Elizabeth Gupta

When i was first introduced to Korean films, i was very apprehensive about watching them. Totally disillusioned with Western films, as well as vernacular films, i had stopped watching movies totally. My main and only, objection to these films were the sex scenes. Unaesthetic and totally unacceptable to my eyes and my thinking. Very often they were forcibly introduced into the script to make the movies sell, i guess. But after watching my first Korean film, i was so happy….and hugely relieved. No sex scenes. Gradually i started actually waiting to see my next Korean film, and the next, and the next, and now i am totally hooked. The acting is superlative. No theme is repeated. The treatment of the various themes chosen is so elegant, and the love scenes are hauntingly sensitive…. Since i watch with subtitles, i also get to hear the actor’s own voice (dubbing ruins this effect). As for the music—both Korean and the use of Western Classical—there are no words to say how beautifully they create the soundtrack…..Plus, i am learning so much!! I make it a point to check for quotes from the movies i watch—so much to learn from the wisdom they have. I believe it is the underlying Confucianism, or Buddhism, that is the deep hidden driving force of this civilization and culture, and which is reflected in their movies. Thus, having said this, i was deeply disappointed to see the sex scenes in the movie Eve. They actually had no relevance to the story, and no place in it, so i’m not sure what prompted the director to put those in. Other than this, to my mind, blot, the movie was superlative. The acting was brilliant. Each character was amazingly depicted. The whole movie was of a piece except for those scenes. My fervent appeal to the movie makers is to please not go the Western way. Even vernacular movies sell on this platform, but Korean movies are well able to stand on their own. They are wonderfully crafted and actually get you hooked right till the last scene. I am so grateful that i have discovered Korean movies.