The film opened in Japan on November 6, 2004. It was released on DVD in Japan on April 6, 2005 and South Korea on May 16, 2005. Madman Entertainment distributed it in Australia, while Tartan Video was originally slated to release it in North America. These plans, however, were cancelled due to the company's closure and Kino Entertainment instead took the rights. It was released on DVD in North America on November 11, 2008.[1]
The soundtrack was composed by veteran composer Taro Iwashiro and was later released on iTunes.[2]
The film was nominated for 12 Japanese Academy Awards and won four, including Best Actress, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Screenplay. It was Japan's official submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Plot
In 1923, the young Kim Shun-Pei moves from Cheju Island (South Korea), to Osaka (Japan). There, he lives in what is now the Ikuno Korea Town.[3] Through the years, he becomes a cruel, greedy and violent man and builds a factory of kamaboko (processed seafood products) in his poor Korean-Japanese community, where he exploits his employees. He makes a fortune, abuses and destroys the lives of his wife and family, has many mistresses and children and shows no respect to anyone. Later he closes the factory, lending out the money with high interest and becomes a loan shark. His hateful behavior remains unchanged to his last breath, alone in North Korea. The film is told from the perspective of Masao, his legitimate son by his abused and degraded wife, who knows nothing about his father other than to fear him.
