Will Burning be worth the wait? Is it any good?

Burning is a 2018 psychological thriller film written by South Korean director Lee Chang-dong. It is loosely based on Barn Burning by Haruki Murakami. His new film paints a deft and intimate portrait of a young generation beset by economic desperation.

Burning attempts to make sense of the frustration of poverty. It does so using an unconventional thriller format that morphs into a psychological one. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 16th May 2018.

1. Quick Review

Jongsu reconnects with his childhood friend, Haemi. They spend the night in Haemi’s tiny studio. The next day, she asks Jongsu to feed her cat while she goes on a trip. Jongsu does, though he never actually sees the cat. When she comes back, she brings home Ben, whom mystery trails after.

The film’s premise examines the lives of three young people living in a time of uncertainty in South Korea. Burning is the Chang-dong’s first film in eight years. It portrays a bleak and almost Darwinian vision of the world.

Burning’s success depends largely on the viewers’ abilities to identify with the unspoken. It relies heavily on the strongly conveyed senses between the three main characters and the audience’s capacities to relate to them.

2. Is it worth watching?

Burning plays out to be a slow-paced, mysterious, dark comedy. It’s a fantastic film that examines the widening relationship between the filthy rich and the working class. The film’s incredibly intense climax is difficult to forget.

BURNING Official Trailer | Certified Fresh | Korean Mystery Drama Thriller | Starring Steven Yeun

Burning strikes juxtapositions between the rural and urban, embodied by Jong-su and Ben. It also rejects the glamorization of Asian wealth, as seen in Crazy Rich Asians. What starts off as a twisted love triangle eventually morphs into something darker and more disturbing.

The entire film is meticulously calibrated in its ambiguity. It encourages certain assumptions that neither the characters nor the audience can verify. It’s a wonderful film that leaves its audience deeply unsettled by the cruelties of the world.

I. Plot

Jong-su (played by Yoo Ah-in), is a delivery man by day and a wannabe-writer by night. One day, he bumps into his childhood friend Hae-mi (played by Jeon Jong-seo). She seduces him and asks him to feed her cat when she leaves for Africa on a journey of self-discovery.

When Hae-mi returns, she has a boyfriend, Ben (played by Steven Yeun). Rich and handsome with a sociopathic air, Ben quickly gets under Jong-su’s skin. Jong-su drives a truck, while Ben has a Porsche. Jong-su lives on a farm, while Ben has a sleek apartment in an affluent neighborhood.

Jong-su discovers Ben’s eccentric hobby, lighting greenhouses on fire. Determined to expose his secret to Hae-mi, Jong-su digs around for more clues. What he finds, however, may prove to be much more than he’d hoped for.

II. Music & Visuals

The music director of this film is Lee Sung-Hyun, also known as Mowg. He is a Korean film score composer. Songs in Burning’s soundtrack include Crying Knife, Stalk, Dawn, Vinyl House, and Void.

Mowg has previously won Best Music awards for films. This includes I Saw the Devil, Masquerade, Hwayi: A Monster Boy, and Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet.

Filled with beautiful imagery and exquisitely shot scenery, the film proves to be a brilliantly taken one. Images and motifs repeat, creating a fractal effect. It is a film that grows steadily intense over its course, and almost unbearably so.

The setting is apt; the shrieking propaganda from across the hills of Jong-su’s farm creates a sense of urgency in the gentle pastoral landscape. It feels as though an attack is imminent like something dreadful lurks beyond the horizon.

There is also a lot of disorienting background noise. The traffic, the constant ringing of the phone, the loudspeaker blaring North Korean propaganda, and Trump on the television in the corner of the room. This adds to the tone of tension and confusion on the screen.

3. Final Thoughts

Burning provides a close examination of sexual relationships and class dynamics. The film underscores the economic desperation of South Korea. It depicts poverty and inequality to destroy families, ravage homes, and consume people.

There’s a serious and alarming sense of danger throughout the film. Perhaps it is because of its setting. Mostly, there are a lot of elements at pay. Pointing to its source, therefore, it will be hard.

The three main characters are wary of each other. They are consumed by desire, mistrust, and need. Lee’s explorations require depth and space. It plays out to be a great film, engrossing, suspenseful, and strange.

4. Grade

5. Info