The wide-open space of the countryside is contrasted with the more circumspect and distanced view glimpsed out of the car window. Although Shin-aes journey into faith and out again ultimately rails against the undiscriminating forgiveness of god, the film does not fall back on easy stereotypes of the vacuously happy Christian or of a rigid fundamentalism. Relocating from the bustling metropolis of Seoul to her late husband's. hometown of Miryang makes her in some way still feel connected to the man she loved so deeply. Acting is an art form, and behind every iconic character is an artist expressing themselves. As she gazes up at the sky and speaks with God, she by extension speaks with the audience. Shin-ae's anger is meant to be entirely understandable to the audience. She is alone; for a moment, she is even shielded from the audience. She winds up outside of a house where her Christian friends are holding a prayer vigil for her and shatters a window with a rock. Secret Sunshine (2007) Secret Sunshine (2007) 7.5 6,067 Trailer Sin-ae moves with her son Jun to Miryang, the town where her dead husband was born. But God and the killer have a big and upsetting surprise for her: one that sends her careening into a downward spiral of self-destructive actions. [2] The screenplay based on the short fiction "The Story of a Bug" by Lee Cheong-jun that focuses on a woman as she wrestles with the questions of grief, madness and faith. Do-seop (her son's murderer) reveals that he too has found god and feels absolved for his crimes. The joy she feels takes over her life, and she begins attending Bible and prayer meetings. They give us a clearer indication of the transformation that grief puts its subject through. But when Shin-Ae visits the prison to forgive the killer, he tells her he has found God and has peace now that he knows God has forgiven him. Secret Sunshine. The Christians portrayed in Secret Sunshine are just suggesting a cookie cutter process they'd suggest to almost anybody who isn't Christian. 2:35. Film Review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Lee Shin-ae (Jeon Do-yeon) is a widow in her thirties whose husband died in an automobile accident. Appalled at the pitiful amount of money she paid, Shin-ae reveals that her claim to buying land was a lie to appear rich; she really had no more money. At home, Shin-ae slashes her wrists. It will return to this image of the sky several more times, with ever more complex associations and questioning motivations, initiating an almost literary pattern of repetition and variation. Because of that, she spirals back down into grief and hits an even lower point than she did earlier in the film. We acknowledge the sovereignty of the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin nation and support all Aboriginal people on their paths to self-determination. Eugene holds his dead friend hand and asks how this happened. Winnfield Police Dept . Now it's dominated by a simplistic love for god. Secret Sunshine: The Criterion Collection. They've never experienced suffering and loss like Shin-ae and they seem unable to simply sympathize with her. Minutes pass, and as the camera surveys the congregation singing, swaying, and surrendering to the spirit, we start to hear throaty, coughed-up wails. None of her supposed friends are actually willing to let her grieve on her own terms and when she starts to turn away from religion they blame her for not having faith. Korean director Chang-dong Lee, whose recent film Poetry made some film festival waves has a really interesting entry into the kidnapping genre. Secret Sunshine: Interview de Song Kang-Ho. Secret Sunshine - watch online: stream, buy or rent As she walks away, her expression is blank: she does not need to look proud or angry because the action speaks for itself. Details. It received multiple awards, including several Best Film wins and numerous Best Actress awards for Do-yeon. Browse more videos. When Changu's plot against Wei Young is revealed she is sentenced to be killed after giving birth. One afternoon, Shin-ae meets a middle-school girl (referred to as "the girl" from now onwards), whose father is Jun's daycare teacher. Business Insider recounts one of these more well-known incidents, when in 1950, a naval vessel in San Francisco Bay sprayed "two kinds of bacteria, Serratia marcescens and Bacillus globigii" under cover of morning fog in a "simulated germ-warfare attack" that infected approximately 800,000 people. Remove Ads Cast Crew Details Genres Cast , tragedy strikes for single mother Shin-ae (. Like, kind of gross but also cute happy. Released , 'Secret Sunshine' stars Jeon Do-yeon, Song Kang-ho, Jo Young-jin, Seon Jeong-yeop The movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 22 min, and received a user score of 71 (out of 100) on TMDb . SECRET SUNSHINE Movie - JEON Do-yeon, SONG Kang-ho. Indeed, Shin-ae is only able to maintain this facade in public. [16] In 2020, The Guardian ranked it number 7 among the classics of modern South Korean Cinema. When tragedy strikes, Shin Ae undergoes an emotionally shattering journey that pits her against everything she's known about humanity, love, forgiveness, and