Piagol (flm)

Piagol is a 1955 Korean Anti-Communist propaganda film directed by Lee Kang Cheon. This film was met with many criticisms for violating the Anti-Communist Act, and was banned from screenings due to its rather gruesome depictions of North Korean partisan armies. This film sent the message of a nation that was facing an existential crisis, and later becomes an allegory for North Korea. There is this psychological complexity to North Korea which was another reason why it was censored so quickly after its release. The film became a representation for anti-communist humanism and begins to question the temporal construction of humanity during the war time. Interestingly enough, as an anti-Communist film, it contains no portrayals of the South Korean military but only the North Korean army. This can serve to possibly be problematic when the other cannot share their side of the story. You would think that by showing the South Korean military it'd be easier to raise awareness on the positive aspects of being on the opposing side of the Communists, which would make a bigger statement as a propaganda film. As far as film content goes, the ideology it tries to illustrate not only focuses on anti-communism and how inhumane it has made everyone become, but also a matter of survival. The matter of survival seemed to be a rather vital theme in the film because nearly everyone in the movie was killed at the end. It is also interesting that the female figure Ae-Ran was the last one standing after she killed the military partisan leader Agari, who was portrayed as the most brutal villain in the film. She rebels against the communist cause and even discusses defection with Cheol-Su until they both are caught and Agari kills Cheol-Su. Ae-Ran is an important figure because while she was first extremely dedicated to the communist cause and the partisan life, she does a complete 180, and progresses her character even further by being honest about her feelings. How a female figure had such an important role and ended up being the only survivor is rather remarkable, especially since Korea was still wading on the shores of Confucian ideals in society. However, it only seems right that Ae-Ran is the last figure standing in the film, as she admits to Cheol-Su that "I am only human," reiterating the fact that despite the lifestyle she leads, she detests it, and refuses it to let it control her completely as an individual. This again brings in a type of propaganda feel to the movie as the deadly wipeout of the entire partisan military at the end of the film serves as almost a warning sign that seems to say, "If you join the Communist cause, death will be the result." By having Ae-Ran renounce her beliefs and support of communism, she ends up surviving. Rather than this being depicted as an act of betrayal to the North Korean army, this seems to speak the anti-Communist message that when once renounces communist beliefs, they can gain back their humanity.