Synopsis
Princess is Lone Wolf and Cub - or Gloria -like movie that strikes a blow of rage to the porn industry. With its smart mix of animation and actual pictures, Princess portrays a downward process in which a personal revenge that began from moral righteousness turns into a tragedy. A missionary priest August has a porn star sister, Christina, who was known as The Princess. When Christina dies of drug abuse and leaves behind her 5-year-old daughter Mia, August feels obligated to take care of his niece. Revisiting memories of Christina whom August has almost forgotten about over the years, he is troubled by his destitute childhood and the ‘original sin’ that he chose to commit in order to escape poverty. At the heart of the memory of the original sin lies Charlie who became a tycoon of the porn industry through ‘Princess’ franchising. Feeling that Charlie is responsible for Christina's death, August chooses to avenge his sister along with Mia. The most interesting fact about Princess is not the aesthetics of violence prevalent in the animated world or its superb drama, but issues of moral dilemma. The protagonist thrusts in a blade of revenge to the porn industry represented by Charlie, but the audience knows that August is the one who is actually responsible. This sense of vengeance which seems to be wrongfully directed may make Princess labeled as a politically incorrect and conservative movie irrevocably. However, thanks to the unexpected conclusion, Princess succeeds in reviving as a movie with a more accurate view and room of thinking. The explosion sequence that unfolds in the middle of the movie with ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien,’ which is also the theme music of Keiner Liebt Mich is unmissable for that special sentiment. (HUH Ji Woong)