Chang-dong Lee. Chang-dong Lee will soar up this list in future updates when we have some more distance from 2018’s Burning—a film I have seen twice now and not only got stronger with that second viewing but grows stronger each day removed from that viewing. But there’s certainly enough in Peppermint Candy and Secret Sunshine to warrant this spot on the list. His work his remarkably consistent (and outstanding) both thematically and visually. Like other modern masters PT Anderson and a rare few others—Chang-dong Lee doesn’t miss either. His debut was Green Fish in 1997 and every film since then is in the archives (6 for 6 to date including Burning in 2018).
Best film: Burning
- There are three brilliant scenes
- 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 Japanese short story, 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 oner- wow
- 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 naiveté. 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?
total archiveable films: 6
top 100 films: 0
top 500 films: 0
top 100 films of the decade: 1 (Burning)
most overrated: Oasis is Chang-dong Lee’s top-rated film on TSPDT (that’ll be overtaken by Burning at some point) and although it’s a fine film- I think Peppermint Candy is far superior and the TSPDT ranking for Oasis (#1128) is too high.
- It’s a step back after 1999’s Peppermint Candy from Chang-dong Lee but that’s no insult- it’s just a film that’s in the archives because of the uniquely (and powerfully) told love story and strong performances
- It is not on the level of 1990’s Cuaron but Chang-dong Lee clearly prefers the color green, the green phone booth, the bars at jail, the railings on the roof—I’d love more- gorgeous- Kieslowski’s color trilogy clearly an influence with believable color-infused production design—there’s even a hue to the lighting used
- It’s 10 years before but the love story reminds me of Haneke’s Amour – though it starts off maybe close to the sadistic work of von Trier
- Like all of Chang-dong Lee’s work we have a lost protagonist
- So-Ri Moon’s dedication here should be applauded- like DDL in My Left Work making a character with cerebral palsy work so well- a very good performance
- Two outcasts victims of their society and family- the title coming as their love is a refuge– the picture on the wall as well
- Part Dardenne realism but we have moments of magical realism that would never be found in the brothers’ work—the scene of the Indian woman and elephant, the hummingbird, the moments of So-Ri Moon’s character singing and talking/walking
- Recommend but not in the top 10 of 2002
most underrated : Peppermint Candy sits at #1957 on TSPDT—ugh. Vastly underrated.
- An achievement of film form
- Chang-dong Lee sets the narrative like Citizen Kane meets Memento (this is only description here as this is 1 year prior to Memento)—the “peppermint candy” is the “Rosebud” if you will – lost innocence told in flashback, but structured in a reverse chronological order like Memento. The interludes are even stronger than Memento– Chang-dong Lee simply cuts to the same reoccurring shot of train tracks—gorgeous work
- It’s a political film, an anti-war film, a sort of “making of a monster” but here it’s his suicide—spans 20 years, the peppermint candy (a little on the nose) is a bit like the butterflies in All Quiet on the Western Front as well- symbolic-
- Timeline titles and opens on the train tunnel
- Bookends with the gathering of friends (haunting coda as it’s the victim)
- Disillusionment after war/military—it breaks him
- A freeze frame in the bookends as well- first as the train comes at him, then on his face at the end of the film
- A mystery with the first viewing—“what drove this man to suicide?”
- The reoccurring train motif is very inspired—it’s fabulous film form- not just in the great interludes (think Breaking the Wave’s establishing shots) but in the forward moving narrative flashbacks
- It’s not as heavy as 1997’s debut Green Fish but Chang-dong Lee loves his use of green—the apron at the barbers, the signs just sitting there in the parking lot, glasses and bottles like Ozu
- A great tracking shot moving in on a barred window with the naked lovers inside at 75 minutes—Chang-dong Lee doesn’t put style in every shot, but a spot here and there (think middle and end of Burning) to great effect
- A tragic love story like the other works I’ve seen
- A great long-take apprehending a criminal as a cop—we’re on the train tracks (yet again) and green forest
- Kyung-gu Sol is the protagonist- lost, complex (which sometimes looks a little like inconsistency but we’re in good hands with Chang-dong Lee)
- Like Burning and Green Fish there are short scenes with bursts of great violence – he flips out at a café—starts (as a civilian now) barking military orders—long take- shot behind his head for part of it- clearly PTSD
- Kyung-gu Sol is a tough hang during that first hour when you’re solving the riddle- mean to kids and dogs
- Like Burning we have the larger social context here- student protest on TV
- Great shot from inside the café– Chang-dong Lee frames the open doors—during this scene he’s teaching a girl how to ride a bike
- Everyone asks why he became a cop—“you always wanted to be a photographer”- army is coming into view—he’s changed and hardened—disillusioned and corrupted- it’s tragic
- We get the reveal of the limp (which is the entire film), the horrific climax at the railroad
- The epilogue is Eden, heaven, the peppermint candy origin—freeze frame ending on face with train noise accentuated like Pacino in The Godfather hinting at the nightmare coming
- Must-See
gem I want to spotlight : Secret Sunshine
- Thematically it’s in line with the rest Chang-don Lee’s oeuvre- it’s dark- life being sucked out of its protagonist
- Best actress win at Cannes for Do-yeon Jeon and she is good- a very emotional performances- multiple scenes of raw emotional outpouring
