With all the talk about Korea-foreigner dating and the like going on these days, I thought I would add one thing — the latest movie by Hong Sang-soo, WOMAN ON THE BEACH. I just saw it tonight and I think it is one of Hong’s best films. Not as good as VIRGIN STRIPPED BARE BY HER BACHELORS, but quite good. Certainly better than his last couple of lame outings.
The reason I bring the film up is because its plot deals with that interracial/dating fun. The story is about Joongrae, a movie director who gets his assistant to drive him to the beach, so Joongrae can work on his next movie. The assistant brings along his girlfriend, Moonsuk, but soon Joongrae and the woman are flirting and having fun.
The night goes on, drinks are had, and after a while, conversation turns to Moonsuk’s time living in Germany. Joongrae asks her if she dated any foreigners, while his assistant begs him not to ask that (and her not to answer). When she says that she had a couple of serious boyfriends, the shit hits the fan. And it is pretty funny. Joongrae whines and mopes and acts like a typical jerk. “And it’s not just a big-dick thing!” he shouts. Moonsuk is pretty unimpressed and calls him a “typical Korean man”.
And so the story goes, meandering in typical Hong style, while returning every so often to this subject. Written by Hong (a Korean man), the film is pretty clear that Joongrae is being pretty stupid, but the dialogue is funny and interesting and totally worthwhile.
For those of you who cannot speak Korean, WOMAN ON THE BEACH is playing all weekend with English subtitles at the Sponge theater (used to be Cine Core) in Jongno 2-ga. Or you can see it at the Toronto Film Festival in a couple of weeks. Or at the Pusan International Film Festival in October.
17 Comments
Interesting-I will have to take a look at it one of these days. On an unrelated note, your are blogging up a storm these days-any reason why?
Hong Sang Soo is a genius and you’ve whetted my appetite for his new film. And I actually think his two most recent films—”Woman Is The Future of Man” and “A Tale of Cinema”—have been strong, not “lame.” “Turning Gate” is still his classic, though.
Hong is a master of the awkward moment, and just the thought of him addressing interracial dating makes me laugh (and cringe) already.
Hopefully it’ll make the Vancouver Film Festival in October. It usually has one of the biggest selections of Asian films outside of Asia.
Sounds like this movie could help to shatter a lot of stereotypes.
Eh? What’s this I read about “Sponge theater”? Do they have a history of showing Korean films with English subtitles?
More for the “hooking up with foreigners” file.
What I’m wondering is, does the Immigration Office believe that everyone still wears hanbok?
The Vietnamese embassy offers more comtemporary classes such as duck and cover from mother-in-law’s blows, escaping from locked room, and usefuls phrases such as “Why are you beating me? I’m human too.”
Wow, those last two comments are a perfect counterpoint to each other.
ORblog: If the wives ever have to do 제사 (ancestor worship), I suppose it’ll come in handy….
Seouldout, that’s priceless! Too, too sad that it’s even necessary, though.
WARNING: I went to the Sponge Theatre tonight in Jongno and the staff informed us (well.. my girlfriend really because I’m still an idiot who despite hours of studying can’t get the language) that the English subtitles were only something they did for the staff when the movie premiered.
So.. if you go to CineCore/Sponge and expect the subtitles.. you won’t get them.
IhaveSeoul:
Do you know if there are *ANY* other viewings that plan on having subtitles? Ugh, I really wanted to see this movie this weekend. But, well, pulling out and trying to read a dictionary in the dark doesn’t sound too appealing.
Do you remember what exit to take at Jongno3 on line 3 (what the hell is Jongno2?? And why is there an Euljiro 1, 3, and 4, but not a 2??) for the Sponge theater?
–Remort
How very annoying. Actually, on Thursday night, Sponge tried showing the subtitle-less print of the film, but Hong himself and Mirovision bitched and yelled until the movie stopped and they showed the film again with the subtitles.
For some reason, despite having hundreds of films shown with Korean subtitles over the years, Koreans HATE watching movies with English subtitles. It is the strangest, bitchiest thing I have ever seen.
Yeah, they could get some English practice in. The last thing I want to do on a 2-week vacation in Korea is watch a Hollywood movie (can watch as many as I like back home, and time is of the essence), but at least I get to watch them with Korean subtitles, so get a bit of language immersion out of the experience….
Remort:
According to this page (hope the link works), exit from Jonggak (Jongno 1-ga), exit 4, or Jongno 3-ga, exit 15. (”종로 4번출구” on the map is presumably supposed to be “종각 4번출구.”)
Not to be a smartass (but now that Kushibo’s disappeared, someone has to step in), but subway stations in most places are typically not spaced too close together because (a) trains can’t get up to a decent speed between stations them; (b) each additional station built costs mucho moolah; and (c) with more stations per mile of track and therefore fewer passengers per station, there’s a lower return on investment for each station. The distances west to Jonggak and east to Jongno 3-ga would probably have simply been considered too short to build another station in the interval.
…On the other hand, there have to be stations on Euljiro at 3-ga AND 4-ga, because both stations are transfer points with other lines….
Okay, no more nerdy stuff.
Sewing:
I really appreciate the information, I couldn’t understand the logic in their numbering system. Now things make sense. It just so happened I was meeting up with someone at Euljiro (that’s it, just plain old “Euljiro”) and began pondering which “Euljiro” did they mean? #1, 3, or 4? And, why the crazy numbering system?
I grabbed an English newspaper yesterday and right before hopping off I wondered if I should just throw it away, thinking nobody would want to read an English newspaper. Ultimately I decided to throw it on top of the luggage rack above head, and within 2 seconds an elderly man snatched it up like a W100,000 bank check dropped on the floor. The elderly man let out a snort of glee, and had an evil grin on his face.
–Remort
Heh, funny story!
By Euljiro they probably meant Euljiro 1-ga, Euljiro Ipgu (”Euljiro Entrance”)…but that’s just a guess on my part.
Do Korean women bleach their nipples?
http://search.japantimes.co.jp.....903dr.html
해변의 여인 (Woman on the Beach) moves along at a leisurely clip, capturing random moments of hilarity and dialogue that almost feels unscripted. I wouldn’t say the film really delves into the issue of interracial dating (still waiting for the Korean flick that seriously portrays a foreign man dating a Korean girl–is there one that I’ve missed, perhaps?), but it does offer some insight into a Korean male perspective on such relationships. When the female lead is asked if she dated any foreigners while living abroad, her boyfriend blurts out: 얘기 하지마! 죽을 때까지 얘기 하지마! (Don’t answer! Don’t talk about that until the day you die!). At least as portrayed in this film, universal male insecurities about girlfriends’ ex-boyfriends are exacerbated by the fear (or knowledge) that one of those ex-boyfriends was a foreigner. If you’re a white guy watching this movie in a Korean theater, expect some glances in your direction when you file out of the theater.
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dating woman…
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