Birdcage Inn

Birdcage Inn

Poster for "Birdcage Inn"
Hangul 파란 대문
Revised Romanization Paran daemun
McCune–Reischauer P‘aran taemun
Directed by Kim Ki-duk
Produced by Lee Seung-jae
Written by Kim Ki-duk
Seo Jeong-min
Starring Lee Ji-eun
Lee Hae-eun
Ahn Jae-mo
Music by Lee Moon-hui
Cinematography Seo Jeong-min
Edited by Ko Im-pyo
Distributed by Boogui Cinema
Release dates
  • October 31, 1998 (1998-10-31)
Running time
 100 minutes
Language Korean

Birdcage Inn (Hangul:  파란 대문; RR: Paran daemun; lit. "Blue Gate") is South Korean director Kim Ki-duk's third film, released in 1998. The drama stars Lee Ji-eun, Lee Hae-eun and Ahn Jae-mo. It was released domestically in October 1998, and screened at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 1999.

Plot

A prostitute works at a small seaside motel called the Birdcage Inn. Jin-a (Lee Ji-eun), a 22-year-old prostitute, comes to the inn to replace the previous prostitute. The inn is run by a couple who have a daughter and a son. They provide Jin-a with a room and meals and make a living by taking a portion of the money Jin-a earns. Jin-a works at night and spends her daytime drawing and watching the sea.

Not only the circumstances of Jin-a but also the family gives her a hard time. The silent father who apparently gives good caring for his family and has good reputations among the neighbors rapes Jin-a. The mother only sees Jin-a as a source of money for making a living and educating her college student daughter and high school student son. The son, Hyun-woo (Ahn Jae-mo) begs to take naked pictures of Jin-a to run for a contest and have sex with her. At first, Jin-a turns him down. But after Hyun-woo's long imploration, Jin-a poses for him on the deck of a ship by the seaside and has sex with him. Afterwards he taps Jin-a's room by using his walkman to overhear Jin-a and her guests.

The daughter, Hye-mi (Lee Hye-eun) who is the same age as Jin-a and sexually repressed doesn't hide her contempt towards Jin-a. She expresses her hostility by refusing to use the same toothpaste and hand basin with Jin-a and ignores Jin-a's friendly gestures like sharing an umbrella and buying her a walkman which she's been dying to have. She emphasizes to Jin-a that she herself and Jin-a belong to the different world. And she's been rejecting sex with her boyfriend before they get married. The relationship between the two even gets worse when Hye-mi finds out that her sexually frustrated boyfriend has gone to Jin-a and has had sex with her.

One day, rummaging through Jin-a's room and personal possessions, Hye-mi develops sympathy towards Jin-a as the same age girl. That night Hye-mi lies on bed and taps Jin-a's room and eavesdrops on Jin-a and her guest.

Meanwhile, a publisher having seen Hyun-woo's photos of Jin-a comes to him and deceivingly gets the film at a low price. After seeing Jin-a's nude on the magazine, Jin-a's former pimp who's been exploiting her money comes to her again for money, supposing that she's been paid a lot for that and beats Jin-a when she denies it. Hye-mi tries to protect her from him and he leaves them saying he'll come again for the money. That night Jin-a makes an attempt to kill herself by cutting her arm and is found by Hye-mi who has had a nightmare about Jin-a.

Jin-a and Hye-mi sit together leaning towards each other and reconcile. That night, a guest comes into the inn and Hye-mi spends the night with him instead of sick Jin-a and loses her virginity.

Cast

Reception

Though Birdcage Inn was not successful in the director's native country, South Korea, it was his first film which succeeded in attracting international attention. The film won the director, art award in Noosa Film Festival of Australia and was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival as an opening film in the Panorama section in February, 1999.

References

    External links

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