God. , is discovered dead in a river after having been kidnapped and held for ransom. Lee Shin-ae (Jeon Do-yeon) is a widow in her thirties whose husband died in an automobile accident. Shin-ae responds with a blank, lifeless stare, and the reaction is surprising, to say the least. Third and finally just as an FYI for anybody who doesn't know, almost exactly 30% of South Koreans identify as Christian. Jeon shows us how unnerving cryingthat most private, hidden, policed, and potentially shameful of expressionscan be when taken out in public, how defiant and perverse its demands for attention really are. She seems to feel it all. I've rambled on a lot here so I'll try and sum all this up in a relatively brief way. Shin-ae is sitting down cutting apples with a knife, but the camera is focused on her from the shoulders up. Musetto. Word spreads like wildfire in Miryang, and a man who covets her money kidnaps her son and asks for a ransom. As she gazes up at the sky and speaks with God, she by extension speaks with the audience. Even I must admit that Lee paints a rather unflattering picture of Christians, or at least one particular brand of Christians that like to compress, simplify and commodify their faith. Director Lee Chang-dong Writers Lee Chang-dong Chung-Joon Lee (novel) Stars Christianity has allowed her son's murderer to feel less conflicted and upset about his death than she feels. My guess is a month or two, though no indication is really given. Or at least not a Christian. A brief exchange indicates that this woman has actually taken her advice after initially complaining about her meddlesome, unwanted criticism and the liberating laughter of their initially uncomfortable conversation provides an earthy brake on Shin-aes admittedly understandable self-pity. It is in such moments containing the emotional expressivity of the former and the spiritual questioning of the latter that one can note such influences. We know that she is in pain. As she tries to come to herself and set out on new foundations, another tragic event overturns her life. Were told that Miryang means in Chinese secret sunshine, and that concert pianist Shin-Ae plans to open a piano school, get away from gossips in Seoul who say her hubby was an adulterer and because she wants to honor her late husband. Later that night, she receives a phone call, which she claims to Jong-chan to have been from the kidnapper; he dismisses the idea but tells her to calm down and arranges a dinner date for the next day. Tony Holden, who turned himself in to authorities, was arrested for allegedly murdering rapper, Lil Snupe, seen here in his June 25, 2013 mugshot. relocates with her elementary school-aged youngster Jun (. ) He murmurs to himself, these traitors will be remembered for generations to come. In the short term, this helps Shin-ae overcome her grief. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 7.68/10. Although Shin-ae lies to herself, Jeon refuses to lie to the camera. CANNES "Secret Sunshine" (Miryang) from Lee Chang-dong, one of Korea's leading filmmakers, is a brave and unsettling film that changes course . Secret Sunshine (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] Do-yeon Jeon (Actor), Kang-ho Song (Actor), Lee Chang-Dong (Director) Rated: Unrated Format: Blu-ray 180 ratings IMDb 7.5/10.0 -35% $2599 List Price: $39.95 FREE Returns Prime Video $3.99 $12.99 Blu-ray $25.99 DVD $22.49 Blu-ray August 23, 2011 The Criterion Collection 1 $25.99 $25.99 $19.99 Jeon Do-yeon gives a stellar performance as Shin-ae, and Song Kang-ho is touching as her loyal friend whose love and support of her just will not diminish no matter what happens to her. Now she has to reconcile with another massive loss in her life, that of God. Dec 22, 2010. But her faith and belief unravels when she decides to forgive her sons murderer. Melodrama in particular was like an alternate universe, not just because tears flowed more freely there, but also because instead of condescending to the miserable among us, the genre seemed to use every device at its disposalharrowing plot twists, invasive close-ups, swelling musicto build a case for their misery. Her Christian friends are almost entirely unwilling to help or sympathize and the pastor of her church actually blames her for being too weak to forgive Do-seop. We look back at one of Combs most underrated performances bringing the master of the macabre to life. Their conception of god and Christianity is very basic and uncomplicated. December 21, 2010 | Rating: B+ | Full Review. Here, it's Do-Yeon Jeon as Shin-Ae, a South Korean woman who relocates, along with her . More from JustWatch. A new life gone terribly wrong. However, when she gets to the prison she finds out god has already beaten her to the punch. Secret Sunshine (Korean:; Hanja:; RR:Miryang) is a 2007 South Korean drama film directed by Lee Chang-dong. "[12] A.O. Copyright 2006 - 2023 by CIStems, Inc., d.b.a. We can hardly see her through the crack in the window, but, like when she convinces the man to cheat on his wife with her, and when she plays the music, we know exactly what shes thinking and feeling. 