Change Your Image
byungkeepark
Reviews
The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
As a journalist...
"The Year of Living Dangerously" As a journalist, I thought this movie was voyeuristic, vicarious, and visceral. This movie is believableand what happened in the movie could happen to me or anyone elseso that's why it grabs me. And some lines really grabbed me. "Guy, you are finally a journalist" and "Journalists work for themselves, not for others." Something like that...
I believe that journalists should fight for justice, but most journalists, including myself, work for their company and their families and for themselves. Journalists covering countries under political leaders like Sukarno should have a moral and professional obligation to challenge them. In the film, however, they are just looking for exclusive news. In the midst of chaos, they just fly out of the country. For them, the stories of the lost aren't redemptive.
Unforgiven (1992)
Ironic
"Unforgiven" (1992)
This movie talks about violence and guns. And this movie makes me think about righteousness. Who is right? Who is wrong?
Who are the victims? In the midst of moral complexity, how can we judge who is right and who is wrong? While I watched this movie, I felt that not everybody is right, and not everybody is wrong. It is an ambiguous feeling. This movie reminds me of Ecclesiastes and an imperfect world. What are we going to do when we face troubles? I felt for the prostitutes in the movie because they were unfairly treated and they were like slaves who could be sold to others by saloon owners. But are the prostitutes right? Would they have chosen this job? The movie is voyeuristic. Its lawlessness in 1880 makes me feel that I am in Korea in 2007. And about the violence and guns, it echoes the world I live in. Obviously, why can't the American government kick the guns out of this country? I live in one of the most beautiful and most fair countries, but I also live in the country where I can be killed fairly easily because of the violence and guns. It is ironic.
This is the country where Christians are influential and Christians are marginalized. It is funny and sad. Vanity. We have one hope: Jesus.
Signs (2002)
I found hope in my life
While I watched "Signs," the suffering of Episcopalian Father Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) reminded me of Ecclesiastes 8:14. The righteous man got what the wicked deserved. That's why Father Hess couldn't comprehend what went on under the sun (Ecclesiastes 8:17). And he lost his faith when he faced the death of his wife and was attacked by aliens. When he said, "I am not going to spend a second saying prayers," I thought about what faith was. And I asked myself, "What if God doesn't exist?" Despite all my efforts to search for the answer, I know that I can't find the meaning of life (8:17). But I was so glad that Father Hess regained his faith back in the Infinite at the end of the movie. Why was I so glad? I think it is because "anyone who is among the living has hope" (9:4). I found hope in Hess's life. And I found hope in my life.
Dekalog (1989)
We live in a post-scientific era
While I watched this movie ("Decalogue I"), I thought of what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).
I had been taught at schools (and sometimes at seminary) that I should know fully by studying and researching harder, even though I knew in part at best. Pawel's father was like that. He trusts in computers and rationality more than in the Infinite. And he is a physics professor who asks his students and his son Pawel to believe in science fully.
We need to be both spiritual and rational, but during the modern era, human persons placed too much emphasis on rationality and science. Spirituality was kicked out of this modern era. We put God after science and let Him come into our lives only when we needed Him desperatelyjust like Krzysztof ran to the church in protest and despair. We haven't been in a healthy relationship with God.
Why don't we pray? It is because we still put our trust in science, and we believe that we feel safe as long as we have the right science and smart computers. Right now we live in a post-scientific era.
We don't want to agree with it, but we tend to live our lives like we want to keep the rephrased commandment: "Thou shalt have no other gods but science." What's the result? We fall down. And we can't come home, just as Pawel couldn't. The computer wasn't right. Science can't be always right. But God is always right and true. If I put God at the center of my life and put science around Him, I will live a balanced life. If God is not at the center of my life, I will be in troubleand science can't help me get out of trouble.
However, I still remember that we live in a post-Christian era. That sounds paradoxical!
About Schmidt (2002)
One of the greatest movie I saw
"About Schmidt" (2002)
This is one of the greatest movies I saw in my life.
It talks about the vanity of life, but it gives us insight that we can find the meaning in the small things. Ndugu's drawing and the friendship of the six-year-old Tanzanian kid helps Warren Schmidt find the meaning of life.
The final scene reminds me both of Ecclesiastes 4:9 ("two are better off than one") and Jesus' parables of the mustard seed. Maybe the things that we think they are important are vain/meaningless, but God may ask us to open our eyes wide and see the small things.
I became a fan of Payne. After I watched About Schmidt and Election, I thought that he knows what life is like.
