User reviews

'Breathless' revolves around the life of an abusive debt-collector named Sang-Hoon, an isolated and hateful person. Having lost his sister and mother at a very young age, due to accidents relating to domestic abuse, he is eternally angry on his father and fate. His despise for the people who can't stand up for themselves (stemming from witnessing his helpless mother) makes him even more violent towards his debtors. His attitude towards people and life starts changing after he bumps into a high school girl named Yeon-Hue. Being a father figure to his divorced half-sister's nephew Yeong-in, and his affection for Yeon-Hue brings out the compassionate side in him. But, as most times, cruelty has a price to pay...

This inspiring film marks the Writing & Directorial debut of talented actor Yang Ik-Joon, who stars as the lead as well. The passionate camera-work by Yun Jong-ho follows the characters in an intriguing way, using which the Director tells a compelling story about violence and abuse, interspersed with moments of humour and warmth. All the main characters are developed quite well, and are given proper depth and screen presence. All the actors involved give commendable performances.

The movie is as visceral as the punches thrown by the characters in this hard-hitting drama; it's a thought-provoking tale on the cycle of violence.

Sang-Hoon founded a debt collecting company with a friend. His friend is the boss, but Sang-Hoon prefers to do the dirty job.

Sang-Hoon has only seen violence all of his life. He suffered domestic violence at home, so he goes around treating every body the only way he has ever been treated. He insults and disrespects the boss (his friend) in front of the workers, he sometimes even punches his work colleagues, but he beats the hell out of every body else he encounters. Nothing seems to matter to him, he seems unstoppable, until he meets a senior high school girl who seems not to be afraid of him. Sang-Hoon, doesn't know that like him she has suffered domestic violence at the hands of her father, seems to appreciate and respect her attitude. They establish a friendship. Life changes...

Breathless (original title: Ddogpari, which apparently translates as something like "shit-fly") is an unrelenting and uncompromising film from the very first frame. There are constant beatings and fights. Violence pervades every frame. The structure of the film seems repetitive, moving in circles, as if to mirror the circle of violence that the characters are trapped in. Yang Ik-Joon (writer, director, producer, and lead actor) has crafted a film that explores themes of domestic violence and its effects on people. The film seems a bit loose and unfocused in the middle but it is a powerful film for those who manage to reach the end.

Extreme and brutal violence on screen. More swearing than Scorsese's Goodfellas. But a powerful first film with amazing performances from Yang Ik-Joon and Kot Bi-Kim playing the school girl with attitude.

Sang Hoon is the protagonist of this film, he is deeply affected by his past due to his fathers domestic abuse which in turn lead to his mother and sisters death. The film, at first, has a dark comedy feel to it, mainly due to Sang Hoons constant cursing and random outbursts of violence. Sang Hoon literally beats people up to live, in more than one sense. Sang Hoon meets Yeon-Hue, a high schooler, when he spits on her uniform, Sang Hoon was surprised when Yeon-Hue called him back and stood up for herself, likely due to his experiences with domestic abuse.

Sang Hoon and Yeon-Hue spend more and more time with each other, as she gets to know Sang Hoon she grows to think of him as a father, her desire for a father figure likely comes from her own father being mentally ill and you guessed it, violent.

I really don't want write more about this wonderful film, I really encourage you to watch it for yourselves. If i could compare it to another film it would be American History X as the story lines are very similar, so much so that i got a little deja vu.

this is my first comment for any movie on IMDb... this movie touches deepest corner of your heart. it is not only brilliantly acted by all the cast , it is as well superbly directed. it takes violence as tool to show evil aftereffects of domestic violence . take my advice and just watch it alone you wont regret it. but first let me clear that this movie wont be digested by weak hearted people because it picks a very stubborn truth of society we live in . which is domestic violence. i bet you will seriously give a thought about it.

if you are ready to face the truth just go watch it.. this movie also sheds light on a subject which is ignored by most of us living in a family which is to give respect to others, although it does not directly strikes it but it indirectly touches it.

Ik-Joon Yang is the director, writer, and main actor in this movie. He produced this movie using his private money.

The home of Yeon-Hue, the main actress, is Ik-Joon's renting house. After recording all scene in the house, he moved out from his home because his money run out and he needed his deposit in the house.

