Jeon Do-Yeon is the most beautiful erotic woman in film making today ! I’ve been reading a lot of reviews and commentary on the film trying to find one that will reveal its true brilliance to me, but so far I’ve not found anything convincing. One of the better films that deal with grief that I’ve seen. Plentiful sunshine. Secret Sunshine, by showing one woman’s tragic life, questions where humanity’s salvation comes from. This dictum is especially true for Jun’s killer, Park (Jo Young-jin), who — in a deft touch — is at once Jun’s teacher and a normal sort of guy, and then a controlling, almost violent parent in other scenes. Looking good! As per Jong-chan’s luck, however, he takes her to a salon manned by the offspring of her child’s murderer. It helps, too, that her crying is subdued not so much by a human being, but by a disembodied priest’s arm that comes out of nowhere and allows her to ‘see’. This is because both sides of Park’s character (and his eventual religious conversion) are realistic parts of a fractured whole, and while they make good sense apart from each other, they are even more suggestive when taken together. Some met in what were called “hush harbors,” or secret meetings held outside of established churches. So far, “Peppermint Candy” is the most anomic and disappointing. You could not be signed in, please check and try again. 17 TMDb Bot. That might make for a cautionary tale- I’ll agree- but it’s a terrible way to end a work of art, which is what this is. The film questions the motivations of certain individuals related to the Church and how there is no such thing as a quick and easy solution to emotional turmoil. We are introduced to Shin-ae after the major event of her husband’s death, but we leave it without fully comprehending the path of her future. Rather than hunt for examples, however, I’ll just start at the film’s end, which is usually where these tendencies come and so often get mis-managed. I saw Shoplifters, it was OK. Put simply, Secret Sunshine shows how religion uses us and how we use religion. The fascinating concept of Secret Sunshine is that it does not follow a more traditional narrative arch of ‘set-up’, ‘confrontation’, then ‘resolution’. Yes, the two would go on to craft better films, but just as interesting as the films, themselves, is this on-screen evidence: evidence that might get things wrong, but shows all the little paths a director could have taken, instead, thus crystallizing the art a lesser film might otherwise occlude. Eight of the 22 priests … Because he can’t accept it. Perhaps Lee Chang-dong didn’t trust himself. I just saw this movie and I’m not sure exactly how Shin-ae knew it was the school-teacher who did it. With my limited sampling of their works, I’m can’t compare the two, but I can see Lee Chang-dong being the superior artist, given he actually seems to be aiming for art (at least in Secret Sunshine and Oasis), whereas Bong Joon-ho crafts what’s basically entertaining agitprop. Secret Sunshine also contains many of the developments that have marked modern-day South Korea, including the presence of Christianity as a key part of the modern nation. It is like Da Vinci Code. In another instance within the church, individuals line the pews with their heads dipped down in prayer; however they resemble more of an aisle of lost souls than a collective of religious enthusiasts seeking salvation. Instead we get this pretentious crime thriller with a braindead, mouth-breathing, doorknob of a protagonist and a script larded with dumbest-possible-actions. At film’s end, Shin-ae doesn’t really grow; she merely has her flaws intensified, her sickness brought to the fore, as the thing that comes to define her. Bong Joon-ho’s movies are more polished (better VFX, more sophisticated action scenes, better acting, etc. Nor is Chan merely the film’s comic relief, for he is both the narrative’s perennial loser as well as one of its few decent personages. Secret Sunshine is very much a character study, yes, but it's also an exploration of Christianity from the outside looking in. I don’t think so, but if I were, I wouldn’t even know. s. 49 sherlcok. I’ll eventually review all of them. Yes, the film can be ham-fisted at times, such as when Shin-ae attempts to sabotage a religious festival by changing its music (the first word her song broadcasts is “lies”), or early scenes with Jun where he pretends to get lost, thus signposting the future, but such missteps are uncommon, even if, overall, they take the film a few notches below greatness. