A jagged little pill of a movie...not at all what one would expect from the story of a young woman returning to the land of her birth, Korea. (Many Korean babies were given up for adoption to Americans after a brutal war with the North left the South destitute and starving, unable to assure children a decent future.)
When most TV newscasts present a report on someone meeting a parent who gave them up for adoption, the story is usually a heart-warmer - a voyage of discovery and emotional reward. But clichés are not the stuff of this film.
As the trailer suggests, this film is indeed a visceral search for identity. Not a smooth, simple or obvious voyage.
Some reviewers on IMDB hated it, which is understandable because the lead character is a closed book from her arrival in South Korea. The story periodically jumps ahead in multi-year chunks and we appear to be seeing a different person. What we are really seeing is her internal struggle hitting peaks and valleys as she shifts between her Asian and European instincts. These shifts can be difficult and disorienting but there's a reason the film has won so many awards.
"Return to Korea' depicts the terrifying chasm between virtually incompatible identities without shying away from harsh consequences.
As the trailer suggests, this film is indeed a visceral search for identity. Not a smooth, simple or obvious voyage.
Some reviewers on IMDB hated it, which is understandable because the lead character is a closed book from her arrival in South Korea. The story periodically jumps ahead in multi-year chunks and we appear to be seeing a different person. What we are really seeing is her internal struggle hitting peaks and valleys as she shifts between her Asian and European instincts. These shifts can be difficult and disorienting but there's a reason the film has won so many awards.
"Return to Korea' depicts the terrifying chasm between virtually incompatible identities without shying away from harsh consequences.