The film "Poetry" is the fifth feature film produced by South Korean director Lee Chang-dong in 2010, following his previous works "Green Trilogy" ("Green Fish", "Peppermint Candy", "Oasis") and "Secret Sunshine". It was awarded the Best Screenplay Award at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival and achieved success at the Korean Grand Bell Awards in the same year. It has been widely recognized and praised by the audience, which is closely related to the poetic construction and tragic writing presented in the film.
Lee Chang-dong is a director who comes from a literary background. He entered the film industry at the age of 43, having already achieved remarkable literary success with his short story collections "Burning Paper" and "There are Many Dungs in Luchuan". Lee Chang-dong's novels and film works maintain consistency and continuity in their creative methodology, which involves critically engaging with reality. However, this engagement is more restrained and subtle in his films. In "Poetry", the film provides an objective perspective throughout and maintains a certain distance in unfolding the plot.
The film's plot revolves around two storylines: one is the process of the female protagonist Yang Mi-ja, played by Yoon Jeong-hee, writing poetry, and the other is her process of seeking redemption for her grandson's sexual assault crime. The "writing poetry" storyline and the "seeking redemption" storyline intertwine and converge until the end, when the grandson is taken away by Officer Park and Yang Mi-ja finally completes her first poem, "Agnes's Song". Through the strong intertextual relationship between "forgotten poetry" and "defiled life", the film showcases Yang Mi-ja's immense contradictions and struggles, and establishes the poetic foundation of the film.
In the film "Poetry", director Lee Chang-dong successfully portrays a complex and multi-faceted female character, Yang Mi-ja. As an elderly woman who raises her grandson alone and struggles financially, Yang Mi-ja's life is full of difficulties and contradictions. On one hand, she has a strong pursuit and desire for a poetic life. She pays close attention to every detail of life, tries to express her true feelings through writing poetry, and seeks beauty. Her poems record her observations and insights into life, reflecting her inner thoughts and serving as a way for her to convey love and beauty to the world.
On the other hand, she faces the heavy blow of her grandson's sexual assault crime, which plunges her into deep confusion and self-blame. She tries to redeem her grandson in order to resolve the issue, but this also causes great torment to her soul. This contradiction and struggle are not only reflected in her inner world but also vividly portrayed through the film's visuals and music.
The river in the film becomes an important symbol, appearing at the beginning and end of the film. The river symbolizes the flow of life and the passage of time, reflecting the inner conflicts and bitterness of the protagonist Yang Mi-ja. Through exquisite film language and audiovisual design, Lee Chang-dong creates a realistic yet distant viewing experience, showcasing the complexity and depth of human nature.
"Poetry" is not only a film with profound social themes but also a work with strong poetic and literary qualities. It explores themes such as life, art, beauty, sin, and redemption, expressing the director's profound insights into the human spiritual world and his humanistic care. This work has received high praise and recognition from both the industry and the audience, becoming a classic in Lee Chang-dong's filmography and earning the love and respect of viewers.
In the film "Poetry", director Lee Chang-dong indeed demonstrates a strong concern for realism and explores the life dilemmas and spiritual quests in reality in a poetic manner. However, the theme of the film is not limited to "realism is the best poetry", but delves deeper into multiple themes such as life, art, beauty, sin, and redemption.
In the film, the female protagonist Yang Mi-ja, faced with her grandson's sexual assault crime, tries to redeem him while also attempting to write poetry. She seeks beauty in life and expresses her true feelings through the process of writing poetry. In this process, her observations of life, reflections on human nature, and pursuit of beauty all become sources of inspiration for her poetry.
The "poetic construction" in the film is not only reflected in Yang Mi-ja's process of writing poetry but also in the audiovisual language of the entire film. The director presents characters and events in a realistic and restrained manner. He critically engages with reality and uses poetic techniques to portray the inner world and life situations of the characters.
Therefore, we can say that in the film, Lee Chang-dong expresses a high level of attention to real life and a pursuit of poetry. He attempts to present life dilemmas and struggles in a poetic manner and explore beauty, love, and hope. The combination of reality and poetry makes this film a work with profound meaning and high artistic value.
In the film "Poetry", the poetic portrayal of life dilemmas and struggles, as well as the exploration of beauty, love, and hope, is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
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Emotion in scenery: The film uses rich audiovisual language and imagery to portray the characters' inner emotions and poetic pursuits. For example, the recurring imagery of the river symbolizes the flow of life and the passage of time, reflecting the inner conflicts and desires of the protagonist Yang Mi-ja. The use of natural elements such as empty shots, sunlight, and leaves provides space and flavor to the film, conveying poetic emotions through natural landscapes.
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Combination of reality and abstraction: Director Lee Chang-dong presents characters and events in a realistic and restrained manner, such as the depiction of the grandson's sexual assault and the handling of the relationship between Yang Mi-ja and her grandson. At the same time, the film abstractly explores themes such as life, art, beauty, sin, and redemption, reflecting the protagonist's pursuit of beauty and hope through the process of writing poetry.
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Exploration of the inner world: The film focuses on Yang Mi-ja's inner world, her longing for a poetic life, her search for beauty in life, her reflection on her role, and her inner struggles and confusion regarding her grandson's crime. Her internal struggles and poetic pursuits together form the poetic foundation of the film.
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Interplay between poetry and life: The film intertwines the "writing poetry" storyline with the "seeking redemption" storyline. The female protagonist tries to express her emotions and insights through writing poetry while facing life dilemmas. The film closely connects the artistic act of writing poetry with real life, conveying the idea that life itself is poetry.
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Poetic and aesthetic qualities: The film's choice of words, language, music, colors, and cinematography all contribute to its poetic aesthetic. For example, the poem "Agnes's Song" written by Yang Mi-ja and her observations and insights into life reflect the film's focus on poetry and aesthetics.
Through these means, the film "Poetry" successfully portrays life dilemmas and struggles in a poetic manner, while also exploring the pursuit of beauty, love, and hope by humanity. It presents the spiritual world of human beings in a realistic and heartfelt way, demonstrating the director's profound insights into human nature and his humanistic care. This work is not only a masterpiece of art but also a thought-provoking film that brings enjoyment and enlightenment to the audience.