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𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖
Burning is a 2018 South Korean-Japanese psychological thriller film co-written, produced, and directed by Lee Chang-dong that is based on the short story 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 by Haruki Murakami.
A young deliveryman, Jong-su, runs into his childhood friend, Hae-mi . They soon meet an enigmatic young man named Ben, whom Jong-su becomes suspicious of and begins to believe Hae-mi is in danger.
Forthcoming, and as stated above, 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 credits 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, a short story written and published by Murakami and 1992 as its inspiration; in it is are character dynamics that lends to Chang-dong’s thriller - two men, a woman, and an aura of mystery - with Ben’s (Who goes unnamed, as all of the characters do, originally) ‘‘confession’ piquing the interest of and influencing the primary protagonist’s behavior.
Murakami's story barely spans twenty pages long and additionally makes little room for what would constitute as character development, which results in 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈’s largest deviance being the intimacy slipped into the material; Hai-mi’s disappearance is treated as more than an afterthought (An improvement, in my opinion) with said status substantiated with creepy intel and the effort made to recover her, and Jong-su not already being in a relationship prior to running in to his childhood friend. This theme of isolation (Or some other caricature of being lost) is woven far before this notable discretion owing to the former’s explicit desire to seek out the meaning of life and with that her purpose: An inquiry that goes further entertained by the conversation Ben goes to lead about his morally ambiguous hobby and Jong-su goes on to read as a precedence for more maladaptive interests.
𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 makes no mention of what would be Jong-su's father in this equation nor does it mention any fatalities (This is a soft spoiler): So, what gives?
When asked who his favorite writer is by Ben, Jong-su states that is William Faulkner, with the original translation of 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 mentioning that he ends up reading some of Faulkner's short stories in the airport while waiting for his friend. Faulkner also published a story entitled 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 in 1939 with wildly different circumstances. Set in Mississippi in the late 1800s, the TLDR is that a father and son pair by the names of Abner and Sartoris relocates to a sharecropping farm that belongs to a Major de Spain (Previously from a farm owned by a Mr. Harris) with the father being particularly bitter about his economic status. His attitude is meant to encapsulate the resentment felt by white Americans that found themselves newly competing with former slaves following the enactment of the 13th Amendment in 1865 as their ‘superiority was previously unquestioned and unchallenged on a national scale.
In this story, barn burning is an act of rebellion with significant financial repercussions as said barns are a primary guardian of assets (by way of livestock and etc.) on plantations and farms that the father in question is gainfully employed.
Only known to readers, Sartoris lives with the definitive knowledge of a barn belong to Mr. Harris that Abner had previously destroyed and one by Spain that becomes targeted in their short time living on his property, with his ability to disclose such information at the expense of loyalty to his father causing an internal dilemma: thus explaining 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈’s choice of subplots that otherwise feels out-of-touch and ham-fiisted in bits. Faulkner’s take is naturally more intensely tied to the subject of allegiance, with Murakami's building more on elements of estrangement; both for the sake of tension and enigmatic resolve.
One should note that adapting Murakami’s work isn't categorically easy given the banality he chooses to embellish. The same can be said for Faulkner from a contextual standpoint as his necessitate empathy for characters with privileged circumstances whos wrongdoings work to mitigate an internalized feeling of injustice at an otherwise insensitive time. 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, arguably so though forcibly congealed, embraces the better narrative points from each in a consolidated manner though one can certainly find fault without looking very far. Where Jong-su obsesses over the accuracy of Ben's claims, his muse wonders more suspiciously: he not only asks himself why Ben would be compelled to incinerate the structures that he does, but also to what extent is he trying to inspire someone else to do the same.
Such rumination goes on to overshadow any concern he might have for his friend, and he retains the interest in this deviance years later: Nothing like the Jong-su on screen who effectively goes straight for a resolution that comes with the additional benefit of restoration and is compacted by the feelings of jealousy, guilt, and retribution in Faulkner’s rendition.
One shouldn't forget about or let Jong-su’s interest in fiction or admiration for Faulkner be red herrings, combustible as they additionally prove 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 to be. A number of Murakami’s other stories - 𝑷𝒊𝒏𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 (1973) and 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒅-𝑩𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝑾𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅.... (1993) to name a few - prove reminiscent of Faulner’s counterpoint technique, which is effectively a narrative that pushes two stories that seem independent of one another to become conjoined in some way.
On all accounts, 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 and its derivative reflect maniacally on the thematic appeal of manifestation, or some special brand of desire that drives the least significant of characters through interactions meant to change the trajectory of their lives: Unfortunately, they all seem equally doomed to be tied down by some sense of inequity or short-comings that go unspoken for.
Chang-dong’s unification related efforts all things considered is ambitious - foolish, even - but one can’t deny the applicability of 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈’s characters that are searching for ways to create the life they want temporarily or otherwise. Underneath its rabidly flammable tapestry is a cyclic despair, and with it some twisted compassion for situations where there appears to be meaningful change but many underlying fundamentals remain the same.
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From the manufacturer
“All three leads are sensational, giving performances that retain a sense of mystery that dovetails with the movie’s ambiguity.” - NYTimes
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Jong-Seo Jun As HaemiHaemi is a free spirit who thinks that things are real if one believes them to be. After reuniting with her childhood friend, Jongsu, she asks if he'd mind looking after her cat while she's away on a trip to Africa. On her return she introduces to Jongsu an enigmatic young man named Ben, who she met during her trip. |
Steven Yeun As BenBen rides a nice car, lives in a luxury villa in the middle of the city, and enjoys fancy food and intellectual conversations. Although we do not know what he's thinking, he seems to be living a perfect life. However, one day, he confesses his secret hobby to Jongsu. |
Ah-In Yoo As JongsuJongsu is a young man in his twenties who works part-time at a distribution company. He develops a crush towards Haemi, a childhood friend who he hasn't seen for a long time, and begins to hang out with her. However, his life begins to crumble when he meets Ben, a mysterious man who Haemi introduces. |
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Isaac Lopez
Salió algo bueno de algo malo
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on December 20, 2020
Isaac Lopez
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on December 20, 2020
La he pedido para regalar en navidad pero ha venido quebrada la caja del Blu Ray, he tenido que quedarmela ya que no cuento con cajas de reemplazo.
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