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| I was initially thinking it would be kind of like a Korean In the Mood for Love (or honestly, for a second something like Your Name, since I was going in blind). You kind of had to bring a bit to it yourself to it, and I was. But I did feel that was the major weakness, even padding it out a bit would have worked. |
Anyway. I thought it was good at that point, but it really turned into something special following that bedroom discussion she has with her husband. Lots of things to think about with language and who we are.
I think the husband is a very important character to motivating everything, even though he feels surplus initially (and arguably inferior). Obviously the big emotional scene is when they slowly turn and meet eye contact. Directly facing one another. He says his words (cut to them as kids, and I feel Nora responded as an adult but in a kid like way, kind of harkening back to what she said about her past self), and then is gone. (if we think that’s it, he does invite the husband to Korea - which I almost saw as a kind of joke at the time, but /maybe/) That emotional release she has was important for me liking it as well. I got choked up.
I don’t know if I believe it, but I could see some argument about how understanding the husband is. In that he acts almost in the way that you would expect Hae Sung to act. He carries himself differently than previously. And I’m wondering if that was intentional, as if there’s some in-yeon connection between them, which they did hint at previously). You imagine the husband had to have some past life, woven into everything as well and he ended up in contact with her. And overarching all of it is kind of a way that yeah - it probably is nonsense, but we apply this meaning to it, and live many past lives in ourselves.
Moments of change and interactions with other people. I was reminded of this comment that I had clipped and kind of was the reason why I started writing this. It speaks of how to some extent we carry others within us. A big part of romance for me, is eye contact. Pride and Prejudice 2005 (which I just rewatched, and probably could watch every day) nails this. This movie also did it exceptionally well. Yeah, you definitely are right about things. But I did enjoy this a lot, after that bedroom scene.
I guess it’s also an appropriate quote for the longing. I recently reread Calvino’s Baron In the Trees (fable kind of tale about a boy who refuses a meal and rebels, climbs a tree and lives his life there). That period includes a relationship (with someone who makes him question tree life) which fails and he comments
The movie (and that screenshot) definitely touches on fundamental truths about relationships, “past lives,” and carrying others with us. I definitely agree the husband plays a crucial role in helping to weave all those “What if’s” together, and his introduction is when the movie started to connect with me more. The “dreaming in another language” bit was thought-provoking. And I liked when Hae-Sung said something along the lines of, “I hate how much I like your husband.” That hit me. The ending was perfect. I was happy there was no line crossing and that it ended “correctly.” There’s also a theme of Nora being a crier as a child, then not crying anymore as an adult (“because no one cares”), and then breaking down at the end. It was very moving, although I didn’t feel bad for anyone by the end (which is a tricky accomplishment). I think the inviting to Korea bit was one of those polite gestures that you know deep-down will never be accepted. A way of coming to a logical ending while keeping a symbolic door open (which may tie into other themes in the movie…now I’m starting to think). Conceptually, the movie is very cohesive. It’s possible as I marinate on it more that it’ll elevate my overall evaluation of it.
I think I’ll revisit it in some time. After I watched I skimmed some parts again, like that ending. I had some thoughts before bed I was exploring and wrote down. I’ll have to rewatch at some point as well. First the idea of folklore as “nonsense” that might hint at something true but lacking the ability to express besides “magical” terms. I don’t think this is always the case, but you can get the sense that certain people get a sense of some phenomenon that has a heart in reality, but the explanation is off. Thinking in terms of the movie the “past lives ” or “contact” cultural tradition in the movie. Kind of like how a community might “discover” a cryptid, or some creature of myth when there’s an actual reality (a non-native bird pushed into their community by storm etc) or feeling sweat or a chill and thinking it’s a passed love one being around. The “nonsense” explanation might be derived before something “scientific.” Not to discredit science or seeking truth (I’d personally have a hard time believing in the romantic past lives explanation ) What’s kind of interesting with Past Lives is that cultural tradition is present for her in her Korean life, but it seems gone in NY. You wonder how much each of them actually believe it. She has to bridge that understanding to her culture. She holds it in her. Kind of related to this I was thinking of the beginning scene where we see the 3 of them at the bar. I was kind of concerned here because I thought I knew what was going on immediately (like the relationship context, third party). This might be me overanalyzing (just exploring the idea I had) but the thought I had was that we become the audience there. I think a lot of people got that part. But in a way we also are physically present there, and so woven into that who past lives fate with them by the contact. I could relate to their love and longing. Kind of like how film presents us with these narratives and images that we collectively relate to based on our own experiences and other lives
. Kind of how it is mentioned something along that lines of people in your space, maybe inconsequentially are linked “past lives ” By putting is in the film like that we are connected with them metaphysically?