- Kang-ho Song is great as her shadow—he’s funny here
- Yellows galore and that’s where the strength of the film lies- in the believable-world color-specific mise-en-scene like Kieslowski. Chang-dong Lee forgets his usual penchant for green (though that color comes in second here) for yellow—the spot of bleached hair on Do-yeon Jeon’s child, the boots, the pillow, coffee mug, SpongeBob stuffed animal, taxi, chair in pharmacy, the yellow-letter dividers at the cd store
stylistic innovations/traits:
- Dedication to a consistent color in the production design and mise-en-scene—debut- Green titles, green train, green seats on train— he’s wearing green camouflage—ribbon in her hair late— seems influenced by Zhang Yimou’s Raise the Red Lantern or Kieslowski’s color trilogy or both—Secret Sunshine it’s yellow, back to green for Poetry
- Peppermint Candy is a major achievement in film form—reoccurring imagery of the train just like the wake from the boat in PTA’s The Master, Burning has a great long-taken finale
- Novelistic, dense, preoccupation with success, tragic love stories, political backdrop (protests, forced service, unemployment, failures) weighing down on characters
- A thoughtful and dedicated use of color beyond just the objects— there’s a color tinting in the lighting in much of the film
- character in an existential crisis- lost—military service, death of loved ones, unemployment
- A love triangle again like Burning – rich and evil vs our main lost protagonist here – we even have the girl with the haunted past
- Violent outburst finale in both Green Fish (debut) and Burning—those two films have a ton in common actually
- Suicide poetry- suicide on a bridge. Here Chang-dong Lee distorts the water to his trademark green to open and then it slowly turns to a more normal river/water color—great opening
- harsh reality, serious films
top 10
- Burning
- Peppermint Candy
- Secret Sunshine
- Poetry
- Oasis
- Green Fish
By year and grades
| 1997- Green Fish | R |
| 1999- Peppermint Candy | MS |
| 2002- Oasis | R |
| 2007- Secret Sunshine | R/HR |
| 2010- Poetry | R |
| 2018- Burning | MP |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
Promising reviews from Venice regarding Lee Chang-dong’s new movie
Looks like he is back again after 8 years.
https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/4/5/lee-chang-dong-will-soon-decide-what-his-next-film-will-be-ap6n3
@Anderson- I saw this- very exciting- sounds a ways off still- but this is good
Study Summary:
Chang-dong Lee first entered my radar following my 1st viewing of Burning (2018) and as I talked about in the Thoughts Section above, it was a revelatory experience
I actually have wanted to do a Lee Chang-dong study for a while but had trouble locating most of his films until a recent release on Blu-ray that includes 4 of his 6 films including all the ones I could not previously find
I have not come across any other director who is quite like Lee Chang-dong. Although it is his weakest film, I thought Roger Ebert gives a spot on description of Chang-dong in his review for Oasis (2002)
“There’s something stunning and even inspiring in its indifference to popular taste. “Oasis” depends on scenes that could not be contemplated within the Western commercial cinema; it is unconventional to the point of aggression.”
This is a phenomenon summation of pretty much all of Chang-dong’s work. He explores the lives of people who otherwise are barley ever represented in Cinema. I cannot imagine someone pitching the idea for “Poetry” or “Oasis” to a Hollywood Studio
Unlike his fellow filmmaking countrymen, Park Chan-wook and Boon Joon-ho, Lee Chang-dong does not mix in humor with the drama, or if he does its much less frequent and overt. His work is really serious and emotionally intense. He seems completely indifferent to placating viewers. If anything his films tend to ask more questions than they answer
Given his writing background it should come as no surprise that Chang-dong excels in creating complex characters. They often are placed in tragic situations and often are unable to overcome their struggles. Many of the characters in his films are not particularly likable and the lack of sentimentalism it is actually quite refreshing. But likable or not we become invested into their lives. His work is utterly absorbing and much of this has to do with the pacing. All of his films move at a relaxed and steady pace. His average film length is 2 hours and 13 minutes with Burning as his longest film clock in at 2 hours 28 minutes
Chang-dong is a late starter as his first film was made when he was 43 years old. He was a High School teacher who wrote short stories and novellas behind directing his first film
For the Study I watched all 6 of his feature films and all are worth seeking out. Oasis (2002) is the weakest in my opinion as it is fairly muted in terms of the cinematic qualities though the acting and writing is superb. In fact, the acting and writing is tremendous in all of his films
Secret Sunshine (2007), Poetry (2010) and Green Fish (1997) are all close and practically interchangeable in regard to ranking his films
Burning and Peppermint Candy are clearly his two strongest films for me with Burning as his single best film. In fact, Burning is one of the top 10 films of the decade for me and might even make my top 100 the next time I update the list (I am actually working on expanding it to a top 200 list). I won’t go into much detail here as I wrote an especially long review for Burning (2018) above that captures why I am so impressed by it. Peppermint Candy (1999) is his more inventive work with the reverse chronological narrative structure. It is a brilliant character study with a consistent color palette and great use of motif
I am not sure if he plans on directing another film, but it would be quite difficult to top Burning (2018). Regardless he has made his mark even with just 6 films
