When the history books are written to include modern world cinema, one name that is sure to be mentioned as a titan not just of Korean or Asian cinema, but cinema in general, will undoubtedly be that of South Korean maestro Lee Chang-dong. In a career spanning more than 25 years now, starting in the early days of the Korean New Wave all the way till the modern day, Lee has made a mere six feature films, almost all of which are generally considered among the finest. In their 2022 edition, the Jeonju International Film Festival held a retrospective of the celebrated director’s works, which included 4k remastered versions of all of Lee’s feature films, along with the world premieres of his new short “Heartbeat” and “Lee Chang-dong: The Art of Irony”, a new retrospective documentary by French director Alain Mazars.
Much like Lee’s breakthrough sophomore work “Peppermint Candy...
Much like Lee’s breakthrough sophomore work “Peppermint Candy...
- 2/23/2023
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Burning"
Where You Can Stream It: Kanopy (Free), Pluto TV or Tubi (Free with ads)
The Pitch: An aspiring writer reconnects with a young woman he knew growing up, only to become mired in head games with her mysterious rich friend as she disappears without a trace.
In the wrong hands, ambiguity can be a cop-out and a crutch for weak storytelling. There are times when "open to interpretation" feels like code for "not a lot going on." While rewatching "Burning" this week, it occurred to me that part of the reason its narrative works so well and remains so tense and haunting is because, on one level, it's all about how we interpret life's ambiguities.
Rather than...
The Movie: "Burning"
Where You Can Stream It: Kanopy (Free), Pluto TV or Tubi (Free with ads)
The Pitch: An aspiring writer reconnects with a young woman he knew growing up, only to become mired in head games with her mysterious rich friend as she disappears without a trace.
In the wrong hands, ambiguity can be a cop-out and a crutch for weak storytelling. There are times when "open to interpretation" feels like code for "not a lot going on." While rewatching "Burning" this week, it occurred to me that part of the reason its narrative works so well and remains so tense and haunting is because, on one level, it's all about how we interpret life's ambiguities.
Rather than...
- 8/20/2022
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong and Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami share distinct fixations — loneliness and desire — so the combination of their talents feels like a natural fit. No surprise then that “Burning,” Lee’s first feature in eight years, expands Murakami’s short story “Barn Burning” into an enthralling look at working-class frustrations in which a sad figure chases elusive possibilities
As with “Secret Sunshine” and “Poetry,” Lee takes his time combing through a scenario rich with the ineffable sadness of people at the mercy of a cruel world. The result is a haunting, beautiful tone poem. Lee takes his forlorn character to unpredictable places, leading to an outcome that dangles tantalizing questions and potent themes.
Murakami’s abstract narrative provides an ideal template for Lee’s standard fixations, resulting in a dark and often gripping look at the soul-searing plight of an alienated young man. That’s Lee Jongsu (Ah-in...
As with “Secret Sunshine” and “Poetry,” Lee takes his time combing through a scenario rich with the ineffable sadness of people at the mercy of a cruel world. The result is a haunting, beautiful tone poem. Lee takes his forlorn character to unpredictable places, leading to an outcome that dangles tantalizing questions and potent themes.
Murakami’s abstract narrative provides an ideal template for Lee’s standard fixations, resulting in a dark and often gripping look at the soul-searing plight of an alienated young man. That’s Lee Jongsu (Ah-in...
- 5/16/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
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