MovieChat Forums > Binjip (2004) Discussion > Noticed Any Surprising Elements?

Noticed Any Surprising Elements?

posted 18 years ago by Maxwazn
13 replies | jump to latest

Have any of you guys notice any elements of this movie that could be surprising for a north-american/european, but normal for a korean? I am studying this movie in class and this is bugging me, because it probably requires a good knowledge of both asian mentality western mentallity to make an accurate hypothesis about this subject. I thought about the "0" at the end, representing something complete, but there I am doubtful that it could really be considered as a "surprising" element. Perhaps, though. Any suggestions/thoughts/ideas ?

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] iggy_hates_spam 18 years ago

what i'd talk about is balance. the zero represents perfect balance. at the end of the flick the chick found balance in her life with both men. she couldn't get rid of the rich duckhead but was able to find a symbiotic relationship with him that made him happy and content while at the same time not driving her insane or denying herself her true love.

the s. korean flag has the yin yang symbol in it's center with bars representing 4 elements that oppose each other perfectly. this idea of perfect balance is found everywhere in asian philosophy in just about every form. relationships between man and women, man and govt, father and son, etc...

hope it helps.

[–] Maxwazn 18 years ago

thank you very much

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] scree 18 years ago

My interpretation of the zero on the scale at the end is not zero meaning perfect balance, but instead meaning invisible. The guy trained himself to be a ghost (as the prison guard said), and was able to be invisible everywhere he went at the end, so it seems to me the end zero represents he and the woman not existing while together - that is, their worlds (his aimless drifter life & her crappy marriage) didn't exist while they are together. Besides, two people standing on a weight scale and it showing zero kind of suggests they are "ghosts" or nothing. Anyway, a very cool movie, leaving you wondering how the heck they are going to make it work down the road. hehe

[–] iggy_hates_spam 18 years ago

interesting take. but isn't that invisibility a sort of balance. girl is invisible but still has her duckhead of a husband in her new life? not too sure about the whole "ghost" thing. the dude finding that sweet spot behind the guard was a sort of balancing act. he was finding that perfect balance to become invisible. invisible is an interesting concept but again i think you can equate it to a sort of balance.

[–] oliviasaintlaurent 18 years ago

Are you at Brebeuf.... cuz I'm studying the same movie right now... I thought the ceremony of burying the dead man was quite surprising for us.............

[–] gabcabezas 18 years ago

I think i good sign is when she asks him (or gives him the sissors) for him to cut her hair. I think that's an important point... hair for some Asian cultures is a very important thing, especially woman, it means loyalty and also pureness somtimes. I think she does that because she was falling in love with him, and thats goes against her marriage.

[–] catherine2828 18 years ago

one i can think of: maybe that the asian woman is supposed to be submissive to her husband? and the notion of divorce is still a no-no to most of the older generations. a wife is expected to stay by her husband no matter what

[–] iggy_hates_spam 18 years ago

i guess if your looking for a surprising element, the way the film dealt with this issue of the proper husband wife relationship was interesting. i saw it as saying extra marital affairs are okay. the woman stayed with the duckhead husband making him happy but didn't give up her lover boy. everything is still in balance since everyone comes out happy but the idea is a bit progressive given korea's conservative culture.

[–] The_Seaniest_Sean 18 years ago

"the woman stayed with the duckhead husband making him happy but didn't give up her lover boy. everything is still in balance since everyone comes out happy but the idea is a bit progressive given korea's conservative culture" - iggy_hates_spam

Maybe the idea of everyone being happy could lead back to the idea of the main character being dead, because the duckhead husband really wants him dead, even when his wife returns to the house. And we see that the Husband is really happy in the end, could this play on the main character being dead idea?

When i first saw the part with the weighing scales, the first thing i thought was that they are both now ghosts or that he has taken her into his ghostworld or whatever you wanna call it.

I just saw this film on a study course in the Bradford Film and Media museum, i thought it was really interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing other work from the director.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Zerose 18 years ago

During viewing my friend made a lot of references to them taking their shoes off when coming into houses. That's the only "surprising" element I can offer. lol!

Oh, possibly another: silence. Lack of communication between the guy and the woman affected my friend a lot more than those violent scenes (beatings, golf balls and such). She kept asking, "Why aren't they talking to each other? Do they even know each other's name? Why isn't she talking to the police?" It really bothered her, but having seen so many Korean, Japanese and other films, it seems normal to me!