Final Ranking and Grades:
# 1 Burning (2018) – MP
# 2 Peppermint Candy (1999) – MP/MS
# 3 Secret Sunshine (2007) – HR
# 4 Poetry (2010) – HR
# 5 Green Fish (1997) – HR
# 6 Oasis (2002) – R
Burning (2018)
Notes:
Yoo Ah-in as Lee Jong-su
Steven Yeun as Ben
Jeon Jong-seo as Shin Hae-mi
Starts with tracking shot of Jong-su who is a young man recently completed military service
2:13 attractive young girls dancing in street and giving away items as promotion
4:09 one of the girls is named Hae-mi and she recognizes Jong-su from childhood
6:44 cut to shot of Jong-su and Hae-mi drinking at restaurant/bar with Hae-mi showing off pantomime
8:45 little hunger vs great hunger
11:52 literal walking uphill as Hae-mi brings Jong-su to her apartment to show him to feed the cat
12:32 ariel view out window
15:31 sexual encounter starts to play out
16:12 camera tilt with shaky camera movements throughout the sequence
20:52 montage of photos of Jong-su’s father
30:58 symmetrical shot inside court room with Jong-su’s stubborn father facing assault charges
37:13 Jong-su picks up Hae-mi at airport but discovers she is with another guy named Ben
38:28 blue tint with hint of orange in background of the frame
40:40 “I wanted to vanish into that sunset” Hae-mi says as she is crying about a sunset she witnessed while she was in Africa
42:27 William Faulkner reference
43:57 triangle composition with Hae-mi literally in between Ben and Jong-su and goes off with Ben who drives a Porsche while Jong-su a beat-up truck
44:52 Ben drives off in his Porsche with Hae-mi in the lit-up city street, while a stunned Jong-su is quietly devastated. The film then cuts to a shot of Jong-su driving down a dark country street
45:50 Jong-su goes home to dark and empty house
49:30 Jong-su meets Hae-mi at restaurant and is dismayed (again) to realize Ben is with her
55:35 slow pan to the right, Chang-dong does this frequently throughout his filmography
55:01 items from women in Ben’s bathroom is a box
58:50 pan from Jong-su to shot of Ben with a slight grin on his face that Jong-su notices
1:01:24 flashing neon lights in night club
1:04:16 another triangle composition with Hae-mi in the center
1:06:08 the three of them watch a sunset in the foreground with back of their heads facing camera
1:08:54 standout image of silhouette Hae-mi taking off her shirt and performing a dance during magic hour, all this set to Miles Davis
1:14:36 Ben talks about burning greenhouses
1:20:50 again Jong-su watches Hae-mi drive off with Ben
1:21:25 silhouette image of young boy resembling Jong-su and assumed to be Jong-su as a child, standing in front of a fire
1:23:40 camera panning past candidates for a job interview, Jong-su
1:27:08 Hae-mi calls but it is just static
1:29:31 dark blue sky as Jong-su runs around looking panicked
1:34:26 Jong-su starts going to all of the places he associates with Hae-mi attempting to locate her
1:37:37 Jong-su following Ben’s Porsche
1:41:40 Jong-su “runs into” Ben at a café to see him with another young attractive girl like Hae-mi
1:44:44 Jong-su talks to Hae-mi family and learns of her mounting credit card debt and penchant for making up stories as they do not remember the well story
1:47:22 driving POV as Jong-su continues surveillance on Ben
1:50:36 Expressive orange exhibit at Museum
1:51:04 amazing composition with split frame and multiple depths of field as Jong-su continues surveillance of Ben who is with his family
1:57:57 Jong-su mother returns to his life to ask for money
2:03:48 “to me the world is a mystery”
2:09:24 Ben’s latest girlfriend telling a silly story, with Ben in background of the frame yawning
2:10:16 Jong-su leaves Ben’s place
2:15:20 frame in frames followed by slow zoom out from Jong-su typing on computer before a cut to Ben in his bathroom putting on contact lenses and taking out the box containing accessories that girls use such as makeup and hairbrushes
2:17:45 low angle shot of sunsetting and zoom out showing Ben out in the country
2:19:07 Jong-su stabs Ben and then prevents him from leaving and after a struggle Ben ends up holding onto Jong-su in a comforting way as he is dying
2:21:55 Jong-su pours lighter fluid on the Porsche and sets it ablaze before driving off in his Van after stripping off all his clothes
2:24:25 orange flames visible in background with a strong blue tint over the rest of the frame as Jong-su drives off and the film ends
Thoughts:
I can count on two and maybe even only one hand the list of films that were more singularly riveting to me than Burning (2018). After my first watch I probably did not go a day without thinking about this film for an entire month and I do not say that as an exaggeration; I could not get it out of my head. Even for films I love this rarely happens. This film is haunting for several reasons including but not limited to the incredible acting performances, the lack of resolution, the chilling sequence when Ben talks about burning greenhouses every other month, and of course the brutal ending
I watch a lot of true crime; missing persons cases are particularly visceral and haunting in a unique way. The film captures Jong-su panic when he cannot locate Hae-mi
The writing is incredible, “great hunger” vs “little hunger” as well as all the literary references such as The Great Gatsby and William Faulkner
The Hae-mi dance at magic hour followed by the “greenhouse” conversation between Ben and Jong-su is exactly halfway through the film with the 2nd half focuses on Jong-su taking on the Jimmy Stewart role in Vertigo by revisiting all the places from the film’s first half that Jong-su associates with Hae-mi
