Once In A Summer (Geuhae yeoreum)
Director: Jo Geun Sik
Starring: Lee Byung-hyun (Bittersweet Life, JSA) and Sue Ae
Set in Korea in 1969 during the dictatorship of President Park Chung-hee when student unrest was beginning to climax, and the military were in fear of Communists from the North. Parties of students volunteered to go on workgroups to remote villages to help work in the fields or do general odd jobs that require more labour. On one of these workgroups is reluctant participant Seok-yeong, son of a wealthy family with a domineering and distant father. He soon perks up when he catches sight of young Jeong-in in the precious village library that her missing parents help to build. We soon see that Jeong-in is somewhat of an outsider in the village due to the fact that her parents were Communists.
Soek-yeong sets out to have a summer romance with Jeong-in but his sense of humour and teasing manner isn’t what this innocent country girl is used to. Soon politics gets to interfere in the young lovers lives to a tragic degree.
Played out in flashback, the story is told around a tv programme assistant whose task is to trace people for a programme about someone who you wish to meet again one last time. Soek-yeong, who has become an old and revered professor, has only one person who would fulfil that desire for him.
This film isn’t a straightforward summer fling film, it’s a sweet story of young love and a lifelong nostalgiac ache of what might have been. One moment in time and a sacrifice that affects the rest of your life. A simple story but through both lead actors being so convincing, that by the end you’d need a heart of stone not to cry. Nice reflections of the times too just to ground the film, including a funny section on Armstrong's moon walk.
The film looks gorgeous too, specially the scenes in the countryside. Don't go thinking that it's all serious and miserable either cos there is humour in a lot of the film, specially around the villagers and their attitude towards the students.
4 out of 5
Director: Jo Geun Sik
Starring: Lee Byung-hyun (Bittersweet Life, JSA) and Sue Ae
Set in Korea in 1969 during the dictatorship of President Park Chung-hee when student unrest was beginning to climax, and the military were in fear of Communists from the North. Parties of students volunteered to go on workgroups to remote villages to help work in the fields or do general odd jobs that require more labour. On one of these workgroups is reluctant participant Seok-yeong, son of a wealthy family with a domineering and distant father. He soon perks up when he catches sight of young Jeong-in in the precious village library that her missing parents help to build. We soon see that Jeong-in is somewhat of an outsider in the village due to the fact that her parents were Communists.
Soek-yeong sets out to have a summer romance with Jeong-in but his sense of humour and teasing manner isn’t what this innocent country girl is used to. Soon politics gets to interfere in the young lovers lives to a tragic degree.
Played out in flashback, the story is told around a tv programme assistant whose task is to trace people for a programme about someone who you wish to meet again one last time. Soek-yeong, who has become an old and revered professor, has only one person who would fulfil that desire for him.
This film isn’t a straightforward summer fling film, it’s a sweet story of young love and a lifelong nostalgiac ache of what might have been. One moment in time and a sacrifice that affects the rest of your life. A simple story but through both lead actors being so convincing, that by the end you’d need a heart of stone not to cry. Nice reflections of the times too just to ground the film, including a funny section on Armstrong's moon walk.
The film looks gorgeous too, specially the scenes in the countryside. Don't go thinking that it's all serious and miserable either cos there is humour in a lot of the film, specially around the villagers and their attitude towards the students.
4 out of 5
Last edited by christine; 01-20-08 at 11:43 AM.