Burning (2018) - Film Review

Starring: Yoo Ah-In, Jeon Jong-Seo & Steven Yeun

Screenplay: Oh Jung-Mi & Lee Chang-Dong

Directed By: Lee Chang-Dong

Certificate: 15

From the moment I saw the first trailers, 'Burning' has been a hypnotic kind of film. The trailers had me invested, and yet I couldn't really tell you why. They gave very little away as to the actual story and were as ambiguous as the rest of the film turned out to be. Yet there was something alluring about its sense of mystery. Together with all the accolades it was picking up as things such as the Cannes Film Festival, I was really looking forward to watching it. And after many months of waiting for a cinema near me to screen it, it was finally time to unravel some of the mystery...

Jong-su, a young aspiring writer bumps into an old childhood friend and neighbour, Hae-mi, while performing odd jobs in Paju. The two reunite and go for a drink, where Hae-mi tells him about her upcoming trip to Africa. She asks him to feed the cat while she's away. When Hae-mi does return, she introduces Jong-su to Ben, a young well-off and confident man. Jong-su is wary of Ben, but as the three spend time together, Jong-su eventually learns of Ben's secret, unusual hobby... 

Before getting any further, I should point out that this isn't a film I can really talk about without getting into spoiler territory, so be aware that the rest of this review will be filled with spoilers and attempts at analysis. As I said in the intro, 'Burning' teams with ambiguity and mystery. The answers we get to these mysteries are never 100% concrete and there are multiple ways of interpreting the events that unfold. Of course it's entirely possible that we can't trust anything we're seeing in the first place. One interpretation that I've seen and rather like is that we the audience are viewing 'Burning' entirely from Jong-su's point of view, complete with his biases and how other people appear to him. As of such, he is an unreliable narrator and we can't entirely trust anything we are shown. Given that he's a writer, someone who crafts stories from their life experiences, this idea isn't without merit. 'Burning' leaves a ton of questions in its wake. What is Ben's hobby of burning down greenhouses all about, and what, if any, is the intended symbolism behind it? What is the overall message in the film's recurring theme of vanishing? What's the link between the greenhouses vanishing and Hae-mi vanishing? It's pretty clear that the burning down of greenhouses has a deeper meaning, but the film deliberately leaves what exactly that meaning is to the viewer. 

The term "mainstream" really doesn't apply here. Clocking in at nearly 2hrs 30 mins (arguably longer than it maybe needed to be), this is definitely a slow-burner (ironically). While it rewards those with patience, this isn't a film that everyone is going to be able to enjoy. Not to sound like some kind of elitist film snob, but 'Burning' doesn't necessarily follow classic cinema conventions and adhere to what we may have grown to expect from films today. Not only are the answers to the film's mysteries never 100% clear, not every scene may make complete sense on a surface level. Long stretches of the film don't seem to have any particular purpose or advance the narrative, and that may turn some people off. Personally, 'Burning' has held my interest on every viewing so far, and although not everything is made clear, there is still a satisfying pay-off to be had. However, not everyone is going to feel the same way.

The sense of constant mystery is reinforced by the brilliant moody atmosphere that director Lee Chang-Dong helps to create. The lighting and use of colour here is especially impressive, with the reoccurring sight of the dark blue/purple evening skies atop the landscapes making a gorgeous image. Contrasting this almost dream-like imagery is the almost creepy look of the burning greenhouse visions. Whenever these visions of the ablaze greenhouses appear, the silence and the total darkness save for the vivid orange of the fire itself, is pulled straight out of a nightmare. Together with the artsy-ness of these more abstract moments, the film does a good job emphasising a sense of realism. The urban streets of Paju, the suburbs of Hae-mi's apartment, the rurals of Jong-su on the farm, and the most noticeably different being the sleek modernness of Ben's apartment.

There's a distinctive look behind each of our three main characters' surroundings, and this stylistic attention to detail helps inform one of the key themes of the film: class division. In particular, it's hard to ignore the dichotomy between Jong-su and Ben and their lifestyles. One's a farm boy living in his father's dilapidated farmhouse, which sits in range of the North Korean propaganda broadcasts. The other is a playboy living in a modern, high-rise apartment. 'Burning' also tackles the current state of Korean gender politics. As someone who's partial to Korean entertainment, particularly K-pop (yes, I know reading that will cause some people to roll their eyes), attitudes towards gender in Korea are an interesting area to me. The significance of gender is clear from the very first scene, as we see Hae-mi and another worker outside a shop, dressed in short clothing and dancing as they try to encourage customers to take a look around. With scenes where Jong-su asks Hae-mi "Why do you undress so easily in front of men?" and others where he is told "Women have it difficult. It's a problem if you wear makeup and a problem if you don't. It's a problem if you wear revealing clothes but also if you don't dress up.", the relevance of gender in the film can't really spell itself out much clear than that. It is entirely possible to attack 'Burning' for its depiction of characters like Hae-mi, and there are times where the film has something of a male gaze issue too. Personally, I don't believe there's any definitive answer here, but I'd be hesitant in writing the film off as sexist. It addresses the pressures put especially onto Korean women, such as the obsession with plastic surgery and an unreachable concept of what femininity should look like, and condemns such things.

Before I bring this review to a close, I can't finish up without mentioning our trio of lead actors. They're all fantastic in their roles. Yoo Ah-In is terrific as the main protagonist - he begins the film with a friendly, likeable persona and comes across almost as a sweet, dorky victim of circumstance. But as he spends more time with Hae-mi and Ben, we see a darker, more neurotic side to him begin to manifest. Jeon Jong-Seo meanwhile portrays this unreachable idea of femininity, as well as Hae-mi's exasperation with the world around her incredibly well. Her line: "I wanted to vanish just like that sunset. Dying is too scary, but I just wanted to vanish like I never existed", and the delivery of it is one of the most affecting moments of the film. This culminates in one of the best-known scenes from 'Burning' - the dancing scene. Her buzzed, loose yet awkward movements allow a brief moment of freedom, only for her to break down as she's brought back to reality. Steven Yeun also deserves credit as Ben. He find just the right balance between a nice guy and a sociopath. He seems to almost permanently have an unreadable smile on his face, and the performance emphasizes his ability to get under Jong-su's skin. There's an unspoken smugness to him, as though he's never had to endure a bad day in his life. He even openly admits that not once has he ever shed a tear. 

If you picture an intricate puzzle box, one that has no definite solution, that's the 'Burning' experience. The puzzle box also may not even exist either. Rarely is anything this film has to say explicit and it's open to a whole lot more interpretation than a lot of films. For that it may be criticized by some as being insubstantial or lacking voice. For others, it may prove inaccessible due to its length, or straying from common film expectations. For me however, 'Burning' is an appealing, unique gem. Not perfect but the experience it provides is unlike much else, and it's still somewhat disappointing that it wasn't a nominee for Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars.

Burning

8/10