There are brilliant uses of orange and blue. In particular orange during the childhood dream sequence and the expressive use of orange in the museum painting. In the second half Chang-dong uses dark blues in the scenes where Jong-su is jogging and desperately looking for Hae-mi. I think the color accentuates his loneliness; it is similar to the shade of blue that Michael Mann uses in Heat (1995) to show the loneliness of De Niro’s character. The final sequence when Jong-su drives off there is a strong blue tint with a faint orange in the background as he drives away from the burning Porsche. And of course, the magic hour sequence set to Miles Davis is blue and orange as is the film’s cover
Triangle compositions reflecting the love triangle taking place. Hae-mi is shot in between Jong-su and Ben is almost all their scenes. Speaking of which, this is not really your typical love triangle. It may be on the surface but there are many key differences
# 1 While Jong-su views Ben as a romantic rival and is certainly envious of his lifestyle, he is also fascinated by Ben
# 2 Ben is fascinated by Jong-su and while you could argue that Ben subtlety acts smug toward Jong-su, I found it interesting that Ben is reading a William Faulkner book. He does seem to have some level of respect for Jong-su that he did not for Hae-mi who he seems to keep around for his own amusement; something that Jong-su recognizes that Hae-mi does not
# 3 Jong-su becomes increasingly resentful of Ben and assumes that Hae-mi is interested in him over Jong-su because of his wealth, social standing, etc. However, it does not seem to me that Hae-mi is in love with Ben even though she is likely sleeping with him. The scene where Jong-su picks up Hae-mi at the airport is when he is introduced to Ben. They go out for food and afterward Hae-mi is shown standing between Jong-su and Ben and asks who will drive her home. She looks over at Jong-su but he tells her to go with Ben. Jong-su lack of confidence and assertiveness is just as much as why Hae-mi starts seeing Ben as the fact that Ben is wealthy. Instead of being assertive, Jong-su essentially just accepts that Hae-mi is with Ben now even though I think Hae-mi still wants Jong-su to pursue her. At least this is what seems to be on the exterior but really this just adds to his suppressed anger which continues to build throughout the film. Multiple scenes end with Jong-su watching Ben’s Porsche drive away with Hae-mi and later in the film Ben’s next girlfriend
The sex scene with Jong-su and Hae-mi that starts around the 16 min mark is one of the best shot sex sequences I have seen in almost any film. The shaky camera work and the way the camera lingers on the nervous face of Jong-su suggests this may be his first time or at the very least that he is relatively inexperienced
The score is excellent, capturing the increasingly haunting atmosphere and mood, especially in the 2nd half as Jong-su suspicion grows. The aforementioned Miles Davis during the dance sequence is incredible as well
In my experience, the most emotionally devastating and shocking violence occurs in films with little violence coming before it. The relationship between the character committing the violent act and the character on the receiving end of that violence is also relevant. In viciously stabbing Ben to death with a knife, Jong-su is venting all the pent-up anger and frustration that has built inside his character for years. The murder committed by the way of a knife hits especially hard as you feel the suppressed rage exploding from Jong-su. It is not a coincidence that he burns Ben’s Porsche, perhaps he would do this even if Ben showed by in a broken-down car like the van Jong-su drives but the Porsche is significant as it is one of many things that confirms Ben’s high social standing
I will not go into all the various fan theories because that is deserving of an entire article in and of itself. But I will say that I do think there are multiple scenarios that can be reasonably argued given the evidence including what I consider to be the most likely of these which is that Ben is a serial killer and the “greenhouses” he burns down are actually young women like “Hae-mi” who are emotionally needy and not too bright. Serial killers often take items they call “trophies” from their victims which would explain the box Jong-su finds in Ben’s bathroom which the 2nd time he checks has the watch Hae-mi wore which was not there when Jong-su checks earlier in the film as Hae-mi was still around then. But there are other credible theories such as Hae-mi running off due to accumulating large amounts of credit card debt to possibly even taking her own life as she may have foreshadowed in an earlier conversation when she talks about wanting to disappear like the sunset. There is even the possibility that Jong-su is an unreliable narrator and elements of what you the viewer are watching is him writing the novel he references throughout the film
There are various other theories, some far more credible than others but what is actually true or not is difficult to determine and possibly even the point. This type of open to interpretation ending places Burning (2018) into an elite category of films including Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), The Shining (1980), American Psycho (2000), amongst others that have various theories
Verdict: MP
@James Trapp- congrats on the study- really well done. Love this “I can count on two and maybe even only one hand the list of films that were more singularly riveting to me than Burning (2018).”
@Drake – thank you, it was a fascinating study. Have you studied any other South Korean filmmakers outside the Big 3 of Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, and Lee Chang-dong? Kim Ki-duk and Kim Jee-woon are two names I have noticed on lists of best South Korean filmmakers
@James Trapp-I have noticed recently there is another respected Korean filmmaker called Sang-soo Hong. Born in 1960. TSPDT have him in their top 250 directors.
@Malith – Thank you. Have you seen any of his work? The article I read compared him to Eric Rohmer. I have heard of Rohmer but not seen any of his work yet
@James Trapp-Not yet.