Training Day (2001)
Meaninglessness of Life
In "Training Days," I see life is meaningless and meaningless. What does Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) "gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:3)? In the movie, I see everything is meaningless. Harris was chasing after the wind (1:14). Harris thought that he was the wise man and he must die. And he is forgotten too quickly. Life is like that. But in the Infinite, we find meaning and enjoyment in life. We are simply satisfied when we eat and drink. That's the gift of God. (3:13) Harris was wise in a sense, but he is foolish in God's eyes. Harris didn't seem to enjoy his work, and he looked sad all the time, even when he did smile. Solomon said, "There is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work" (3:22). Who is like the wise man? I think Hoyt was the wise man. His wisdom "brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance" (8:1). His wise work saved himself. His saving work of Smiley's cousin changed the hardened heart of a Latino gangster. Hoyt was the one who really enjoyed his work as a policeman.
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
Searching for the meaning of righteousness and failing to find it
First of all, I liked the gas price "unintentionally" shown in the movie ("Crimes and Misdemeanors"). It was like a little bit over $1! Recently, it has become our problem in the United States because we need to make more money to drive our own cars. No money, no drive! In the movie, the gas price is not a problem at all. The problem is that the protagonist and director (Woody Allen) searched for the meaning of righteousness and failed to find it. They thought it was too complex to explain the righteousness of God. Or they too easily simplified the meaning.
Why does Ben suffer from eye problems and get blind later? He is a good person. Why does Jack seem to live a normal life even though he and his friend killed Dolores? That's the question I hear from people every day. And that's the problem I face every day. Why is God so quiet when I am in trouble? Why doesn't he look upon my needs? Even though we put God at the center of our lives, we face trouble, maybe more trouble after we become believers.
The solution is not to kick the problems out of the world, but to endure and grow from the suffering experiences is the solution. I think that's why Ben didn't lose his faith after he lost his sight. Whether Allen intended it or not, I liked the fact that Ben was still faithful to God.
Allen wants to show his view that people are not always punished for their evil deeds, but I think that there will be judgment when we face God during our life's journey or at the end of it. Judah and Jack will pay the price for what they have done. And I will pay the price for what I have done wrong.
Like Allen, I search for the meaning of righteousness and life. I don't have a firm and concrete answer for it. But I have a firm belief that the Infinite has the answer.
The high price of gasoline is a little problem I face. My job is not that I try to solve the problem, but it's that I get closer to the Infinite who has the true solution.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
"I am in love and I am stronger than you can imagine."
The very first scene of this film reminds me of the first scene in "About Schmidt." This shows that Barry and Schmidt live a lonely life. Schmidt finds the meaning of life as he writes a letter to Ndugu, and Barry as he loves a woman. It is fascinating when Barry screams at the owner of the phone sex company, "I am in love and I am stronger than you can imagine." When Barry is alone, he is destructive and isolated. However, he is "someone" when he is loved and trusted by Lena. I can see myself through Barry. When I feel lonely, I am like Barry. When I feel stronger than ever, I am with my family and God. Obviously, two are better than one. Barry is the one who needs a psychiatrist when he is alone, and he is a different person when he is with Lena. He has the courage to confront the phone-sex entrepreneur.
I had a question about the blue suit which Barry wore throughout the movie. Anderson answers in an interview that he needed to have cool colors because he was going to make a movie about love.
Smoke Signals (1998)
this movie changed my prejudice against Indians
I love this movie because it gives me ideas how the Native Americans think and live in the contemporary world. I like stories about fathers, friends, and forgiveness. I enjoy jokes between Thomas and Victor. "John Wayne's song" touched my heart.
When I saw this movie, I focused on the lives and the thoughts of the Native Indians. Victor asked Thomas, "You watched 'Dances With Wolves' more than a hundred times." He meant that the movie didn't portray an Indian's life exactly. The auteurs said, "Dances With Wolves is not an Indian movie" (Reel Spirituality, 198). Movies are powerful because they show how people unknown live and think. Movies are sometimes dangerous because they produce stereotypes. The Native Americans are sometimes victims of stereotypes made by Hollywood movies.
M*A*S*H was "meant to teach its contemporary viewers about the irrationality and inhumanity of the Vietnam War" (Reel Spirituality, 32), but Korea and the Korean people became victims of stereotypes the TV drama created.
I liked "Smoke Signals" because this movie changed my prejudice against Indians. I thought they were "stoic and like warriors," but I found that they were like everybody else. And I felt for the Native Americans because they were put onto reservations. They are like one of the lost sheep.
