Young-jin, the film's protagonist, is mentally unstable, the result of his arrest and torture by the Japanese police for leading pro-Korean protests. Gi-ho, the son of Sang-min, landlord of the farm where Young-jin’s family works, relentlessly pursues Young-jin’s younger sister, Young-hee. As time goes on, the behavior of both Sang-min and Gi-ho becomes increasingly oppressive. One day when the town is celebrating its harvest festival, Gi-ho attempts to rape Young-hee. I...more

Young-jin, the film's protagonist, is mentally unstable, the result of his arrest and torture by the Japanese police for leading pro-Korean protests. Gi-ho, the son of Sang-min, landlord of the farm where Young-jin’s family works, relentlessly pursues Young-jin’s younger sister, Young-hee. As time goes on, the behavior of both Sang-min and Gi-ho becomes increasingly oppressive. One day when the town is celebrating its harvest festival, Gi-ho attempts to rape Young-hee. In a brief moment of lucidity, Young-jin successfully defends his sister, but only to once again face imprisonment by the Japanese police. As the villagers watch him being taken away, hands bound, they sorrowfully begin to sing Arirang. ( This is a remake of the historic film originally made by NA Un-gyu in 1926, criticising the Japanese during their colonialist rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945. To avoid censorship, Na focussed on Korean collaborators rather than the Japanese oppressors. )less