He spent his every money to this movie, and fortunately this movie hits the 5rd best in the Korea indie movie history. Many Japanese also watched this movie in the theater.

I really appreciate his marble art; Breathless and King of the pigs

For more information, please refer to this wiki. https://mirror.enha.kr/wiki/%EB%98%A5%ED%8C%8C%EB%A6%AC This is written in Korean but Google translator might help you.

Having been to Korea on numerous occasions I went out of my way to ensure I saw this film at the 2009 Vancouver International Film Festival and I am very happy that I did.

As this is Yang Ik-Joon's first full-length picture here is a presentation that is shown in true raw passion and with emotion. I found the movie and it's engaging story-line to be very powerful. The audience and I laughed at the dark humour contained within then cried as the eventuality of the plot is brought to bear.

For those that can stomach the violence I highly recommend finding this film to view. The movie takes place in a world that most of us are simply not willing to face however the issues presented therein relating to abuse are very important and very relevant.

Every action has consequence and truly each of our lives glow so bright before we fade.

I hope that one day Breathless (Ddongpari) can be given a Region 1 DVD release so that I may purchase and watch again.

Out of the ten or so films I have seen so far at this years Sydney Film Festival this one effected me the most. I shed a few tears by the films end and was thinking about it for days afterward.

It's a heck of a debut from Yang Ik Joon who wrote, directed, produced and takes the lead role as well.

Joon plays a small time hood/debt collector who doesn't mess about with customers who owe money. No one is safe it seems from his fists or his foul mouth, not even his nephew. A chance meeting with a high school student results in an unlikely friendship. We learn more about both characters as the film builds momentum. Suffice to say that their main link is both being exposed to domestic violence.

Joon fleshes out the story and gives all characters a chance to shine. The acting is first rate as is the screenplay which apparently is autobiographical.

Anyone easily upset by violence or profanity would be well advised to give this one a miss.

I hope it finds an audience and gets a wide release. I certainly look forward to more films in the future from this exciting young director/writer/actor.

BREATHLESS, a 2008 film from South Korean detailing the misadventures of a small-time debt collector and the relationships he strives to pursue, is a hard-hitting slice of social drama that takes casual violence to whole new level. It's clearly a heartfelt project from Ik-Joon Yang, who wrote and directed as well as taking the starring role. Yang is excellent in all three capacities.

With a constantly profane script, a gritty level of realism throughout, and an entire lack of sentimentality, BREATHLESS is a thoroughly engaging piece of realist cinema. It has a cinema verite look about it, taking place on mean and run-down streets, and if some viewers find it depressing then that's because it strives to reflect real life rather than movie fantasy.

Violence - in the form of beatings and slappings - comes thick and fast and there's so much of it that the viewer soon becomes as desensitised as the central characters, so that the latest punishment almost becomes expected. Yet the quality characterisations and the intermingling of lots of different characters' lives is handled expertly so that this is never less than riveting. It's a strong film indeed, one that's tough to watch at times, but once which explores the depths of the human condition that most movies dare not tread.

Let me start by saying that this piece of art took me by surprise. I didn't feel that I was watching a movie, Instead the acting was so realistic that I felt I was part of it. Please watch this movie and feel the greatness of Asian Cinema. It is also a tearjerker!!!! This can be a very sad film as well. I doubt if I've ever watched this without a few tears in my eyes at certain points.

PS: I would like to recommend this to every movie buff who admire Asian Cinema.

"In this life, it's not what you hope for, it's not what you deserve -- it's what you take."

Thank you

Yang Ik-June does a spectacular job writing, directing and starring as Sang-hoon in "Breathless". The almost pessimistic approach of the film is more complimented by its original Korean title "Ddongpari", which literally means "Shitfly".The film is said to be semi-autobiographical with inspirations for the story coming from the abusive childhood of the director. He even had to sell his house for the completion of this film, which shows how important this film was for him. The portrayal of raw violence in the film is so authentic and shocking that even while showing glimmers of hope the viewers are left with a pessimistic outlook towards the film. Almost in every single scene, there is some kind of use of cursing. The obscene language along with the violent and bloody nature of the film makes it a film that won't be suitable for every kind of audience. Full review at http://www.asianfilmvault.com/2017/08/breathless-2008- by-yang-ik-june.html