Poetry (2010)
Notes:
Starts with a shot of river with mountain range in background, camera slowly panning to the right showing a group of young boys playing near riverbank
2:35 body of floating girl in background of frame slowly moves into foreground
3:45 establishing ariel shot of city
4:55 Yoon Jeong-hee as Yang Mi-ja
7:26 shaky camera as Mi-ja walks out of hospital after being told she needs for tests
9:28 camera pans to the right as characters are heard off screen that suggest a sexual encounter is taking place, however it is actually Mi-ja taking care of an elderly man which she does as a job
11:38 Mi-ja is given cash from the elderly man to which she seems surprised and quite pleased
13:53 green bus and green plants
14:28 Mi-ja observes a sign for poetry class
15:02 Mi-ja returns home to see her 16 years old grandson named Jong-wook lying in his bed
17:30 badminton in the streets
20:37 Mi-ja joins the poetry class with over the shoulder shot from professor who is holding an apple
24:24 close up on apple cuts to shot of Mi-ja contemplating followed by her offering apples to Jong-wook’s friends who have gathered in his room and locked the door
32:00 Mi-ja goes to a local restaurant where a group of 5 men are gathered as it is revealed that the deceased girl from the opening shot in the river was sexually assaulted by a group of 6 male students including Mi-ja’s grandson. The five men present are the fathers of the other 5 boys involved
34:38 the group toasts a drink while discussing the situation and demonstrating an aloof attitude and treating the situation like a minor issue
36:25 nice use of composition as Mi-ja is now in the background of the frame and visible due to the glass window of the restaurant but she is now physically outside while they are still inside the restaurant
37:06 red/pink flowers in the frame
41:21 the group of 5 fathers talk about making a settlement as the family of the deceased girl is poor
42:20 image of Mi-ja via glass window reflection as she attends the small Church Service for the girl
44:28 isolated in frame; leaves service after receiving uncomfortable looks from family of deceased girl
51:44 Mi-ja finally confronts her grandson who just lies in bed indicating that he either feels intense guilt or the exact opposite
57:32 Mi-ja walking around making observations in notebook
1:09:25 Mi-ja is disgusted by the elderly man who makes a pass at her leading her to quit
1:22:08 countryside in background of the frame, all of his films seem to have this shot
1:23:19 camera lingers on hat in the water in overhead shot
1:24:26 Tarkovsky like sequence, no dialogue and long takes during rainfall
1:29:50 Mi-ja returns to the elderly man and has sex with him in an emotionless fashion
1:37:37 long shot of Mi-ja walking onto field to meet the mother of Agnes, the girl who committed suicide, because she was sexually assaulted by 6 boys
1:40:30 Mi-ja talks about the beauty of flowers and nature with Agne mother out in a field and cannot bring herself to ask about the settlement
1:47:48 celebration of the poetry class
1:51:52 Mi-ja cries outside after the meal with the class
1:54:25 rare close up on face of Mi-ja as her grandson continues to act indifferent about the assault
1:57:07 Mi-ja confronted by a father for not contributing her portion of the payout to the mother of the deceased, the camera then pans to shot of the mother inside the café they are meeting at
2:00:38 Mi-ja gets the elderly man she cared for to sign a check which is interpreted by the man as blackmail, but he signs it none the less
2:02:15 the girl’s mother has decided to accept the payment so the boys are officially off the hook
2:06:23 badminton in the street similar to earlier in the film, this right before the police officer from her group comes to arrest the grandson as she arranged
2:07:35 overhead shot of Mi-ja swiping her racquet for a birdie that got stuck in a tree
2:10:00 close up on bouquet of flowers that is gift to the professor from Mi-ja who also included a poem
2:14:16 tracking shot from inside the bus looking out through the sun tinted window
The film ends with a shot of the bridge over the river as the film started with
Thoughts:
Yoon Jeong-hee plays the lead character Yang Mi-ja in a role that was specifically written for her
Chang-dong with another film about a character you seldom seem in any type of mainstream film, a 66-year-old woman recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s
Like most of his work, the film lacks outright likable characters. The group of parents, who are all the fathers of the boys with the exception of Mi-ja, are rather nonchalant about what their sons did. It is not a surprise that they want to protect their boys but the way they act about it you would think their boys pulled a few immature pranks instead of committing a brutal crime
Though they are not nearly as long, there are some long Tarkovsky like shots of nature where the camera lingers which absorbs you into the film. These sequences are usually when Mi-ja is traveling around the area seeking out inspiration for her poem. There is one in particular that feels Tarkovskyesque and that is when Mi-ja stands in the river during a rainfall
Mi-ja is difficult to understand in regard to her motivation for certain actions. Why does she spontaneously sign up for a poetry class in the first place? I think it is to occupy her time, make a change to her life, or something else? I think it serves as an escape from her dull and lonely existence. There is a shot of Mi-ja at the Church Service for the deceased girl, the camera pans from the faces of the family members to showing Mi-ja isolated in the frame as she gets up and leaves looking ashamed
The film bookends with the shot of the bridge over the river. I like the use of badminton in the street similar to earlier in the film, this right before the police officer from her group comes to arrest the grandson as she arranged
This is a powerful film although I do wish there was more cinematically
Verdict: HR
Secret Sunshine (2007)
Notes:
Shin-ae (Jeon Do-yeon), plays a young widow from Seoul, who has moved with her little boy, Jun, to her late husband’s hometown of Miryang
Chang-dong Lee starts with beautiful shot of blue sky with clouds framed through car windshield
1:32 there seems to be a shot like this in all of his films, a shot of the countryside and there is a mountain range in deep background of the frame
5:08 Jong-chan played by the great Song Kang-ho is a mechanic who helps after her car breaks down
8:00 tracking shot
10:53 Shin-ae walks into shop to introduce herself
18:44 pharmacist gives Shin-au religious material to read to which she eventually gives in
26:50 Shin-ae’s brother visits from Seoul and people four have meal together
