Korean Film -Peppermint Candy - Movie Review Example

“Peppermint Candy” Lee Chang Dong intends to create a serious and interesting story thatrefers to significant problems in the society in general, and highlights the tragedy of an individual. “Peppermint Candy” is considered to be an example of such movie. It has been produced in 1999 in the South Korea (Shin and Stringer, 160). “Peppermint Candy” is regarded as a highly appreciated movie with recognition and a huge number of rewards. Lee Chang Dong constructs the film that reveals the destruction of personality in the social, economical and political context that surrounds him. Personal life of an individual intersects with the historical and cultural specifications of the country in a particular historical period of time. “Peppermint Candy” is successfully embodied this idea into its perfect content and unforgettable form. The central character in “Peppermint Candy” is considered to be a man that is named Kim Yong-ho. The opening scene of the film introduces his intention to commit a suicide. Kim Yong-ho stays on rails in front of the moving train with the words “I want to go back again” (Shin and Stringer, 161). Viewers have a chance to observe the result of his entire life, but the reasons seem in this situation more interesting. It is relevant to admit that further actions in the movie represent the number of causes that lead to such tragic and irrevocable final. The last words of Kim Yong-ho expose his desire to return to the past and built his life differently. The moment of frustration and despair is included into the opening scene and viewers are involved to Kim Yong-ho’s self disappointment and discord of his personality. This man does not find a sense in his life and does not have a desire to exist. Obviously, he wishes to correct his mistakes, but his understanding and recognition of inability to fix the past induces him only to death. He stays in front of the moving train and ready to go to eternity. The filmmakers of “Peppermint Candy” place the moment of highest emotional tension in the beginning of the movie. The step-by-step explanation goes next through the number of flashbacks that constructs the entire film. Lee Chang Dong uses the technique of reverse chronology in order to objectify his concept into this particular movie. Viewers pretend to follow the most relevant episodes from the Kim Yong-ho’s personal and social life. The last twenty years of his existence is depicted in the “Peppermint Candy” with the help of “reverse temporal denouement” beginning with 1999 and ending with 1979 years (Shin and Stringer, 161). Auditory is in need to update the information from the end of his story that makes the film curious and unusual. It is relevant to suggest that the film is full of important details and metaphorical implications that make it special and interesting to the auditory. More or less they all perform a significant role in the understanding of the film and recognition of the central problems that are involved into the movie. The image of peppermint candy is considered to highly important in the film. It is related to the Yong-ho’s childhood and youth together with sweet and carefree memories. The period when his soul has been full of pure love and sincere intentions is associated with the peppermint candy. Sweet nostalgia correlates with the cruel reality in the film. Therefore, it is relevant to admit that the moment when these candies have been stamped by soldier’s boots can be interpreted as the valediction with childish idealistic perception of reality. In addition, the ridiculous shot at the innocent victim has helped this difficult process to finish. That can be regarded as a symbolic transformation to the adult person with all problems of the adult life. The image of train is considered to be highly important in the implicit context of this particular movie. Metaphorically, train is regarded as a transfer in “Peppermint Candy” in its different meanings. It should be suggested that the filmmakers choose the train as a mean of life deprivation. If to take under consideration protagonist’s intention to die, train can be interpreted as a transfer into the different world where Yong-ho’s soul finds comfort. Still, if to examine the image of train from a different perspective it can be regarded as the transfer to the past of the character, while Yong-ho is considered to be the passenger at the last wagon that is named life. One more important detail that is in need to be discussed is the tunnel. It symbolizes Yong-ho’s consciousness and inner world that is dark and complicated. Still, as everyone knows every tunnel has a light at the end of it; that may be a gleam of hope and change for the better. Lee Chang Dong makes a serious and interesting movie that involves implications on the more important and global levels than one life. It is possible to parallel the moments of Yong-ho’s life that are included to the movie with a history of South