Milyang (2007)
Secret Sunshine is a life story of a woman who lost families
Secret Sunshine (2007) is famous for its awards at the Festival de Cannes in 2007 and other film festivals. Jeon-Do Yeon, who played the newly widowed Shin-ae, won the best actress trophy at the 60th Cannes festival. Secret Sunshine was also a winner of best feature film and Jeon-Do Yeon received a best actress nod from Asia Pacific Screen Awards. In addition, this movie won the best film awards in virtually all Korean film festivals. Masterfully written and directed, and uniquely photographed, Secret Sunshine expressed the hope and salvation that can be found when life is painful because of continuous tragedy. This film also talked about the forgiveness of God and people. Lee Chang Dong, director and writer of this movie, said in an interview, "In a vast sense, I wanted to express what love is and this movie could be a melodrama in a sense. Without love, we can't talk about hope and salvation." Lee acknowledged that Secret Sunshine had no apparent genre. This movie is not a movie about religion, but it drew attention from many Christians in Korea because there were a lot of Christian elements in the movie.
The turning point in Secret Sunshine comes when Jun, Shin-ae's son, is kidnapped and killed. The kidnapper asks for money because he presumes that since she can buy land, she must be rich. Her lie causes much sorrow.
Shin-ae becomes a church-goer and wants to forgive the murderer. She decides to visit her son's murderer in prison and forgive him. Jong-chan, Shin-ae's guy friend, says, "Just forgive in your heart. Do you have to go to the prison?" Her church fellows cheer for her and say they will pray for her. Her pastor agrees with what she wants to do. That is a sad moment because it is too early for her to do an action. The result of the meeting with the murderer is another turning point in Shin-ae's life. The murderer says with a peaceful smile that he has already been forgiven by God. This sparks anger in her toward God. She says, "How could You forgive the man before I forgive?"
She begins to fight against God. She looks up to the sky and proclaims, "I won't lose to You." She becomes a snare, her heart is a trap, and her hands are chains. It is more bitter than death. She becomes crazier and crazier and is sent to a mental hospital. On the day Shin-ae is discharged from the hospital, she goes to a beauty shop and sees a familiar face. The daughter of her son's murderer works in the shop and cuts her hair. The murderer's daughter has helped kidnapped Shin-ae's son. While she cuts Shin-ae's hair, the protagonist can't understand what's going on and gets out of the shop quickly.
It is difficult not to talk about Jong-chan in the movie. Jong-chan does his best to be by Shin-ae's side. Although Shin-ae doesn't care about him at all, he is beside her all the time. Shin-ae leaves church quickly, but Jong-chan, who started attending church because of Shin-ae, stays there because he feels peace with God. Lee Chang-dong, the director of Secret Sunshine, says that Jong-chan is like Milyang( secret sunshine), the rural city or vice versa. He seems to "be too secular and frivolous, but he is always two steps behind her and takes care of her. Milyang is like him." Mr. Lee adds, "Someone joked that Jong-chan could be an angel. I think that he could be the angel. Who knows? We can't say for sure that there is no angel." If there is a person like Jong-chan who forever accompanies his lover's twists and turns, we can defend ourselves against the overpowered. The life of Shin-ae is full of meaninglessness. Her husband died after he cheated on her, and her only son was killed cruelly by a murderer after she moved to her husband's hometown. And her soul was damaged because she learned Christianity in a wrong wayand that makes her crazy, literally. It is too easy to say that her life is filled with meaninglessness. Does she still have hope in her life? Can she find meaning in her life? The final scene gives us hope. Shin-ae tries to cut her hair by herself: we walk our life's journey by ourselves. She, however, realizes that it is hard to do it by herself, and we know that we can't do everything by ourselves. We see Jong-chan holding the mirror for her while she cuts her hair. That's her hope. She has Jong-chan beside her and he is willing to help her in whatever situation she is. As I mentioned earlier, Jong-chan is like an angel for her. If we feel that an angel is always beside and behind us, we can find joy in life even though we face adversity in our lives.
Secret Sunshine was a hot topic of conversation in Korea. It is like Da Vinci Code. While Da Vinci Code helps us discuss the early church history, Secret Sunshine prompts us to deal with life's messiness and find meaning when life seems unbearable. With a shallow interpretation of the movie, people misunderstand Christianity and its theology. With a deeper interpretation, this movie will help us see beneath the surface. Some people say they quit attending church worship service after they watched Secret Sunshine, and Lee Chang-dong responds by saying, "They were already anti-Christ before they watched this movie. Secret Sunshine is a life story of a woman and we can interpret our life through Shin-ae's life.