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. - IndieReader, "...picks apart Allen's filmography like an engineer; he looks at them, forces us to acknowledge them and ultimately opens the door for our own opinions to be formed." Oak said that “Secret Sunshine” was a hot topic of conversation in churches and the news media in South Korea this year. It does not recap their lives, clarify the film’s meanings, alter its direction, change what has or might have transpired, or do anything, really, except strain for a depth that’s not there, but merely occludes the one that should have played out fully. Indeed, for it is really Chan’s presence — despite being a ‘mere’ supporting actor — as a ‘normal’ guy who witnesses and reacts to all this, in his refusal to leave Shin-ae to her own devices, that helps the narrative reach and succeed more deeply. To this end, the religious aspect of the film also serves a deeper purpose when Shin-ae, in a silly move, decides to visit prison to ‘forgive’ her son’s murderer, only to find that he does not need her forgiveness, as he, himself, has become Christian, and has been forgiven by God before her. A visitation with Rosary for Leonor will be held Tuesday, November 12, 2019 from 9:00AM to 10:00AM at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Barstow, California. Finally, that boy realizes what has happened, but the ending still tries to tug at the heartstrings hoping you care. FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please Yet I’m here to say that it doesn’t really matter, for the effect is what trumps all, and what, in this case, can be quite instructive to a wise viewer: as a mistake to look out for in future works of art that he might engage with, or create. Having re-watched 2007’s much-lauded Secret Sunshine, one can’t help but draw comparisons between Korea’s Lee Chang-dong and Japan’s Hirokazu Koreeda, not only in their style — realistic, character-driven dramas on a variety of themes — but also in the disconnect between their most-loved films (at least back at home) and their best, as well as the respective flaws of each director. As before, had Lee Chang-dong explained any of this over-much, Park would simply be a predictable Hollywood-type killer instead of the fleshed-out person that’s shown here. Sure, it is cynical, it is polemic, but it is well-executed, meaningful cynicism, and it is great polemic, not mere agitprop. Chan, too, has his purpose, such as in a great scene where he ridiculously sings karaoke to himself as Shin-ae is roaming the streets, hysterical about her son’s kidnapping, thus giving an image to Chan’s impotence. Anyway, I thought the movie would be about people trying to create relationships and find meaning and all that in a society that doesn’t encourage or even actively works against any really deep examples of those things. Most people love the movie because the poor and marginalized immediately garner a lot of sympathy, but I’ve found some people who utterly hate the movie because they found the characters reprehensible. She nervously approaches Shin-ae, begins the haircut, and Shin-ae — despite a large portion of her hair now being lopped off — runs out into her own backyard. I felt the same about “Parasite” although I think Lee Chang-dong is a better overall filmmaker than Bong Joon-Ho. Lee Shin-ae (Jeon Do-yeon) has just returned from a mental health hospital, and decides to go get a haircut. It had a sad ending, but that’s not at all revolutionary in this day and age. m. 19 mmassias. I thought “Poetry” was incredible, which is the only other Lee Chang-dong I’ve seen. Given that it’s his worst film, it’ll probably either confirm my observations of Burning (if he’ll have made the same mistakes in both films) or prompt me to watch it again to see if the differences mean that Burning was actually good or just a different kind of bad. It reminded me of Shin-ae’s earlier remark that her husband had once said that his hometown’s soil was the best to grow up/live on (something like that). The film, to this end, opens with Shin-ae’s interactions with her son, Jun (Jung-yeop Seon), revealing her to be a good mother that’s a little too hung up on herself: she’s moving to Miryang, a fairly small town that is, nonetheless, her dead husband’s childhood home. Keywords: Is it simply because the main girl is saddled with debt and lives in a shitty apartment? Secret Sunshine was a hot topic of conversation in Korea. “Secret Sunshine” — a 2007 film by Lee Chang-dong now making a tardy but welcome American debut — takes place in a South Korean town called Miryang, described by … If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian. ... church; child kidnapping; miryang; Content Score. Scenes showing over-emotional and shallow church group meetings, the "Christian's" mean and aggressive ways of preaching and the adultery of a devoted church member were painfully realistic. Secret Sunshine is not only about the choices people make, but also how choices can come ready-made, only waiting to fill some void of character.   