At first glance, “Breathless” (2008) appears to be a misogynistic film. But what is it that Yang Ik-Joon, the Korean writer, director and actor (playing the role of Kim Sang-Hoon), getting at here?

“Breathless” is not for the common movie viewer looking to be entertained. It is a film replete with the most difficult violence on the screen. Not because it is lethal and bloody – there is no gore in the film – but because it is real, not unlike Gary Oldman’s directorial debut “Nil By Mouth.” And if the words “cunt,” “bastard,” “asshole” and “bitch” violate your ears, don’t watch this film. These words are used – though not necessarily designating gender – in the same manner as the word “like” is used as an idiotic tick in every other sentence uttered by Southern Californian Valley girls.

The opening scene of “Breathless” begins with a guy beating a woman on the street, until Kim beats the daylight out of him and then slaps the woman for being weak and accepting such brutality. But Kim is not just a benevolent pummeller; he is also a brooding brute.

Kim leads a group of young men into a life of extortion, which is for the most part, the only way a poor Southern Korean male can make any decent money. But Kim is growing tired of his occupation, as he simply goes through the motions, while exacting his greatest violence on his aging and sorrowful father, who has been released from prison for stabbing Kim’s sister, Hyeon-seo (played by Seung-yeon Lee), and for inadvertently killing his mother when he was a young boy. The emotional complexity of the story emerges with Kim’s inability to understand how Hyeon-seo could get on with her life and forgive their father, while struggling with his own issues of becoming a man in a society where brutality seems to be a must.

“Breathless” begins to weave further intricacies when Kim is strolling down the street, deep in thought, and unintentionally or negligently spits on a teen-age school girl, Yeon-Hue (played by Kot-bi Kim). Yeon-Hue – who also suffers from humiliation and brutality at the hands of her struggling brother and mentally ill father and whose mother was beaten to death by a gang of extortionists – calls out to Kim to account for his “mistaken” impropriety. As Kim attempts to wipe his spit off Yeon-Hue’s school tie she slaps him, when he then knocks her out with a blow to the face. Waiting for Yeon-Hue to regain consciousness, Kim chastises her for laying her hands on him, when she then spits on him. This is the beginning of a sensitive and meaningful friendship that, in a twist of fate, binds both of their lives together forever.

“Breathless” is beautifully shot, courageously acted, intelligently written, and crafted with a depth that the politically correct will most likely not understand and the novice movie viewer will be bored with, due to the slow pace and profound story line. This film is for the sophisticated, who are not afraid to interact with a screen that depicts the harsh reality of the poor in South Korea, where money and might are respected, that is, until Kim’s sacrifice teaches himself differently and make’s everyone’s lives a little bit better.

Ik-Joon’s “Breathless” seems determined to expose Korean misogyny and submissively abused women heeding familial piety, while developing a story of sacrifice and true meaning: being good to and gently loving those who are in our lives. This is a five-star movie written in the genre of transgression. Keep an eye and ear out for multi-talented writer, director and actor Yang Ik-Joon.

Other notable actor: Man-shik Jeong, who plays the ringleader of Kim’s extortionist’s crew. He is also a gentle friend to Kim and his family.

“Breathless” is a 2-hour and 10-minute film and can be rented at your local video store or downloaded from Netflix.