South Korean cinema has some really great films. I've discovered directors like Bong Joon-Ho and Park Chan-wook who've created outstanding movies and joining them now is Lee Chang-dong.
Burning follows Jong-su, a man who meets his childhood friend, Hae-mi, after a long time. After coming back from her trip to Africa, Hae-mi introduces Jong-su to Ben, a mysterious man with a strange hobby.
Burning is one of those films that people may adore or be frustrated by. This isn't a film that provides many answers to its questions but the ambiguity is what made me fall in love with this film. The way Lee Chang-dong constructed this twisted story is so clever by having the audience see the story through Jong-su's perspective. He's in pretty much every scene and we see and react to the world in the same way he does. This works so well as the film gets more sinister and further suspicious starts to arouse, we see all of this from Jong-su's point of view that leads us to speculate in one direction. However, what we could be seeing may be a coincidence or not as it seems and that's where many interpretations can be made about the characters and situations. It's amazing how well thought out the characters and events are as it leaves just enough hints so the answers aren't very obvious. The overall structure and presentation of Burning adds to the intrigue. The way the story shifts tone is beautifully done and takes us through scenes that come across unexpectedly, adding to the mystery and suspense. The score by Mowg is very strange and makes the atmosphere very haunting, especially during the second half where the tension seemingly builds. The cinematography is also terrific. There is one extremely beautiful long take that captures the beauty of the landscape so well that's it's hypnotising.
The performances by the three main actors are all fantastic. Yoo Ah-in is terrific in the kead role as Jong-su. The shy and suspicious nature of his character was communicated really well by him. I've known Steven Yeun for starring in American films so to see him speaking and starring in a Korean film is something different. He does a really good job maintaining the mysterious aspect of Ben and gives off expressions in such a natural way. Just a shot of him yawning after Jong-su looks at him is done in such a compelling and natural way. Jeon Jong-seo is also really good here as Hae-mi. For her film debut especially, she's really convincing in the role and has a lot of potential for the future.
Burning is one of the most fascinating films I've seen recently. Lee Chang-dong has really proven his filmmaking talent here. With its abundance of themes, audience manipulation tactics and a heavy sense of atmosphere, Burning is a film that'll stay in my head for months to come.
Burning follows Jong-su, a man who meets his childhood friend, Hae-mi, after a long time. After coming back from her trip to Africa, Hae-mi introduces Jong-su to Ben, a mysterious man with a strange hobby.
Burning is one of those films that people may adore or be frustrated by. This isn't a film that provides many answers to its questions but the ambiguity is what made me fall in love with this film. The way Lee Chang-dong constructed this twisted story is so clever by having the audience see the story through Jong-su's perspective. He's in pretty much every scene and we see and react to the world in the same way he does. This works so well as the film gets more sinister and further suspicious starts to arouse, we see all of this from Jong-su's point of view that leads us to speculate in one direction. However, what we could be seeing may be a coincidence or not as it seems and that's where many interpretations can be made about the characters and situations. It's amazing how well thought out the characters and events are as it leaves just enough hints so the answers aren't very obvious. The overall structure and presentation of Burning adds to the intrigue. The way the story shifts tone is beautifully done and takes us through scenes that come across unexpectedly, adding to the mystery and suspense. The score by Mowg is very strange and makes the atmosphere very haunting, especially during the second half where the tension seemingly builds. The cinematography is also terrific. There is one extremely beautiful long take that captures the beauty of the landscape so well that's it's hypnotising.
The performances by the three main actors are all fantastic. Yoo Ah-in is terrific in the kead role as Jong-su. The shy and suspicious nature of his character was communicated really well by him. I've known Steven Yeun for starring in American films so to see him speaking and starring in a Korean film is something different. He does a really good job maintaining the mysterious aspect of Ben and gives off expressions in such a natural way. Just a shot of him yawning after Jong-su looks at him is done in such a compelling and natural way. Jeon Jong-seo is also really good here as Hae-mi. For her film debut especially, she's really convincing in the role and has a lot of potential for the future.
Burning is one of the most fascinating films I've seen recently. Lee Chang-dong has really proven his filmmaking talent here. With its abundance of themes, audience manipulation tactics and a heavy sense of atmosphere, Burning is a film that'll stay in my head for months to come.