Korea. The temporal bounds of the protagonist’s life coincide with some important historical events that are under consideration on a national and even a global level. The film director successfully and subtly draws the line between the private matters of one person and the historical context of the entire nation. Lee Chang Dong has been able to involve the experience and emotions of the whole country into the life of one man. The first flashback in the movie takes place a few days before the suicide. It corresponds with the “1999 IMF crisis and the general downturn in Asian economies” (Hamid, n.p.). That has been the moment when Yong-ho loses everything significant in his life. He has looked like a person who is very close to the suicidal intentions. His business, family affairs have been destroyed; moreover, his first love Sun-im pretends to be in coma and this has been the last drop that leads him to the state of frustration. Yong-ho experiences a state of hopelessness and, obviously, he has no forces to live more in this evil, cruel, ridiculous, flagrant and unfair world. The second flashback is connected with “the height of South Korea’s economic boom in 1994” (Hamid, n.p.). This is considered to be a period of economic growth and freedoms after the 30-year period of military dictatorship (Hamid, n.p.). Yong-ho is presented as a serious person and owner of furniture business. He has money and family but does not appreciate all of this. He has an affair with his assistant; moreover, his wife stays in romantic relationships with her driver. The family values are destroyed and mutilated. He punishes his wife for the unfair attitude to him, but his behavior is immoral and unfair in relation to his wife Hong-ja. The next sequence transforms viewers to the 1987 year. That has been a period of “student demonstrations over the announcement that General Roh Tae-woo” (Hamid, n.p.). It should be admitted that over 100 young participants of demonstrations have been shot during this period. The central character Yong-ho is presented as one of the cruel policemen who tortures young students with sadism and anger. That has been his obligation in front of his government and he fulfills it with proud. The next two flashbacks are straightforwardly connected with Yong-ho’s military service. That corresponds to “his mandatory military service in 1984” and “his service in the Gwangju Massacre in 1980” (Hamid, n.p.). That is considered to be a period that changes Yong-ho. In the army this man loses his innocence and naivety. Military life implicates to his mind cruelty, anger, pain and obligation. His difficult and disputable relationships with his first love Sun-im are also included to these sections. It is relevant to suggest that the last flashback is concentrated on his first meeting with Sun-im in 1979. That has been an autumn picnic with Yong-ho’s group mates. Sun-im has been a special person in his life. This has been a first love that he never forgets and never hates. In addition, it is relevant to highlights the idea of influence of chosen technique into the perception of historical events. Reverse chronology used in the film allows viewers to break “the ideology of positivistic progressivism that is inherent in historicism” (Shin and Stringer, 167). In other words it permits viewers to interpret the official history in an interesting and unusual way. The linear structure of historicity is broken in this particular film. Taking all fact under consideration it is relevant to admit that “Peppermint Candy” represents a dramatic story about one person that has been innocent and naïve but life circumstances and reality lead him to deplorable final. Lee Chang Dong involves to this film larger context that makes it successful and recognizable in Korea in particular and in the world in general. Film directors succeeds to involve into the life of a separate person the problems and feelings of all nation. The historical context is brightly implicated into the private affairs of the central character of the “Peppermint Candy”. The basic historical events are straightforwardly influenced the life of the entire country and every single person. That can be recognizable from the lifeline of protagonist of the movie. Moreover, it should be admitted that symbolic images and implicit details those are included into the movie make it interesting and rather special. The name of the movie itself, the train and tunnel reflect the inner world of the main character and refer to some important emotional states. “Peppermint Candy” is an incredible and well-directed example of modern Korean cinematography. It successfully introduces a new wave in the context of Korean cinema and culture. Reference List: Hamid, Rahul. “Peppermint Candy”. Senses of Cinema, Issue 63. June, 2012. Web. 16 Feb, 2015. http://sensesofcinema.com/2012/cteq/peppermint-candy/ Shin, Chi-Yun and Stringer, Julian. “New Korean Cinema”. USA: New York University Press, 2005. Print. Read More