the brief summary of the plot indicates a sad and serious story - watching authenticates the initial anticipation. i should stress the fact that this is not a brainless popcorn movie for light consumption after a hard days work. three high school friends Hyun- Myung, Sung-Phil and Doo-Yong confront profound moral dilemmas when the unfortunate fourth of the close male circle Gun-woo causes the accidental death of a girl who is Sung-Phil's little sister Kyung- mi. Gun-Woo and Kyung-mi also had a secret intimate relationship revealed only after the accident. to complicate things a bit more, Hyun-Myung has a crush on the deceased girl, too. so strong emotions of jealousy sorrow and revenge lead eventually up to a tragic conclusion when Gun-woo who is guilty for the accident drowns in front of his three friends who don't lift a finger to help him - each for reasons already mentioned (jealousy; grief and revenge and in Doo-Yong's case, merely cowardice) and each for reasons that drive the motivations of those three forward in keeping the shocking incident (Gun-woo's death) a terrible secret.
four years later Hyun-Myung returns home from the army but the past is still hauntingly present and the rest of the film depicts the devastating effects of the cruel episode on their lives. the burden of guilt becomes unbearable and the long suppressed feelings break finally in a distressing way at the end.
most of the annual south Korean film production is trivial romantic (teen) dramas, thrillers (though expertly made), historical epics and other safe commercial stuff, easy to watch and easy to forget. then there are occasionally few odd gems each year even in south Korea that offer alternative choices for those of us who want - sometimes - our movies to be also melancholic, poignant and serious reflecting human condition. the effort to find and watch those kind of films is however worthwhile. Ho Bin Seo has made a good film which i can recommend for a grown-up audience.
four years later Hyun-Myung returns home from the army but the past is still hauntingly present and the rest of the film depicts the devastating effects of the cruel episode on their lives. the burden of guilt becomes unbearable and the long suppressed feelings break finally in a distressing way at the end.
most of the annual south Korean film production is trivial romantic (teen) dramas, thrillers (though expertly made), historical epics and other safe commercial stuff, easy to watch and easy to forget. then there are occasionally few odd gems each year even in south Korea that offer alternative choices for those of us who want - sometimes - our movies to be also melancholic, poignant and serious reflecting human condition. the effort to find and watch those kind of films is however worthwhile. Ho Bin Seo has made a good film which i can recommend for a grown-up audience.
