稗牙谷  Piagol

Synopsis　　OneofthefewpartisanunitsleftinMt.JiriafterthesigningoftheArmistice,theunitledbyacaptainnicknamed"Agari"(meaning"mouth"inKorean)commitsallmannerofatrocities.Cheol-su(KimJin-kyu),whohasstartedtogrowdisillusionedwiththecommunistideology,istroubledbytheromanticfeelingsprofessedbyanideologicallydevoutandcool-headedfemalecomradenamedAe-ran(LeeYe-chun).Oneday,anotherfemalepartisansoldiernamedSo-ju,whohadbeentransferredtoanotherunit,findsherwaybacktoPiagolwithabulletwoundinhershoulder.Man-su(HeoJang-kang)rapestheinjuredSo-ju,whodiesunderhisassault.Inordertocoveruphiscrime,hemurdershisfellowsoldiers,framesDal-sufortherape,andkillshim.OncetheexterminationofguerillasinMt.Jiribegins,allthepartisansoldiersfaceimminentdeath.Disgustedbypartisanlife,Ae-ranandCheol-sudiscussdefection,butarediscoveredintheactbyAgari.Cheol-suandAgarigetintoafight,andCheol-suiskilled.Intheend,Ae-rankillsAgarianddescendsthemountainalone.　　Notes　　"ThefirstmovietobebannedforviolatingtheAnti-CommunistAct,duetoitshumaneportrayalofNorthKoreanpartisansoldiers."　　Piagol,whichservedasthecinematicmodelforanti-communisthumanism,depictseachofitscharacters,eitherinmainorsupportingroles,withvitaldetail.WhatmakesPiagolatonceuniqueandproblematicasananti-communistfilmisthefactthatnoSouthKoreansoldierorpoliceofficerevermakesanappearance;itonlyfeaturesNorthKoreanpartisansoldiers.Unliketheguerillafightersinnewspapersanddocumentaryfilms,whowereportrayedasanonymousvillainsandcold-bloodedkillers,Piagolendowedpartisansoldierswithdistinctivepersonalities,andeachuniquecharacterencountershumanconflictscausedbyhisorherdesires.ThemediaandthegovernmentbannedthefilmfrombeingscreenedonthechargeofviolatingtheAnti-CommunistAct,censuringitsexcessively"realistic"andhumandepictionofNorthKoreansoldiers.(CriticLeeYoung-il,authorofTheHistoryofKoreanCinema[Hangukyeonghwajeonsa],citedthisveryfactashisbasisfordubbingthisfilmasanexampleofrealisticanti-communisthumanismandpraisingitsartisticachievement.)Becausetheaudienceatthetimeheldonlyvagueideasaboutthedifferencebetweendramaticfilmsanddocumentaryfilmsi.e.betweenfictionandfactandbecauseanti-communismwasdeemedmorethanasimpleideologybutamatterofsurvival,Piagol'srealisticdepictionsmightwellhavebeenconsideredthreatening.　　Indeed,oneofthemostprominentcharactersinthefilm,partisanleaderAgari(LeeYe-chun),isagoodcaseinpoint.Althoughheisportrayedasabrutalvillainthroughout,anightmaresequenceconveyedthroughanintricatemontagesequenceendowshimwithinternalconflictandfeelingsofguiltregardinghisowncrueltyandviolence.Further,theexpressionofhisobsessivedevotiontoideology,whichheisunabletoabandonevenattheend,elicitsameasureofsympathyfromtheaudience.Mostofall,thecharacterofAe-ran(NoKyeong-hee),acapableanddecisivefemaleleaderwhoshowsrigorousdedicationtothecommunistcauseuntilthelatterhalfofthemovie,isrepresentedinaconsiderablyattractivelight.Honestaboutherfeelingsanddesires,andmorecapablethananyoneelse,Ae-ranexemplifiestheimageofanactivewomanevenfromourcontemporaryperspective.　　Afterword:　　-Piagol'sinitialscreeninglicensewasrevokedbecauseofananti-communistcontroversy,butthefilmreceivedpermissiontore-screenthereafter.　　-AsshootingtookplaceinMt.JirisoonaftertheArmisticewassigned,whenremnantsofpartisanbandswerestillhidingoutonthemountain,thestaffandcasttestifiedtohavingactuallyfeltasenseofdangerduringfilming.