Customer Reviews

Virgin Snow Korean movie Dvd with English sub NTSC All

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As when looking at a particularly lovely painting, layers of beauty and depth are revealed the longer we gaze at this picturesque postcard to young love. Korea and Japan are both represented in this sweet and engaging production. Lee Jun Ki from Korea and Aoi Miyazaki from Japan are the young couple who meet and find constant love in director Sang-hee Han's First Snow, which he cowrote with Kazuhiko Ban. Beautiful shots of both countries frame a deceptively simple tale of young love which has humor and, after a time, an emotional depth and sweetness missing in films coming from anywhere except Korea. Korea has taken the torch dropped by everyone else and has been the champion of romanticist cinema for well over a decade now. Even films dealing with a slightly younger generation than A Moment to Remember and Il Mare have a special quality that touches the heart in a way films coming from other countries do not.

Min is nursing a wound from falling off his bicycle when he stops to take a picture of a Japanese girl at a shrine. He is Korean, there in Japan for a year with his father, who is a potter. Nanae is the shy and lovely Japanese girl from Kyoto he finds enchanting, and is unable to get out of his head. There is much humor as he begins school, oblivious to much of the language because he is Korean. A fight over his bike results in a very funny fencing match caused by the language barrier. More hilarious are his efforts to save her painting case he has inadvertently caused her to drop in a river. With a bit of help from his two school friends, Min and Nanae find moments of sweetness and, perhaps, a love which can last forever. Beneath their blossoming happiness, however, lies a dark shadow, revealed only to the viewer. Nanae's life at home is less than idyllic, watching out for her young sister when her mother is drunk, and standing up to her latest boyfriend, who often beats her mother and poses a threat to Nanae and her sister as well.

Discovering she loves pottery of a particular kind, Min finally takes an interest in his father's work, so he can learn the craft, and Nanae can paint his pieces. He senses the loneliness behind her smile, however, which will finally cause her to disappear when he has to return to Korea for a short time due to his grandmother's ailing health. Gifts exchanged have a greater poignancy for Nanae, but he is never able to read her note due to circumstance. Feeling abandoned, and angry over what might have been, he moves on as best he can, forgetting the promise of a date in the first snow, and its true meaning. Two years later, Nanae has gained some success as an artist, and by chance they meet again. Still in pain at her leaving, he can not connect again at first, until his old bike racing pal lets him read her memory notes, and his grandmother reveals the letter. A night of first snow will have him rushing to the tree where the fortune teller's note hangs, wondering if she will be waiting this year, still.

A wonderful ending to a touching story makes this film very special, for movie lovers of any age. Serene and beautiful in its visual look, funny and poignant in its understanding of love which can begin as young adults, but remain a lifetime when it is real, anyone with a romantic heart will enjoy this film greatly. A sweet and marvelous treat for the heart.

Excellent, G-rated romance at a bargain price. It's the story of young love between a Korean boy, Min, and a Japanese girl he meets while living in Kyoto. The couple are separated at first by language/cultural barriers and then by tragic family circumstances. They meet again two years later and have to overcome multiple misunderstandings to be together. Beautiful locations in both Kyoto (especially the famed gardens) and Seoul. This is a very short movie, a little over 90 minutes, with very spare dialogue, but the images will stay with you for a long time. Lee Joon Ki is excellent in the male lead, with his highly expressive face and natural athleticism. Although he was about 25 when he made this film, he is believable as a love-struck 17-year-old. His dogged pursuit of the girl against all odds is really the heart and soul of this movie. The actress playing Nanae is more stoic, but conveys a lot of emotion through her eyes. This film reminds me of the romantic classics Hollywood used to make 50 or 60 years ago. I highly recommend it.

This is a very cute little movie. When I ordered it I was expecting the usual DVD packaging as well but the packaging for this movie is GORGEOUS! It comes in a slim case that has a plastic slip cover. It folds open and on one side is the boy and when you open it again the girl is on the other and in the middle they are together (and the DVD is placed here). They took a lot of care into detail with this. When I played it though....the DVD would not work half way through and gave me errors! I was able to get a replacement though at no cost : )