Sadly, the lame murder mystery plot, the number of hints and clues and details peppered throughout the film that never amount to anything, and the utter stupidity and banality of the main guy and girl (but especially the guy- “mouth-breather” isn’t a cheap insult, it’s literally what he is) tarnished the entire thing for me. The story counterbalances the stealing of children in how they ‘rescue’ one from a non-caring, emotionally abusive situation, but the other child’s life and, possibly future are altered for no reason from his true parents and home. List. She shows us that humans don't react to a difficult situation just by being sad. After all, Chan is not sick, in Shin-ae’s sense, but still knows no better, for his own issues — immaturity, little to no self-worth — are highlighted by Shin-ae’s, connecting her to a world from which she’d otherwise be completely disconnected, both as a character within a film, and as a person with whom a viewer can empathize. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBookstore, & Google Play Books! This is a nostrum that’s brilliantly recapitulated by the film’s ending, even as it’s rarely accepted out in the ‘real’ world, and even less understood. Tragedy provokes her allegiance to the church; over time, God’s apparent indifference tears it. Had Lee Chang-dong larded the film with pointless forays into her past, apart from the central drama that is on the screen, now, the viewer would have no choice but to wonder less, imbue less, and engage less — a mechanic that’s certain death in a film as long and multivalent as this one. Have you watched Burning, his 2018 movie? “Burning” was mediocre. On another note, have you watched Koreda’s Shoplifters and The Third Murder? For, in many ways, the lackluster Green Fish (1997) is to Korea what After Life (1998) is to Japan: films that rightly heralded 2 new talents, even though the evidence typically proffered for such was wrong, coming, as it had, too early in their careers, when they were still developing their sense for art. Keep doing what you like (even if you do it a bit less than you did before!) This is because the film is not really ‘about’ religion, or mental illness, or any other singular thing, but merely uses these elements for a higher purpose: that of a realistic drama whose strength begins and ends with its sense of character. Secret Sunshine , by showing one woman's tragic life, questions where humanity's salvation comes from. . Of course, the morals of the characters are irrelevant to the quality of the art, nor should they be conflated with the morals of the artist, but that’s why I’d like to hear a better, objective reading of the film from you. Other stand-out scenes include the tail-end of Shin-ae’s rejection, wherein her church group is busy praying for her soul, completely oblivious to what’s really going on, only to get a brick in the window their effort; Shin-ae ‘asleep’ on the couch, and snoring, thus harking back to a much earlier scene with Jun, who pretends to snore merely to resemble his father: and now, Shin-ae, to resemble her son; Shin-ae’s fearful reaction to an earthworm (never seen) as the de facto transition to full-blown psychosis; Jun’s dead body, which is not shown except for a crowd of spectators, shot from a good distance, accreting around some spot, with the typically expected features — facial expressions, gestures — wonderfully elided; and Chan’s sudden attack on Park, which has a forced, over-the-top quality that highlights both Chan’s motivations, as well as his reticent approach to life. For instance, although Shin-ae’s dead husband seems to have a hold over her, it is eventually revealed that he was a user and cheater, thus casting doubt on Shin-ae’s own interpretation of the past, as well as her inner health in the deeper sense of the word. contact us The killer should cry as hard as he can. Am I the braindead, mouth-breathing doorknob? A lot of people are obsessed with the “subtext,” imbuing whatever social and political trends and issues are currently in vogue onto the various hints and clues and details in the film, but as I mentioned before, none of them go into HOW any of this matters. The Third Murder was just pretentious in the same way Burning was, though it had some neat visuals involving reflections. Meanwhile, Secret Sunshine opens up to become a surprisingly nuanced exploration of forgiveness and the Christian faith. 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