7,6 ratings. Really? I read all the reviews and I wonder what I missed? It must be in the second half of the movie than because in the first half of the movie there was nothing to see besides unnecessary cursing, unnecessary cheap violence, pretty bad acting, and a story that is going nowhere and that is beyond boring. Since I have the honor to be the first one to write a bad review I wonder if I have no taste at all and all the others have good taste, or is it me that has good taste and all the other reviewers are just wrong. I will never know the answer and I honestly don't care. I watched seventy minutes of Breathless, had to fight not to fall asleep, and I couldn't bring myself up to suffer another hour. So I just gave up watching this and did something useful instead of further wasting my time with this movie.

Breathless is a bleak, relentless and emotionally raw movie from South Korea. An uncompromising look at the violent underbelly of a section of poverty ridden urban South Korea, Breathless is the directorial debut of lead man and scriptwriter Yang Ik-joon, and has rightly been bestowed with a healthy array of awards.

As the films pace allows layers to build and relationship dynamics to be understood and interwoven, nausea and discomfort evolves into empathy and worry, characters you are sure are irredeemable surprise you. The shaky documentary style photography adds to the grittiness and rawness.

Breathless is stark, dark and uncompromising. Well directed and with expertly judged emotional performances, this film has dared to expose the terrible unbreakable cycle of violence in an apparently progressive and evolved society. JM

Director joon yang i have no words to describe your work my deepest regards to you and your work

An emotional story about the repercussions of Domestic Abuse. Amazing. It is a masterpiece with precise details and shows his experience with life.

A MUST SEE FOR EVERY SINGLE HUMAN ON THIS EARTH.

Unfortunately some technical issues marred the supposedly powerful introduction where violence get unleashed by all characters on screen both physically and verbally. Clearly played from a DVD screener with the "Showbox" watermark, the audio was left silent for the good part of some verbal barrage, which to the prudish might seem like music to their ears.

If there's one thing I learnt / have reinforced after the movie, is how ubiquitous the Korean swear word which sounds phonetically like "shee-bal" can actually be. It's more versatile than the English language's F-word, and the Korean one can be used to describe a whole host of bodily parts both male and female, with colourful adjectives strung together as well. Either that, or the person subtitling the show has some really colourful imagination to tag some appropriate swear words of his/her own liking, in order to spice up the dialogue for non-Korean speaking audiences.

Breathless is almost like a one-man effort, with Yang Ik-June wearing a number of hats in producing, writing, directing and starring in the lead role of Song-hoon, a violent gangster who doesn't have to think twice when deciding to lay hands on his victims, and insulting them concurrently with his foul mouth. He's a debt collector in a small outfit which he co-founded, but finds more pleasure in being a field agent, bringing along underlings whom he can abuse as well, and show the ropes to, in teaching the essence of collecting money, and to show no mercy to those who cannot pay up.

Most of the violence happen off screen, though the aftermath is seldom shielded in order to elicit a response from the audience. It actually makes for a great 3D movie with objects flying all around and at the screen, from furniture, to fists, and even spit, and I enjoyed the many unintentionally comedic moments that Ik-June effortlessly paints into his narrative despite the very negative elements of violence and language that pepper throughout, and almost every character was left tainted by dishing out, or be at the receiving end of bad signs or an uncouth mouth.

I suppose the question here is, and the issue that Ik-June could have wanted to address, is that of violence, and domestic violence even, if a circumstances of a tragedy would lead to impressionistic youths turning to violence as a means of release and addressing their emotions. Or more directly, if being brought up in a violent environment would lead to the nurturing of violent tempers, given the lack of proper role models, and being unable to break out from the vicious circle as that painted in the film.

Breathless may seem a little too long as it had attempted to give each character equal opportunity to shine, from the schoolgirl that Song-hoon befriends, to his boss, a young boy whom he takes as his own, and his mother, coupled with a protégé in the making. It's quite the complete story serving as a cautionary tale and a statement of the never-ending cycle, but would have benefited from tightening up the pace a little and could have gone under 2 hours. That said however, it did result in enough apathy given toward the characters here, given the anti-heroic stance they're all under, and you'll buy into its story of redemption toward the last act, and the fortification of the positive relationships that Song-hoon had, through his own violent ways, brought together.

