• 1.0 viewing Dec 2018
  • There are three brilliant scenes in the 148 minute film— leaving the theater I thought it was a recommend but those scenes are lingering with me which leads me to believe it could be higher
  • One of the scenes is the long tracking shot opening as we follow Ah-in Yoo’s character down the street
  • The second transcendent scene/moment, is the long take that floats during her jazz striptease. I’d like to look at my watch when I see it on Blu-ray to see if I’m right- but it feels like it happens about half way through the film which would be a nice touch formally. – that entire scene is great—the Miles Davis—that entire longer scene (not just the epic shot of her dancing) was shot entirely during a beautiful magic hour– one of the scenes of the year
  • Based on a South Korean book, but also on Faulkner which is mentioned in the text—as is Gatsby and that’s hard to turn off… adds to the film
  • The three characters are confidently built and so well developed. Ah-in Yoo is stuck, Steven Yeun is the perfect mysterious Gatsby and Jong-seo Jun is both haunted and hypnotic- cries- tortured
  • There’s a lot going on here in the narrative- we have memory as a subject coming up again and again- Ah-in Yoo’s character doesn’t remember her, prank calls, she’s had plastic surgery, she gives the great speech about pantomiming and then she disappearing like a “puff of smoke”
  • Lots of the film is Ah-in Yoo following Yeun’s character- much like Vertigo
  • Very dense and novelist
  • Love the greenhouse burning—there’s a shot of an art gallery in the film where it’s in the background as well
  • Is this the story of a suicidal girl (Jong-seo Jun), the mind of a schizophrenic monster (Ah-in Yoo)? An abductor (Yeun)
  • The third and final transcendent stylistic scene is the final killing- wow

2.0 viewing January 2019

  • the score by Mowg is probably the score of the year in 2018
  • there are reoccurring scenes which lines up so well formally- twice, one of Steven Yeun’s girlfriends (guests at the party) tells a story, shows naivite. First Jong-seo June does it about the bushman and the great hunger and then the next girl (after her disappearance) does it about the Chinese. Ah-in Yoo makes eye contact with Yeun who is yawning. Then he smirks.
  • amazing subtext talking about the burning as a potential code for taking women
  • scenes are purposefully contradictory. Does Jong-seo Jun’s character fall in the well? Yoo’s mom remembers it. Her family says she’s lying. Twice, again Ah-In Yoo doesn’t remember a story from her past- doesn’t recognize her.
  • every nuance is important (or potentially) Trump and immigration on the news, Unemployment rate
  • prank calls, often Chang-dong Lee cuts to Ah-in Yoo waking up- was what just happened before a dream? Does this happen- just before the epic finale are are watching him typing. Is he finally writing? Does the finale happen?
  • a Must-See film I believe