28:01 Shin-ae’s brother tells Jong-chan that he is not his sisters type
29:53 Split frame at beauty parlor with two independent sequences taking place, as women gossip about Shin-ae returning to her ex husbands town not aware that Shin-ae is in the other room
31:28 Shin-ae son gives class project
36:42 Shin-ae receives mysterious phone call outside of restaurant
39:06 Shin-ae face looking progressively more and more horrified as it is soon revealed her son Jun has been kidnapped
41:47 tracking shot with Shin-ae back facing camera as she breaks down
45:18 shots framed through windshield as Shin-ae approaches waters
52:04 camera lingers on Shin-ae who is lying across the frame with a single tear in her eye
52:50 same shot of sky and clouds from opening with windshield as frame
56:00 Shin-ae son body is found, and the killer is caught
58:40 cut to shot of Shin-ae crouched over isolated in the frame
1:01:52 silence is palpable
1:03:13 Shin-ae seeks out pharmacist from earlier who tried to talk to her about Christianity
1:06:35 Jong-chan lurking in background of the frame following her out of store
1:10:40 Shin-ae screams in pain throughout the Church service
1:18:32 Shin-ae spending time with local Church members, partaking in song and prayer
1:22:19 imagining Jun
1:31:31 frame in frame with 3 characters positioned in 3 depths of field diagonally across the frame, with the man who killed her son in foreground with back of head to the camera and Shin-ae and Jong-chan in midground and background respectively
1:35:16 an angry Shin-ae walks ahead of the other three, as she is upset that the murderer claims to have found inner peace and accepted God’s forgiveness as she feels like the murderer should first have to be granted forgiveness by her
1:40:52 Shin-ae sits outside of the rest of the group against feeling isolated
1:42:50 Shin-ae speaks her frustration to the group
1:45:01 shaky camera tracking shot after shop lifting
1:57:24 overhead shot with camera slowly moving in on Shin-ae who has sex with random guy
2:02:01 Jong-chan with rare outburst of anger after rejecting Shin-ae sexual advances knowing she is not in the right state of mind and just looking for distractions to her pain
2:03:11 shaky camera tracking shot of Shin-ae moving through the town at night
2:03:48 over the shoulder shot with the religious group in background shown frame in frame and Shin-ae in the foreground with her back turned to the camera
The final 15 minutes have little changes to her life with the film ending in a life goes on sort of manner
Thoughts:
Another emotionally shattering work from Chang-dong complete with incredible acting and complex characters
After the death of her son there is a scene where Shin-ae is walking down a public street but the sound is temporarily muted
The film uses yellow frequently which is a departure from the heavy use of green in Chang-dong’s other work. Yellow is often associated with happiness, idealism, joy, and hope amongst other emotions and moods. Thus, there is an ironic nature of the color palette
The second half of the film focuses on Shin-ae various attempts to deal with her pain. She tries organized religion, visiting and forgiving the man who murdered her son, and hedonism to no avail. There is a bird eye view shot of Shin-ae trying to lose herself in sex only for the man not being able to perform. She has temporary successes at avoiding pain but they never last long. I do not think Chang-dong is making an outright criticism of organized religion but is showing its limitations. Shin-ae cannot comprehend how the murderer can accept forgiveness from God before asking for forgiveness from Shin-ae. She struggles to accept the explanation that one must accept God’s will without question
A more conventional film would have Shin-ae all for the Song Kang-ho character. That this does not happen is a strength, not every film needs a love story for the sake of having a love story
Throughout the second half Shin-ae is often shown isolated in the frame or physically distant from others in the frame such as a group meeting where everyone is sitting in a circle and she is off to the side. When she watches the religious group through a glass door at night there is a gate resembling prison bars which are a physical barrier between herself and the group
The shaky camera tracking shots are used a couple of times as they effectively demonstrate how lost and confused the protagonist feels
There is no resolution at the end of the film although the mood has lightened a bit.
Verdict: HR
Oasis (2002)
Notes:
Thoughts:
The film centers around 2 characters; Sul Kyung-gu plays Hong Jong-du, a troubled young man with a learning disability and Moon So-ri as Gong-ju, a woman with cerebral palsy
Lee Chang-dong with another film about a troubled protagonist, this seems to be all of his work
This is not an easy film to watch, from Roger Ebert:
“There’s something stunning and even inspiring in its indifference to popular taste. “Oasis” depends on scenes that could not be contemplated within the Western commercial cinema; it is unconventional to the point of aggression.”
This is a spot on analysis from Ebert. Even compared to other films from Chang-dong this one has stretches that are difficult to get through
There is something refreshing about Jong-du being so thoroughly unlikable and unredeemable, for someone not familiar with Lee Chang-dong’s work they would probably keep expecting some type of redemption. In fact, really there are no likable characters in this film. The police station scene near the end is a great example of this as even the families of the two main characters seem to view them as burdens on their otherwise fairly normal lives
There is a repeated shot of the “Oasis” quilt in the room of Gong-ju
There are several sequences where Gong-ju can walk and move without difficulty and Jong-du acts without any obvious physical limitations; this is interesting as they are portrayed as a typical couple when removed from prejudices of society, at least that was my interpretation. I do wish this was used more consistently
The film is pretty quiet cinematically, but the performances are powerful
Verdict: R
Peppermint Candy (1999)
Notes:
The film is divided into 7 sections that follows the protagonist Kim Yong-ho. The 7 sections are shown in reverse chronological order
Part 1
Starts with low angle shot of train on an elevated track and then a pan over the film’s protagonist who is lying under the underpass. Shortly after he joins a picnic that serves as a 20-year reunion where it is clear no one in the group has spoken to him in the past 20 years
6:04 a Yong-ho offers to sing a song with Yong-ho’s strange behavior followed by him leaving the group
