By Ravi Ahuja
Kim Ki-Duk is not one of the three big Korean directors (Bong Joon-Ho, Park Chan-Wook, Lee Chang-Dong) who have achieved household name status (in film buff households, at least) in the west, but this does not make him in any way their lesser. He is in fact the only Korean director ever to win major awards at each of the Cannes, Venice, and Berlin film festivals, winning each award with a different movie. His most famous film, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring (2003) garnered much critical attention and love, and he is very well-known in the Korean film scene, but his films still remain popular mostly only among foreign arthouse fans. Sadly, Kim Ki-Duk died only a few months ago in December due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but his movies remain here for audiences to enjoy and remember him. Among his large catalog of low-budget thrillers and dramas is his 2006 film, Time, a bizarre character drama following two lovers and their relationship struggles, to put it lightly.
Ji-Woo (Ha Jung-woo) being served at a cafe
Seh-hee and Ji-woo are a couple in love, but after two years together their conflicts have risen to catastrophic levels. Ji-woo is charming, attractive, and gets plenty of attention from women, which drives Seh-hee insane with jealousy and paranoia. Despite not being unattractive herself, she feels insecure and stale, blaming her appearance on why Ji-woo sometimes looks at other women. After a huge fight in a cafe, Seh-hee moves out of her place and disappears without a trace. Ji-woo discovers that Seh-hee undertook a plastic surgery operation and will return to him in 6 months with an entirely new face. But when she eventually does return, their problems have not been all solved, leading to a climax of regret, insecurity, and insanity.
Despite a simple plot and short runtime (or perhaps because of it), the film and the characters within it are captivating. The cinematography and score are simple but effective, letting the story and acting carry this movie. Ji-woo and Seh-hee are both brilliantly written characters that showcase the madness that love sometimes drives people into, going from relatable and sympathetic to horrifying at the drop of a hat. While their relationship seems crazy when it is first introduced, the longer we get to know the couple, the more their pain and grief can be understood and their actions make sense, even if they aren’t justifiable.
Despite a simple plot and short runtime (or perhaps because of it), the film and the characters within it are captivating. The cinematography and score are simple but effective, letting the story and acting carry this movie. Ji-woo and Seh-hee are both brilliantly written characters that showcase the madness that love sometimes drives people into, going from relatable and sympathetic to horrifying at the drop of a hat. While their relationship seems crazy when it is first introduced, the longer we get to know the couple, the more their pain and grief can be understood and their actions make sense, even if they aren’t justifiable.
Seh-hee (Sung Hyun-ah) alone at the sculpture park
Because we only take the perspective of one character at a time when they are separated rather than an omniscient perspective, the audience feels the same confusion and uncertainty that Ji-woo and Seh-hee feel, making their predicament much easier to empathize with. And once you get past the extremeness of their actions, they really are easy to empathize with. Time feels very Shakespearean in how outwardly simple, yet deeply complex the story is, raising universally humanistic questions and themes of identity, love, and moving on. What does it mean to be someone, and then change who you are? How different are we from each other really? What does loving and moving on from someone entail? The questioning gets even deeper with the mysterious and abrupt ending that is impossible to interpret literally. Yet despite the fact the film rewards deep thought and analysis, it is still highly entertaining and enjoyable on a pure story level, allowing the viewer to interact with it as much as they choose to.
Ji-Woo alone and waiting for Seh-hee at the same sculpture park
There are some flaws with Time, mainly in other non-narrative departments. The visual style with its high-key, often natural lighting has aged poorly, with some scenes appearing more like a telenovela than a modern blockbuster drama. This is perhaps an unfair standard for a low-budget foreign drama however, as it does look good in many if not most scenes. The sound design is likewise a little low-budget and occasionally cheesy, but also doesn’t distract from the story except for rare occasions. Overall, however, Time more than manages to be the exciting and philosophical relationship-based drama it tries to be. I strongly recommend it to foreign film fans looking to explore Korean cinema, especially those with a bent towards Shakespeare. Time is streaming now on Kanopy with certain library memberships.