I haven't reviewed many titles but since it's 8 in the am and I'm watching it on silent (so not to wake my roommates) I figured I'd put my 2 cents in. Like I said, it's on silent and I'm only reading subtitles. Some of the scenes are so intriguing that sound seems unnecessary. I'm not really good at this but I can say that this movie sticks with you, probably for ever. This is why I say it's "up there with Old Boy". I watch, up to, 4 movies a day and sometimes I accidentally watch movies twice without realizing until the end, so when one sticks, it must be saying a lot for that film. The acting is impeccable, stylistically, it draws you in and as violent as it seems, it does hit a warm spot from time to time. Like I said, I'm no pro at film reviews but if you get what I'm trying to say, give this film a shot.

Breathless will probably garner comparisons to early Scorsese, considering the subject matter. It is not that good, but neither is it that derivative. If anything, it favorably reminded me of the later TV work of Alan Clarke. Despite the summary above, it is not about characters seeking redemption, but family and solace from a cycle of criminal abuse fueled by misplaced ancestral reverence. Without giving away the end, it is more about insight gained by sacrifice that plays upon cyclical reincarnation themes than a solitary quest towards forgiveness.

The multi-talented Yang Ik-Joon does a great job portraying a man so damaged that he expresses affection for a child by repeatedly shoving his head and calling him a bastard. Whether you find it disturbing or funny, the gradual manner in which the characters' darker and more intimate aspects are revealed is excellent.

Instead of credulous explication, back-story or flashbacks, the relationships emerge out of frankly rude and often violent interactions which also advance the plot. I might have had a few gripes about the cinematography, especially in relation to scenes of violence. I kind of expected a bit more from Yang Ik-Joon in this regard. But for a film by an actor as first-time director/writer/editor/star, this is incredibly good.

It is just a portrait of domestic violence , nothing more. Trying hard to appear dramatic , this film couldn't squeeze one single tear from my eye. Not only was the main character a completely asshole (altough the director was trying to convince us otherwise) the the story , by definition , was absent. Oh look the main characters a going on to buy some stuff ! Oh they are eating ! Oh now they are going home! Oh some short dialogue , involving as usually some insult. Oh look another scene of domestic violence. OH look they are going to drink. Oh look now they walk down the street! Oh look they cry! How interesting! Also the relationship of the main characters ,being the center of the story , was completely irrational. Some guy walking down the street and spitting on you then insulting you as slut all the time- I totally would like to befriend him! Definitely one of the most overrated films on IMDb.

9av10 This is a low budget film, if you canno't stand those this review is not for you.

As several reviewers and is abundantly clear by the movie itself this handles the cycle of violence and it's repetition. The crescendo comes near the end where how it's broken and how it's repeated is answered in a very clear way.

The acting is really good (there is plenty of chemistry), the only overacted moment ruins it a little but grew on me as it pursued it's point. The cinematography with the partial shaky cam and hand helds strengthen the movie a great deal. The violence could have been a little better coordinated to be fair but it is messy (which in real life it is) and the gore is on point - when you hit someone it doesn't make a loud noise, and the sound did a good job on not making a mockery out of this movie. It's closeenough to a social documentary that the line sometimes feel blurred (even though it is not), the absolute why (the particular action is made in a particular way) isn't always present but the reason and emotion behind it is.

Someone gave the tip of Once Were Warriors (1994), a movie i watched when it was freshly released, also a great movie (it's a New Zealand movie that handles much of the same subject but in a slightly different way).

So i'll leave you with this - how does a person turn evil in their actions and more importantly how do you break it - with more violence or with understanding and love. The socially inept and less intelligent might call those applying the latter of being sheep (in a clean class-theoretical sentiment they are right, strangely enough these are mostly ppl who usually argue for less democracy by privatising the more fair public domain - making them hypocrites). I would simply call it sharing your soul so someone else can grow theirs easier.

A powerful masterpiece not just in Korean Film Industry but in Cinema History. It's a shame that movies like this are not popular enough among the audience nowadays because everything revolves around the money. Just go and watch it with your family and it will teach you some of the harshest reality of life.

Good movie without any over buildup.. Realistic drama,raw dialogues, good screenplay, direction, story,writing...

Start to end made a sense...........................................................................................