and character reactions, but when you realise that a realistic approach would have been plain and uninspired, you soon set your mind to a more analytical approach.

A rare beauty permeates from every pore of Samaritan Girl. It’s a tale where innocence is both destroyed and restored. As Yeo Jin gives up her virginity and body, we also see the peace and reflection she brings to the men she meets. One man calls his daughter after meeting with Yeo Jin, and we get the sense that this is the end of his deviant ways. Meanwhile, Lee Eol gives a tremendous performance as the conflicted and distraught father. First his warnings to the parade of men are verbal, but soon escalate into full on violence and aggression. Viewers will find themselves in either the camp of forgiveness or vengeance, or maybe even a bit of both, and that is what makes it such a powerful piece of art. It isn’t simple.

Will I enjoy it?

Enjoy is never the right word for a Kim Ki Duk film. It may be more apt to ask whether you will appreciate it. The difficult themes explored will not be too everyone’s liking, nor will the way in which they are explored. There are suggestions that the girls, despite their young age, are not victims at all and even come to enjoy what they are doing. It needs an open mind, as well as being able to let certain things slide to appreciate their meaning. If you like complex dramas with staggering performances, then you’ll get something out of this.