Beoning / Burning (2018) - Strange brew - 7/10 (29/03/19)

Burning had a quite strange effect on me. While I was watching the film, I thought it was long and tedious and at one point I even thought of stopping to watch it altogether. Especially the opening three fifths of the film are hard to sit through and the film's resolution isn't as spectacular as some people have claimed. Describing this movie as one of the greatest in Korean cinema would be an exaggeration given the fact that this country has made numerous absolutely outstanding films in the past two decades in particular.

However, the more I thought about the movie once it had concluded, the more I appreciated it. The film includes numerous details despite its dragging pace and the plot asks more questions than it actually answers which gives attentive viewers food for thought and discussion.

The storytelling is certainly unique as it can't be compared to anything I have ever watched before. It's much more ambiguous than other Korean dramas such as Park Chan-wooks lavish The Handmaiden or Im Sang-soo's The Housemaid with its cold social criticism. On the other side, the movie never drifts off into the realm of fantasy or science-fiction like Kim Ki-duk's quietly romantic 3-Iron or Park Chan-wook's heartwarming I'm a Cyborg, but That's OK. Burning is certainly one of a kind.

The story revolves around three detailed characters or so it seems since the viewers only get the protagonist's at times questionable perspective of events. Lee Song-ju is a shy, lonesome and doubtful young man who performs odd jobs in town and takes care of his father's dilapidated farm when he is arrested for assault.

The young man coincidentally meets a former childhood neighbour and classmate who helps him win a watch. Shin Hae-mi is outgoing and expressive but also socially awkward and quite naive. The two connect as they bond in their struggle with their social isolation while feeling attracted by their quite different and sometimes even opposite philosophies. One day, Shin Hae-mi travels to Africa and asks Lee Song-ju to take care of her cat that seemingly lives in her chaotic flat but is never to be seen.

When she comes back after several weeks, she is accompanied by Ben whom she met during a crisis related to a terror warning abroad. Ben is sociable, smart and rich and quite the opposite of both Shin Hae-mi and Lee Song-ju. He seems to be well-mannered, intellectual and generous but is at times self-centered, mysterious and manipulative.

One night, the three meet at Lee Song-ju's farm and smoke pot. Hae-mi takes off her shirt and performs an African dance expressing hunger for the meaning of life in front of the two men. Lee Song-ju admits to Ben that he is in love with Hae-mi. Ben also has something to confess and admits that he burns down abandoned barns once every two months. After their meeting, Shin Hae-mi departs with Ben and they leave Lee Song-ju behind. From that moment on, Lee Song-ju doesn't hear from Shin Hae-mi anymore. Her flat is in perfect order but has been abandoned. She hasn't shown up for her pantomime classes. Even her family hasn't heard of her and doesn't want to see her anyway because of her credit card debt. Lee Song-ju starts to believe that Ben might have murdered Shin Hae-mi and starts investigating.

Several events in the movie raise questions that remain unanswered. Who is regularly calling Lee Song-ju in the middle of the night? How come he doesn't remember Shin Hae-min and her troubled past while she seems to remember everything about him? What is Ben's interest in the fairly average-looking Shin Hae-min when he is constantly surrounded by great-looking rich women of the high society? Does Ben really burn down barns? Does Shin Hae-min's cat actually exist? I have my own theories related to each of these and many other questions and the viewer must actively think about such elements in order to make sense of the movie. My interpretation might be completely different from someone else's interpretation of events. This makes the movie so interesting to discuss.

In the end, Burning is a slow burn but its aftermath really sets things afire. While initially not appreciating the film, I feel like revisiting it with friends for second or even third opinions to discuss the story. This mystery drama has grown on me. I would recommend this film to people who consider themselves intellectual and patient. If you think Captain Marvel is the greatest film of the year so far, then Burning is certainly not for you.