8:00 Yong-ho stands in a river isolated in the frame, the camera pans to the right
8:53 long shot of train tracks and tunnel
9:29 brilliant composition with multiple depths of field
10:10 high angle shot from tracks; camera set around level of Yong-ho knees, alternates between high and low angle shots while Yong-ho is unable to be talked down
11:44 incredible freeze frame on Yong-ho face right before being hit by the train
Part 2
12:50 POV from inside of car of the rainy weather
13:15 Yong-ho stops his car upon coming to the end of a road overlooking a body of water
14:05 gloomy weather and color desaturation matching depressing look of Yong-ho face
16:40 shot framed using windshield, as Yong-ho sticks gun in his mouth during rainstorm and pulls trigger but gun in empty
20:15 strong green tint inside apartment of Yong-ho ex wife
25:06 Yong-ho in background of frame pointing a gun at a man revealed to be his former business partner. He sits silently while Yong-ho goes on an extended diatribe about wanting to kill someone before killing himself, as he lists people who he believes have wronged him
33:50 green mise en scene in scene where Yong-ho takes out a jar of peppermint candy that the comatose woman named Sunim sent to him while he was in the army
35:25 Yong-ho sitting by himself in stairwell of hospital, shortly before he is given a camera
38:24 beautiful shot of an emotional Yong-ho breaking down sitting in the foreground with the passing frame behind him and the dark blue sky and night sky
Part 3
Starts with a shot of a car shown driving backwards of the highway on the left side of the frame while a train travels of the right side of the frame
39:33 Yong-ho talking on cell phone joking and laughing while driving in car
42:48 car driving underpass with a flirting man and woman, the camera pans to the right revealing Yong-ho who watches on seething with anger leading to a confrontation where Yong-ho beats them both
46:34 Yong-ho is having an affair himself with a younger woman
50:45 another reference to peppermint candy
53:32 slow pan across dinner table as Hong-ja says grace with guests present. For some reason Hong-ja starts crying
Part 4
1:01:17 Yong-ho as a police officer beats a suspect for information
1:05:24 continued brutality of suspect is cut to shot inside bar/club with neon lighting
1:07:24 drunken Yong-ho moves into foreground of frame and his initial flirtation with an attractive young lady because threats as he indicates he knows she is involved in illegal activity
1:17:37 Two shot of Yong-ho and the woman he slept are lying naked with their backs turned to each other as they talk
1:19:49 silhouette image as Yong-ho walks in a dazed manner the following morning clueless that the guy walking next to him is the suspect he is supposed to looking for
1:23:44 breakfast date waits for Yong-ho is beautiful shot by the water
1:28:38 a tentative Yong-ho is encouraged by his superiors to physically assault a suspect they have been brutalizing, after brief hesitation Yong-ho goes along with it
Part 5
1:25:08 multiple depths of field with village in background of frame as Yong-ho eats at restaurant
1:27:43 a younger Yong-ho is new in police career
1:34:00 a scene at a local restaurant is particularly difficult to watch as Yong-ho is increasingly cruel toward a sweet young woman who seems to love him
Part 6
1:43:18 training moving forward and people backwards
1:45:45 peppermint candy falls of Yong-ho’s personal items
1:46:15 shaky camera effectively captures the intensity of the situation as Yong-ho is now in the army
1:57:40 shaky camera matches Yong-ho’s staggered movements after he unintentionally gets an innocent girl killed
Part 7
2:02:25 Yong-ho walks near a lake and meets a pretty girl who turns out to be Sun-im who is packing peppermint candies for a factory
2:04:10 the film brings us back to the original meeting of the group 20 years before the reunion shown during the opening of the film
2:07:27 Yong-ho smiles looking up at the train track and the camera freezes on his face to end the film
Thoughts:
The narrative structure is the first aspect of the film that stands out as it uses reverse chronological order to examine the life of the film’s protagonist who is named Kim Yong-ho. The first Chapter consists of Yong-ho acting bizarrely during a reunion picnic and then committing suicide on a train track although a freeze frame prevents the viewer from actually witnessing his death. The next 6 chapters move the narrative by going 20 years in reverse. There are many films that use non-linear storylines but not many that use this exact structure
This is a brilliant character study. The narrative structure might on the surface might sound like a gimmick, but it is absolutely not. It is incredibly effective by using the reverse timeline to flesh out the character but in a way that never seems overly simplistic or sentimental. Furthermore, Yong-ho, is not a likable character, he is abusive, prone to violence, a hypocrite (beating his wife for having an affair when he is having an affair himself), rude, and generally unpleasant
Recent South Korean history is tied to the story giving additional context to evaluate the protagonist including the Gwangju Uprising which resulted in several students being killed, the military policing during the 1980s, economic crisis during the mid to late 1990s. Tarkovsky’s Mirror (1975) is one film that that comes to mind
The freeze frame jolts the narrative forward or in this case backward, accentuating the intrigue around the protagonist’s life. The reverses timeline also removes the need for more traditional plot. I don’t think watching this in chronological order would work as it is. The real mystery is how did this man get to the point where he is behaving in such a strange manner and taking his own life in such a dramatic way. There is a repeated shot of a train moving on the tracks before each chapter. The train is moving forward but the characters and/or cars driving on the streets are moving backward which is a brilliant motif for Yong-ho not being able to escape his past
It is not the film’s greatest strength but there are a few beautiful painterly shots including one at 38:24 with an emotional Yong-ho breaking down sitting in the foreground with the passing frame behind him and the dark blue sky and night sky. There is a beautiful shot at 1:05:24 inside a night club with neon green and blue. Many of the landscape shots are slightly desaturated matching the gloomy atmosphere
There is green in the mise en scene throughout the film although it is not used as consistently as Green Fish (1997). In the film’s most famous shot, the freeze frame, green trees make up most of the negative space
