Castaway on the Moon
What a fascinating movie from the NYAFF. It’s left such a lasting impression on me even though the director himself introduced the movie by saying it got negative reviews in Korea and the sponsors also introduced the film by saying that it almost didn’t make the cut. I went to see it on the fourth of July and it was a packed house that was pretty diverse. Judging by the round of applause at the end of the film, I think a lot of people enjoyed it.
There are many themes which the movie touches upon but the most memorable is its exploration of relationships and intimacy in an overwhelmingly crowded world like Seoul. The main protagonist survives an attempted suicide jump from a bridge over the Han river and ends up on an isolated little island. (It actually exists unbeknown even to most Koreans.)
It inevitably conjures up memories from Tom Hanks’ Castaway but the director, Lee Hey-June, has a knack for creating such poignant or comical moments that keeps the storyline on a deserted island from dragging. He also has a knack for finding humor in sad things and overwhelming joy in the most mundane things. It felt weird to laugh hysterically when the protagonist was crying in anguish, snot dripping and all, over his failures in the real world. Since he has to start from scratch to feed himself, the movie touches upon the theme of work and the satisfaction we get out of it.
But I wouldn’t say this is the main point of the movie; at least for me it wasn’t. While on the island, an internet-addicted woman who holes herself up in the room, observes him through her camera. The two isolated individuals, outcasts from society, make contact. It’s scary, it’s joyous, it’s heart-wrenching and it’s like high school all over again as these two learn to communicate with each other. You laugh so easily and feel so deeply through the most simple words and interactions.
Society, especially in a city like Seoul, can be burdensome and cruel with its expectations. He drowns in them; she floats up when the streets are emptied of people during a civilian defense drill. But can you really be your own island? Perhaps, but you would be robbed of the riches and intimacy of connecting with others when all you have is a virtual world or a volleyball named Wilson.
Tags: castaway on the moon, Korea, movies