Spoilers
It¡¦s quite fascinating to note that within the genre of Korean romance (see list of selected films below), there can be so many shades of differences. Wanee and Junah is among the three that I saw recently, all within a few weeks. Of the three, Lover¡¦s Concerto is more traditional, with the romance developing along a well-trodden path starting with infatuation, while Marriage Is a Crazy Thing is clearly untraditional, portraying a relationship that starts in pure physical attraction, with the pair jumping into bed on the first date.
At the start of this movie, Wanee and Junah have been living together for maybe a year or two, in a quaint little town in an atmosphere that can be described as almost idyllic. The initial burning passion, if there was any at all, has apparently worn off. The two certainly care for each other, but this care feels more like something coming from a couple married for years. Their live together seems to be at a point when it has become so stagnant there¡¦s hardly any ripple, partly because of the pressure they each get from work, which is anything but idyllic. He (Juhan) is a screenplay writer and she (Wanee) is an animation artist.
The ripple, when it comes, is brought by Wanee¡¦s visiting girl friend Yeong-mi, whom she hasn¡¦t seen for a few years. Yeong-mi is coming to stay with them for a little while to get a break from her parents. No, it¡¦s not a triangle developing between Wanee, Juhan and Yeong-mi. The triangle, the feelings of which is rekindled by Yeong-mi as the catalyst, is shown to the audience in flash-back, with Wanee and Yeong-mi both falling in love with So-yeong, an attractive young man who is also Wanee¡¦s brother. This is not as bad as it sounds because Wanee and So-yeong are not brother and sister by blood, but only because Wanee¡¦s mother got together with So-yeong¡¦s father. Even so, the artificial brother-and-sister relation is sufficient to prohibit Wanee from showing her true feelings.
The real triangle, therefore, is one that traverses time, with Juhan struggling against Wanee¡¦s rekindled feelings for So-yeong. And the ¡§threat¡¨ is not purely imaginary because at one point, it is believed that So-yeong is coming back from overseas to stay, although he never actually did, and appears in the movie only in flash backs. The anticipation of the imminent return, however, becomes a catalyst for Wanee and Juhan to examine their relationship.
I won¡¦t go into any more details. Suffices to say that within the relationship of these four young people in two temporal dimensions, there are so many different shades of interesting emotions to explore. The movie explores them in the traditional style of Korean romance: understatements, subtleties, gentleness.
One very unique feature about Wanee and Juhan is that it both opens and closes with animations that seamlessly blend into the story, at two levels. First, the girl is, as I mentioned, an animation artist. In addition, the subject of the animation reflects back on the characters.
Throughout the movie, the more attentive of the audience will be delighted with fine touches that enhance their enjoyment. The snail as a motif of Wanee¡¦s innate fear is one example. Another one is the scene with the returning So-yeong sitting opposite to Wanee talking with her, a somewhat abrupt development to the audience, until they are led to realise that this is really a telephone call. The one I like best is the use of sound off, from a stylus lingering languidly at the end of the turntable, to return a scene from a flashback to the present.
Wanee and Juhan, another addition to a collection of the Korean romance genre, will be enjoyed by connoisseurs of Korean romances and is also well worth a try by movie enthusiast in general.
LIST OF SELECTED KOREAN ROMANCES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS
Contact (1997) (Cheob sok)
Christmas in August (1998) (Palwol ui Christmas)
Art Museum by the Zoo (1998) (Misulgwan yup gondmulwon)
Il Mare (2000) (Siworae)
One Fine Spring Day (2001) (Bomnaleun ganda)
My Sassy Girl (2001) (Yeopgijeogin geunyeo)
Lover¡¦s concerto (2002) (Yeonae sosheol)
Marriage is a crazy thing (2002) (Gyeolhoneun michinjishida)
It¡¦s quite fascinating to note that within the genre of Korean romance (see list of selected films below), there can be so many shades of differences. Wanee and Junah is among the three that I saw recently, all within a few weeks. Of the three, Lover¡¦s Concerto is more traditional, with the romance developing along a well-trodden path starting with infatuation, while Marriage Is a Crazy Thing is clearly untraditional, portraying a relationship that starts in pure physical attraction, with the pair jumping into bed on the first date.
At the start of this movie, Wanee and Junah have been living together for maybe a year or two, in a quaint little town in an atmosphere that can be described as almost idyllic. The initial burning passion, if there was any at all, has apparently worn off. The two certainly care for each other, but this care feels more like something coming from a couple married for years. Their live together seems to be at a point when it has become so stagnant there¡¦s hardly any ripple, partly because of the pressure they each get from work, which is anything but idyllic. He (Juhan) is a screenplay writer and she (Wanee) is an animation artist.
The ripple, when it comes, is brought by Wanee¡¦s visiting girl friend Yeong-mi, whom she hasn¡¦t seen for a few years. Yeong-mi is coming to stay with them for a little while to get a break from her parents. No, it¡¦s not a triangle developing between Wanee, Juhan and Yeong-mi. The triangle, the feelings of which is rekindled by Yeong-mi as the catalyst, is shown to the audience in flash-back, with Wanee and Yeong-mi both falling in love with So-yeong, an attractive young man who is also Wanee¡¦s brother. This is not as bad as it sounds because Wanee and So-yeong are not brother and sister by blood, but only because Wanee¡¦s mother got together with So-yeong¡¦s father. Even so, the artificial brother-and-sister relation is sufficient to prohibit Wanee from showing her true feelings.
The real triangle, therefore, is one that traverses time, with Juhan struggling against Wanee¡¦s rekindled feelings for So-yeong. And the ¡§threat¡¨ is not purely imaginary because at one point, it is believed that So-yeong is coming back from overseas to stay, although he never actually did, and appears in the movie only in flash backs. The anticipation of the imminent return, however, becomes a catalyst for Wanee and Juhan to examine their relationship.
I won¡¦t go into any more details. Suffices to say that within the relationship of these four young people in two temporal dimensions, there are so many different shades of interesting emotions to explore. The movie explores them in the traditional style of Korean romance: understatements, subtleties, gentleness.
One very unique feature about Wanee and Juhan is that it both opens and closes with animations that seamlessly blend into the story, at two levels. First, the girl is, as I mentioned, an animation artist. In addition, the subject of the animation reflects back on the characters.
Throughout the movie, the more attentive of the audience will be delighted with fine touches that enhance their enjoyment. The snail as a motif of Wanee¡¦s innate fear is one example. Another one is the scene with the returning So-yeong sitting opposite to Wanee talking with her, a somewhat abrupt development to the audience, until they are led to realise that this is really a telephone call. The one I like best is the use of sound off, from a stylus lingering languidly at the end of the turntable, to return a scene from a flashback to the present.
Wanee and Juhan, another addition to a collection of the Korean romance genre, will be enjoyed by connoisseurs of Korean romances and is also well worth a try by movie enthusiast in general.
LIST OF SELECTED KOREAN ROMANCES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS
Contact (1997) (Cheob sok)
Christmas in August (1998) (Palwol ui Christmas)
Art Museum by the Zoo (1998) (Misulgwan yup gondmulwon)
Il Mare (2000) (Siworae)
One Fine Spring Day (2001) (Bomnaleun ganda)
My Sassy Girl (2001) (Yeopgijeogin geunyeo)
Lover¡¦s concerto (2002) (Yeonae sosheol)
Marriage is a crazy thing (2002) (Gyeolhoneun michinjishida)