Like a kind of crazy cinematic ghost train ride, WOMAN CHASING THE BUTTERFLY OF DEATH takes us on a journey deep into the darkness of one man’s fears and fantasies. That man is Young-gul, a lonely and rather morbid student in late 1970’s South Korea. Narrowly surviving a murder-suicide attempt by a woman wearing a butterfly pendant, he next finds himself besieged by a seemingly insane bookseller who claims he can never die. Even after Young-gul burns the man’s body his skeleton comes back to taunt him. As if that weren’t enough, the poor student then finds himself the victim of a beautiful thousand year old woman (she looks about 25) who says she is hungry and want to eat his liver….
The director, Kim Ki-young, was one of Korea’s most successful film makers. His 1960 production THE HOUSEMAID is now a recognized classic of world cinema. With this film he goes far beyond the bounds of the real and takes us into a world where anything seems possible, a world where a kind of dream logic rules. Almost impossible to summarize, the film is nevertheless insanely enjoyable. A real one of a kind production that opens our eyes to the limitless possibilities of cinema.
DISC FEATURES
Brand new 2K restoration from the original negative
Region free
Korean language track with newly translated optional English subs
Brand new audio commentary by Kenneth Brorsson and Paul Quinn of the What's Korean Cinema podcast
Brand new interview with actress Lee Hwa-si
Brand new interview with producer Jung Jin-woo
Brand new interview with cinematographer Koo Joong-mo
Brand new interview with Korean cinema expert Darcy Paquet on the career of Kim Ki-young
