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Christmas in August
Country : South Korea
Year: 1998
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 1h37
Distributor: SRE Corporation
Producer: x
Director: Jin-Ho Hur
Cast: Suk-kyu Han, Eun-ha Shim, Goo Shin, Ji-hye Oh, Han-wi Lee, Mi-seon Jeon, Hye-won Kwon
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Movie Synopsis
Jung Wong is the proprieter of a small photo shop. He is dying, and chooses to tell only his father and sister, and stay at his job and watch the people come in and out of his life in a sort of dream state. One day, Darim walks into his shop and they fall in love. But how close is Jung willing to get to this woman, knowing he hasn't much time left?
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Review(一):
"I don't have much time... I'm beginning a love which may take a long time.."
At a time where sappy romance films that dealt with a terminal illness reigned (like SWEET NOVEMBER), CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST doesn't saturate itself with the "I love you"'s and the "You're everything in the world to me"'s. Instead, it trades the generic and tired Hollywood formula and creates a bitter sweet film with heartache in the things that are never said. Watching Jung-won and Darim is absolutely heart-breaking. These two were made for each other, but you know they will never live happily ever after together.
This film outlines how fragile and precious life really is. On the outside, Jung-won is a carefree and happy-go-lucky man. However, on the inside, the fact that he will soon pass away tears him up. In action films, you have the heroes who can get shot fifteen times, yet, still be able to get up and jab his fingers into his enemy's eye-sockets while shooting an army of gangsters. In horror films, you have the heroes who can survive ghost encounters and placate their souls. But none of these heroes even compare to the might and courage of Jung-won. This is a man, who instead of trying to forget his condition and live life as if nothing had happened, embraces death and at the same time, makes the best of his surroundings. He never dodges from the inevitable. In one of the scenes, he writes down how to run the photo store he owns so that when he passes, his father could take care of it. For the most part, he keeps his condition a secret from his friends and even jokes about it. During the time he spends with Darim, he never tells her of his condition because he wants the most pure relationship while he still can. Watching him carry on with Darim is heart-drenching, but heart-warming at the same time.
With a film like CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST, if the craftsmen of the film can't hit the right notes, the film would've ultimately failed. Luckily, director Jin-Ho Hur places beauty and elegance into everyday life and makes a world so normal, yet, so magical. The two main actors also does an extraordinary job. In the beginning, Jung-won's character seemed far too happy-go-lucky. With many scenes showing him laughing with joy, he almost seemed to be a one-dimensional character. But as the film moved on, Suk-kyu Han does a spectacular job deconstructing the character in some of his private moments. From the subtle fear of death drawn on his face to the drunken rage in the police station, Suk-kyu gives an unforgettable performance. Eun-ha Shim also does a wonderful job playing the homely yet beautiful Darim. Complete with a beautiful score, all the elements of this film create nothing short of an excellent film.
CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST tackles one of the hardest aspects of life and gives it a somber beauty. Death isn't something to fear, but to embrace. Whether it be Jung-won sharing laughs with his friends or sharing a tender moment with his family, every aspect of Jung-won's life is relatable to our own. With the time he has left, he enjoys the everyday things most of us take for granted. These everyday things are enough to fulfill his inner needs. This film deserves every bit of praise it gets and teaches us a great lesson: Choose life, not death.
by “KFC Cinema”
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Reviews (二)：
" It's one of those films that make you recognize the quality of your life a little more. "
By- Mighty Peking Man
Jung Wong (Han Seok-Kyu) is a thirty-something single guy. He runs a small, but active, photo lab that he operates all by himself. He's good at what he does and enjoys it as if it were his most respectable hobby. When Jung Wong isn't working at the lab, he spends most of his leisure time alone, doing things like day-dreaming, lounging and sleeping - which he openly jokes about. Jung Wong is a joyful man who is very down-to-earth. He's always smiling, laughing and being extra gentle to everyone he encounters. Sometimes, he doesn't even charge people for his photo services out of the kindness of his heart.
However, there's a darkside to Jung Wong's life that people, other than his sister and dad, are not aware of. He has a serious illness and recent visits to the health clinic hints that his time is is almost up, in fact, it's just days away. What's really ashamed is that he has a new customer named Darim, a lovely meter-maid, who he gains an immediate interest in. After numerous visits to his photo lab, she also develops her own kind of attraction towards him. The two grow a little closer to each other as they start to go on friendly dates that include sharing ice cream and taking long, romantic walks on rainy days. Because of Darim, Jung Wong may be at the peak of happiness - but things start to go awry for him as he puts the reality of his serious illness between them.
Not only does his illness affect the relationship with Darim (Shim Eun-ha), but it also affects his relationship with his father, sister and old friends. At one point, Jung Wong is teaching his father how to use a VCR. Because of his father's old age, he can't grasp his directions - even after numerous explanations. Unable to tolerate his father's ability to learn, Jung Wong loses his patience, yells at his father and walks off. The next scene has Jung Wong writing detailed instructions on how to operate a VCR on a large piece of cardboard. The fact is, Jung Wong didn't actually lose patience towards his father. He was reacting to the fact that his life is going to end soon, and he's not going to be around to help him with simple things like 'working a VCR'. He soon does the same with his equipment at his photo lab, which he knows someone may take over when his time comes.
As I write this review, my feelings for this movie have grown to a more positive side. Not only did I have a better understanding for the 'moral' (if any) of the film, but I realized my appreciation for it as I was putting it in writing. The truth is, when the film ended the night I watched it, I had mixed feelings. In fact, I nearly hated it. It's definitely a slow-paced film and there aren't too many scenes that get your attention, but for the very few that do, they grab your heart. It's one of those films that make you recognize the quality of your life a little more. It also makes you more grateful for not having health problems while something very important is going on in life, like falling in love. And that's what "Christmas in August" is, a love story.
Fine performances by Han Seok-Kyu ("Shiri" and "No. 3") and Shim Eun-ha ("Art Museum by the Zoo" and "Interview"). They both would re-team a year later in the Chang Yoon-hyun's thriller "Tell Me Something".
[ Last edited by ode on 2004-8-10 at 11:01 AM ] |
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匿名
发表于 2004-5-30 15:43
