NIGHT AND DAY

Korea, 2008, 145 minutes, Colour.
Kim Yong Ho.
Directed by Hong Sang Soo.

This is a very long film, almost two and a half hours. It is well-acted, well-crafted and has some interesting themes. However, to be sharing the questions of the central character, who is a rather ordinary man and not portrayed particularly empathetically, is something of a hard slog. It is not that he is unlikeable. It is just that his quest is haphazardly presented and not always so compelling.

The structure is that of A Korean In Paris or glimpses over a seven weeks period (September-October, 2007) of the intermittent diary of a painter. He has fled Korea and his wife after being reported for smoking marijuana at a party. He phones his wife from Paris every day (his night, her day). He meets a former girlfriend by chance and toys with renewing the friendship though she is married. His kindly landlord introduces him to a young cousin, an art student. He is then smitten by her room-mate. He wanders Paris. He visits the beach at Deauville with the two art students and has to mediate their dislike of each other. He reads the Bible, tries oysters… and then goes home when his wife tells him she is pregnant.

The film uses a Beethoven sonata throughout which, beautiful as it is, has a life of its own and seems a presumption on the part of the director to use it to support the quest of a semi-interesting man in search of himself. A long two months’ journey through night and day.

1.A portrait, a diary?

2.Paris, the airport, the Fourteenth Arondissement? The apartment, the streets, cafés, bridges, the world of art? The seasons, the rain? The sunshine? Parisian atmosphere? The trip to Deauville, the beach?

3.The musical score, the use of Beethoven?

4.The title, Paris and Korea, the time differences?

5.The diary, the device of having the dates, the period of two months?

6.The voice-over, descriptive of what was happening, of the character himself, what insights?

7.The information about the party, his taking the drugs for the first time, his fears, decision to go to Paris, leaving his wife? The man at the airport, the cigarettes, the warning to be careful? The apartment, crowded, the smell, the bunks, smoking? Mr Jang and his friendship? Reading the Bible, the man and his seeming to want to convert the hero, not coming to his party? His being sick? The phone calls to his wife? Home, homesick?

8.Mr Jang and his help, talking, the introduction to his cousin, advice?

9.Kim in Paris, wandering, observing, aimless, buying the cigarettes, seeing the couple in love, the chance meeting with his old girlfriend, her hostility, changing, the cups of coffee, her being married, the visit, the possibility of a sexual encounter, his quoting the Bible? The news of her suicide?

10.Mr Jang’s cousin, art student, their talk, his being a painter, the discussion about clouds, the visuals of clouds, her attitude towards her roommate, the trip to Deauville, the angry women, the later visits?

11.The art student, the ex-girlfriend’s criticism of her selfishness, the roommate and her anger with her, accusations of being stingy? The issue of payment on the trip to Deauville? The student whose portfolio she took? Her character, pouting, the hero and his admiration of her beauty, her foot, her being cautious, the hug, deciding to allow herself to love Kim, the sexual encounter?

12.The effect on him, his loneliness, sexual needs, talking with his wife, the Bible, the sense of betrayal?

13.His wife, the news of her pregnancy, his return, their encounter, the fact that she had lied to trick him to come home?

14.At home, the bond, his wife, the baths, weeping, money, the anger, the outburst against his wife? The dream? His issues of whom he loved? Reconciliation with his wife?

15.The ending, the focus on clouds?