It
is impossible to make broad generalizations about the depiction of Christianity
in Korean cinema. Yes, there are the crude stereotypes and kneejerk jibes, but
there are also rather nuanced and humanistic portrayals as well. For a
recovering sex crime victim, it is a source of comfort and life affirmation.
Unfortunately, the consolation of faith will be overwhelmed by the lingering corrosiveness
of sin in Lee Don-ku’s Fatal (trailer here), which screens
this Wednesday as part of the Asia Society’s free Korean Movie Night series,
co-presented by the Korean Cultural Service in New York.
Never
very smart or self-assertive, the conflicted Lee Sung-gong meekly stands by
while his classmates rape a teen-age girl one-by-one in the adjoining room.
When told to take his turn, Lee duly enters. Just what he does or does not do
to the drugged woman is never fully revealed. However, his guilt and complicity
are firmly established. In fact, the incident will constantly haunt Lee, even though
he continues to crave the approval of the sociopathic ringleader Gyu-sang, a
decade later.
More
out of boredom than spiritual yearning, Lee attends an Evangelical Christian service,
but is struck by the church’s welcoming reception of visitors. Joining a young
members’ study group, he comes face-to-face with Park Jang-mi, the victim from
ten years ago. However, either due to the effects of the date-rape drugs or the
suppression of memories, Park does not recognize him. Immediately obsessed with
her, Lee stalkerishly follows her, contriving ways to worm into her life. It
actually seems to work for a while, but Lee’s repressed emotions will come
crashing out during the group’s retreat. Not knowing any other way to “fix”
what they have done, the destabilized Lee starts to get Biblical with the unrepentant
rapists.
Yes,
this is strong stuff, especially given the unvarnished realism of director Lee’s
stylistic approach. The one exception is the masterfully intense “confession” sequence
during the retreat, in which you can practically see Lee Sung-gong’s psyche shatter
on-screen. Fatal is a very unsettling
film that never lets its problematic central character off the hook. It has been described as a revenge drama,
but it does not fit comfortably into any category. It is just too raw and too
intimate.
As
Park, Yang Jo-a is a revelation. She sets the screen on fire during the film’s
centerpiece scene. Audiences will not be able to breathe, let alone fidget. It
is that kind of riveting. Yet, her earnestness and vulnerability throughout the
film is also deeply moving. Likewise, Nam Yeon-u quietly but forcefully conveys
just how deeply Lee’s guilt has arrested his psychological development. You can
see he is just a shell of a person.
The
third act mayhem might sound like a commercial concession, but every step feels
like it follows according to a grimly fatalistic logic. It is a power film and
a sit-up-and-take-notice debut for its director and much of the cast
(especially Yang), but it not for the faint of heart or the overly sheltered
viewer. Visceral and downright draining, Fatal
is recommended for those who appreciate unsweetened black coffee drama,
when it screens this Wednesday (5/13) at New York’s Asia Society.
