Partisan is a righteous fable exposing fascism, violence and hypocrisy of the world. Spotlighted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, this film is a debut movie of an Australian director Ariel Kleiman. It reveals the bare side of ranking, violence and capitalism through a story of an isolated community where only women and children are living. Moreover, it also shows the possibility of a better life and hope through a boy who realizes the value in morality. Gregory, the only man and an evil character who leads the community in the movie, is played by amazing Vincent Cassel.

Suzana, a mother with scars from the outside world and a boy named Alexander newly enters this community. Alexander becomes a star after brilliantly fulfilling his task. He also starts to find suspicious things about the community as he frequently visits the outside world. Then one day, Gregory locks up one of the boys in a chicken cage and this catches Alexander’s attention. Alexander finally finds out Gregory’s violent instinct and the dark side of the community, realizing the community he was living in is hell instead of heaven. He hides with his new born brother in the underground passage to the outer world.

A smart thriller structure connects the corrupt community and the outer world like the Mobius strip. The struggle of Alexander reflects the weak trying to stand against violence, which eventually becomes the nightmare. (LEE Sang-yong)