There is some great camera work including a sequence around 75 min in when the camera moves from the outside into the interior of the building where Yong-ho is sleeping with a young woman, following this is a couple of nice two-shots with the two lying naked with their backs touching. There is a powerful whip pan is a sequence where Yong-ho watches his wife in a car with another man. The whip pan has a near menacing impact that is carried through into the next scene when Yong-ho is shown beating his wife and the man she was with
Verdict: MP/MS
Green Fish (1997)
Notes:
Chang-dong Lee starts with photographs during opening credits
1:48 train moving taking up left side of frame followed by man in Army Uniform standing near edge
3:57 extreme low angle shot of passengers towering over the protagonist Mak-dong, and assaulting him
6:04 shot held as Mak-dong sprints out of the frame
6:47 sweeping shot of landscape
10:58 frame in frames using mirror
16:10 bribe police after traffic stop
21:07 neon lighting at night club
22:09 red neon lighting over a transfixed Mak-dong as he watches beautiful female singer on stage
25 min Mak-dong beaten by thugs after he tries to protect beautiful woman outside the club
33:23 more use of green in the mise en scene in underground garage where Mak-dong fights again
41:42 tracking shot shaky camera with green neon lighting inside the club
42:37 nice blocking as Mak-dong is being recruited to the gang as they drink beers
44:53 Gang leader officially announces Mak-dong is a part of the gang
45:17 beautiful neon lighting reflecting off vehicles at night, followed by shot inside club
54:23 wide angle shot of mostly empty club
56:20 former Boss of the Gang is out of Prison and looking to get back his businesses
56:50 great camera movement around perimeter of the gang
59:10 shaky camera captures the nervous energy of the scene well
1:02:15 Mak-dong on train with Mi-ae, the girl singing at the nightclub
1:09:24 camera moves to high angle shot and from Mak-dong POV on the 2nd floor
1:10:54 desaturated colors when Mak-dong is shown with his family near countryside
1:16:42 tracking shot as the boss moves down the line punching each member in the face
1:23:50 tender sequence as Mak-dong turns down Mi-ae offer to have sex which almost feels like a test to see if he really actually cares for her or if he is just trying to sleep with her
1:25:02 beautiful lit streets at night with neon lit signs from POV inside vehicle
1:29:25 beautiful shot from building roof with the purple/blue skyline that reminds me of a shot from First Reformed (2017)
1:30:57 flames visual via reflection on sunglasses
1:31:45 brutal eruption of violence as the former boss of the gang is stabbed to death by Mak-dong
1:33:53 camera move in on Bae Tae-gon in club with neon red as he takes phone call
1:35:05 close up on face of Mak-dong speaking to his mentally handicapped brother in a phone booth
1:38:29 face pressed against exterior of the car window of Bae’s car dying as Mi-ae cries
1:40:23 family of Mak-dong are devastated by their loss
1:43:38 shaky camera as they try to capture the chicken on the loose
1:46:58 Mi-ae breaks down crying upon realization that they are at Mak-Dong’s family’s house
The film ends with a slow zoom out and melancholic music
Thoughts:
A fairly straight forward narrative centered around a 26-year-old man named Mak-Dong who just got out of the army and has no real prospects for finding a job. He ends up becoming a member of a small-time gang after crossing paths with a beautiful young woman named Mi-ae, who sings at a night club and is the girlfriend of a gang boss Bae Tae-gon
There are some similarities between this and WKW As Tears Go By (1988) as far as the small-time gang story goes although the violence is quick and brutal rather than heavily stylized and Chang-dong’s very own Burning (2018) which also focuses on a young man returning from army to area with minimal economic opportunities
The film does not glorify the lifestyle of the gang. Additionally, these low-level gangsters are not depicted as particularly cool or suave. They are more like the low-level hoods involved in the pool hall fight scene in Mean Streets (1973)
There is heavy use of green in the mise en scene hence the title. There are several scenes in night clubs with beautiful neon lighting which is often red and/or blue. The use of colorful lighting serves as more than simply aesthetics as they represent the allure of joining the gang. These scenes are contrasted with desaturated green and browns that are used when Mak-dong is shown with his family near countryside.
Around 41:44 there is a tracking shot through the night club with gorgeous use of neon green
Great shot at 1:29:25 from building roof with the purple/blue skyline that reminds me of a shot from First Reformed (2017)
There are great camera movements in several sequences including a standout at 56:10 with the camera circling the perimeter of the gang as they sit at a table
There are some impressive compositions with blocking in some of the scenes with the gang sitting around the table drinking beers
The Jazz soundtrack captures the melancholy perfectly
The ending is gut wrenching. Mak-Dong is not really a bad guy but is in search for purpose
Verdict: HR
@James Trapp- So glad you found this one
@Drake – yes, I have wanted to do a Lee Chang-dong Study for a while now but only recently was able to finally find all 6 of his films
https://www.amazon.com/The-Poetry-of-Lee-Chang-Dong-Four-Films-Blu-ray/dp/B0DBWN2893?tag=bluray-030-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Finally! I’ve been trying to find these forever
@Drake – Do you know where you watched Green Fish? After finishing up Bong Study, I really want to do Chang-dong Lee but having trouble locating Green Fish and Oasis
@James Trapp- tough ones – so I think this was when both Netflix and Blockbuster had a DVD/Bluray mail rental subscription service. I’m almost positive that’s how I saw both.
@Drake – Guess I’m adding them to my wish list
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF7M8mzq0Co
Does anyone know where I can watch Peppermint Candy (1999)
Hi! Been reading your list during the past 2 days. I discovered Lee Chang Dong via PEPPERMINT CANDY nearly 15 years ago when it was playing on TV while I was studying in Australia. Been a great admirer since and had been watching his films many times before I prepare for my own work. Attending the world premiere of Poetry in Cannes 2010 remains one of my most memorable film fest experiences.
Just want to point out that BURNING is actually (loosely) based on a short story by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, Barn Burning, and not a Korean novel.
Keep up the good work!
@Edmund- thanks for visiting the site, the great share here, and the fix on the source material! Much appreciated.