The film begins and ends with a third-person’s (bird’s eye) viewpoint that witnesses the moment a hardened heart pushes others away—except for the prologue and epilogue. This moment, which may be nothing more than a landscape for some, presupposes a moment of affect. The affected mind brings another into our life.
Deficiency drives the mind. When Won-sang hears the piano played by Yoon-shik, who is way out of his league, he gets in a flap. Then he commits himself to Yoon-shik’s life. The film follows Won-sang’s emotional path with long horizontal camera movements that circle the figure on its axis, followed by Won-sang’s proposal and Yoonsik’s acceptance. Compassion and temperament are also variable in places.
The film tries to capture what is and is not, what causes what, state, cause, and condition persist throughout. It is uncompromising and rigid in that it does not borrow from any external archetype. “So everything you said to me, everything you did, was because of the editor-in-chief?” Wonsang can’t answer Sung-yeon’s question. The two cannot answer, but the film testifies to their moments in the past with music, long sidetracking, and a subsequent long shot. “You will do well.” A brief moment of liberation without deficiency where they feel sorry for and cheer on each other. [LEE Wanmin]