Du beonjjae gyeoul / Second Winter (2016) - Portraying issues of young adults in South Korea - 4/10 (18/08/19)

Second Winter is certainly a very unusual movie. This drama follows a few days in the life of a young couple living in a big city in South Korea. They are both twenty-nine years old and have been married for a little bit less than two years. Hyun-ho has recently quit his job and tries to become an actor. Jung-hee struggles to find a job because she is married and potential employers believe she might get pregnant soon. The couple lives in a small apartment with a broken boiler. They are ashamed of their financial problems that soon become a burden for their relationship. Hyun-ho doesn't tell his mother that he has quit his job and also hides the fact that he has resumed working after his attempts at becoming an actor failed from his wife.

The movie certainly exposes the struggles a lot of young people face in South Korea. Society expects them to succeed at having their own families, getting great jobs and living in shiny apartments. The couple in this film tries to turn things around but is out of luck. The struggles with their families, devastating unemployment and financial issues are heartbreaking. Second Winter makes viewers empathize with this young couple and its issues.

The film uses unusual recording techniques. The camera work is very static. For example, a camera is put across the couple's bed. For about two and a half minutes, the viewers observe how the lovers kiss each other. For the next two and a half minutes, they talk about their broken boiler. The film then transitions to the next scene and the same approach is repeated. There are no special effects and no soundtrack which gives this slice of life the vibe of a documentary.

Second Winter certainly has a few creative ideas but it's still hard to sit through. There is no particular story to speak of. The pace is very slow. The camera work is too static. The two lead actors don't have much chemistry. The movie doesn't have a real start or finish.

In the end, Second Winter is a drama about the struggles of young adults in contemporary South Korea. However, the movie only states the obvious facts people are already familiar with. It fails to leave a deeper impression and is at times simply stated boring. I don't regret spending a little bit more than one hour watching this movie but would neither recommend nor watch it again.