The Five (Plus One) Best Movie Scenes of 2005
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Over 100 Korean films hit the screen this year. The Chosun Ilbo asked movie critics Kim Young-jin and Shim Young-seop to select the best five movie scenes of 2005. They had just finished selecting them when on Dec. 21 director Yoon Jong-chan's "Blue Swallow" premiered. We all agreed that drama and spectacle were perfectly blended, which is rare for Korean blockbusters, so we just couldn't help adding a scene to the list. Readers can see for themselves when the movie goes on general release on Dec. 29.
★"Running Boy" - "Marathon": Cho-won running the marathon
The movie is not about disabled people, or about sports, and on paper the story of success against the odds may sound a little hackneyed. But the depiction of Cho-won's happiness from running is overwhelming. Cho-won feels alive when he is running. Indescribable joy fills the screen with the warmth of real life and touches the hearts of the audience.
★"Sympathy for Lady Vengeance": Geum-ja walking in the snow carrying a cake
It is snowing, and Geum-ja walks along with faltering steps carrying a cake she has baked herself. A young man who has a crush on her strolls behind her, singing a song. The scene is lyrical and sinister at the same time and encapsulates the film's theme of self-realization. Every step we take in life is precarious, and it is hard for us to make the right choices. Director Park Chan-wook with this single image conveys these complicated emotions that are hard to put in words.
★"Welcome to Dongmakgol": Popcorn snow after a corn silo is blown up
This scene breaks down the barrier between reality and fantasy. When a film leaves reality behind, it becomes a hazy daydream, and audiences relax and burst into laughter at the sight of snowing popcorn. The movie's strongest point is not the statistical fact that over 8 million viewers saw it but that it crosses and re-crosses that boundary so confidently.
★"Duelist": The duel between Nam-sun and Sad Eyes in an alley
This scene was not so popular among moviegoers, but it shows the power of the image. The director, Lee Myung-se, only wanted to express his idea through visual imagery, and he has succeeded. The duel between Nam-sun and Sad Eyes in a walled alley on a dark moonlit night is breathtaking. The collision between inner and social factors, male and female, extrovert and introvert, crime and punishment brings the film to its climax. Let's not forget sensuality either.
★"You are my Sunshine": Seok-jung crying at Eun-ha's imprisonment
The movie just makes you cry and cry. We bet no one will ever have cried as much while watching another movie. This scene in particular reminds many audiences of the pain and sorrow of their own life. The story of the unfortunate couple Seok-jung and Eun-ha has the power to comfort ordinary people everywhere.
★"Blue Swallow": Kyeong-won flying like a bird
Park Kyeong-won makes two great 360 degree loops and then soars 4,500 m straight up above the clouds. The scene dramatically visualizes the hopes and dreams of a heroine living in harsh times. The young Korean woman's vertiginous flight is both touching and persuasive, a rare feat in a genre not renowned for blending the spectacular with genuine human drama.
★"Running Boy" - "Marathon": Cho-won running the marathon
The movie is not about disabled people, or about sports, and on paper the story of success against the odds may sound a little hackneyed. But the depiction of Cho-won's happiness from running is overwhelming. Cho-won feels alive when he is running. Indescribable joy fills the screen with the warmth of real life and touches the hearts of the audience.
★"Sympathy for Lady Vengeance": Geum-ja walking in the snow carrying a cake
It is snowing, and Geum-ja walks along with faltering steps carrying a cake she has baked herself. A young man who has a crush on her strolls behind her, singing a song. The scene is lyrical and sinister at the same time and encapsulates the film's theme of self-realization. Every step we take in life is precarious, and it is hard for us to make the right choices. Director Park Chan-wook with this single image conveys these complicated emotions that are hard to put in words.
★"Welcome to Dongmakgol": Popcorn snow after a corn silo is blown up
This scene breaks down the barrier between reality and fantasy. When a film leaves reality behind, it becomes a hazy daydream, and audiences relax and burst into laughter at the sight of snowing popcorn. The movie's strongest point is not the statistical fact that over 8 million viewers saw it but that it crosses and re-crosses that boundary so confidently.
★"Duelist": The duel between Nam-sun and Sad Eyes in an alley
This scene was not so popular among moviegoers, but it shows the power of the image. The director, Lee Myung-se, only wanted to express his idea through visual imagery, and he has succeeded. The duel between Nam-sun and Sad Eyes in a walled alley on a dark moonlit night is breathtaking. The collision between inner and social factors, male and female, extrovert and introvert, crime and punishment brings the film to its climax. Let's not forget sensuality either.
★"You are my Sunshine": Seok-jung crying at Eun-ha's imprisonment
The movie just makes you cry and cry. We bet no one will ever have cried as much while watching another movie. This scene in particular reminds many audiences of the pain and sorrow of their own life. The story of the unfortunate couple Seok-jung and Eun-ha has the power to comfort ordinary people everywhere.
★"Blue Swallow": Kyeong-won flying like a bird
Park Kyeong-won makes two great 360 degree loops and then soars 4,500 m straight up above the clouds. The scene dramatically visualizes the hopes and dreams of a heroine living in harsh times. The young Korean woman's vertiginous flight is both touching and persuasive, a rare feat in a genre not renowned for blending the spectacular with genuine human drama.
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