72K views 11 years ago Sin-ae moves with her son Jun to Miryang, the town where her dead husband was born. This gives her temporary relief believing that God is by her side. Dateline is the long-running, award-winning news magazine bringing viewers stories ranging from compelling mysteries to powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Lee Chang-dong's Secret Sunshine is reminiscent of the melodramas of Lars von Trier: an intense long-form character study with a novelistic sense of shifting form in a dark, almost cynical tale of awakening. Jong-chan doesn't understand why Shin-ae needs to visit him to forgive him, but nevertheless accompanies her. Just as it is again later in the film when she convinces a married man to have sex with her to get back at God. [4][5][6] The film also won the award for Best Film at the Asian Film Awards and at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. "In early June, the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.". The scene is not between Shin-ae and the man. Less than halfway through Chang-dong Lees Secret Sunshine, tragedy strikes for single mother Shin-ae (Jeon Do-yeon). The Korean title Miryang (or Milyang) is named after the city that served as the film's setting and filming location, of which "Secret Sunshine" is the literal translation. Lee presents Christianity as the easy way out. Report. As she tries to come to herself and set out on new foundations, another tragic event overturns her life. Unfortunately, it doesnt touch the heart as much as it thinks it does, and loses its way by becoming too plodding in its possible romance story and showing how religious exuberance might give joy but could be as dangerous as a drug when you come off its highs. [7] The film sold 1,710,364 tickets nationwide in South Korea alone.[8]. After losing her husband, Shin Ae, a single mother, relocates to her husband's hometown Miryang ("Secret Sunshine") for a new start. Big Bad World: A Conversation with Lee Chang-dong. Its cruel how often the capacity for crying eludes us, sometimes right at the instant when we want to be persuading othersand ourselvesthat we do feel something. Unfortunately, the negotiation breaks down when they discover she doesn't have as much as she'd led people in Miryang to believe and Jun is killed as a result. In some ways the journey he plots out for Shin-ae is cruel. Secret Sunshine A master of intensely emotional human dramas, director Lee Chang-dong is a luminary of contemporary Korean cinema, and his place on the international stage was cemented by this stirring and unpredictable work examining grief and deliverance. Secret Sunshine is the fourth film made by Lee Chang-dong, inarguably one of the most significant directors to emerge in world cinema over the last 20 years. As she tries to come to herself and set out on new foundations, another tragic event. Shin-ae has walked, as if in a trance, into a church service, Jong-chan following unobtrusively a few paces behind her. What makes this response so noticeable is the opposition between pre- and post-trauma Shin-ae. The easiest and chronologically earliest place to start would be after her son Jun is kidnapped and murdered. As the film winds through its first half-hour, we observe Shin-ae making a solid effort to assimilate into the community, engaging in small talk with a shop owner or women at a hair salon, socializing with the teachers and fellow parents shes met at her sons school. would be a dire misinterpretation. They drive out to a secluded field together and attempt to have sex. A little later, she is once again accosted by the pharmacist across the street. Few performances have so bitterly captured what it looks like to be tangled up in emotion while also, to some degree, manipulating it for an audience, dialing it up for maximum impact, luxuriating in that moment when the tears finally do come. The two of them have a complex relationship that I myself haven't quite figured out yet. On the journey home she walks past the clothes shop of a woman someone she has gradually struck up a friendship with to whom she had given unwanted decorating advice earlier in the film. 49. Dennis Schwartz: Ozus World Movie Reviews, Copyright 2023 - Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews. Soon, thanks to gossips, everyone in Miryang knows, has money to purchase some valuable land, and a man who moved here from Busan kidnaps her son and asks for ransom. And what are we to think when there arent any tears to measure? One night, Shin-ae returns home late after partying to discover that Jun is missing. He altered her entire life permanently and Shin-ae wanted to feel like she was the one in control of him for once. The suspect reportedly barricaded himself in his home, where . Writer and director Lee Chang-dong has made a compelling and poignant drama about one woman's journey into the far country of forgiveness. This whole string of scenes constitutes the first major breakdown she has in the film. As she tries to come to herself and | dG1fMC1EWkhveFczVVk. All three were found at Mrs Pattison's home on the . In the middle of her cut, Shin-ae leaves the salon. 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