I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK
Encyclopedia
I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK is a 2006 South Korean romantic comedy
directed by Park Chan-wook
.
and connecting it with a power cord to a wall outlet in an attempt to "recharge" herself, an act that is interpreted as a suicide attempt. Her delusion is characterised by refusing to eat, (she instead licks batteries and attempts to administer electric shocks to herself,) conversing almost solely with machines and electrical appliances and obsessively listening to her transistor radio
at night for instruction on how to become a better cyborg. Her apathetic mother is interviewed by the institute's head doctor, to determine the roots of Young-goon's psychosis; despite claiming ignorances of her daughter's delusion (it is later learnt she knew but was too busy to make her seek help), she reveals that Young-goon's mentally-ill grandmother had previously been institutionalised for delusions of being a mouse, a trauma that sparks Young-goon's own lapses from reality. As a result, she fantasizes frequently of finding her grandmother and seeking revenge on the "men in white" who took her away.
Il-sun, a young male patient hospitalized for anti-social behaviour and kleptomania (stemming from schizophrenia), becomes fascinated with Young-goon; he is described as having "no sympathy" for his fellow man, believes he can "steal" other people's souls/attributes, and frequently wears handmade rabbit masks. He fears that he will eventually "shrink into a dot" and is seen compulsively brushing his teeth when nervous or upset. His habit of covertly taking the traits of his fellow inmates makes him the frequent target of scorn, however is shown willingly accepting and returning certain traits to their owners after he has had his fill of them.
When Young-goon convinces Il-sun to take away her "sympathy" in order for her to be able to kill the men in white, she has a hallucination of going on a rampage, slaughtering the doctors and orderlies of the hospital. When she is given shock treatment due to her refusal to eat, she believes that she has been recharged. In reality, her physical condition begins to deteriorate rapidly, and the doctors begin force-feeding her to keep her alive. Il-sun, now wracked with sympathy for Young-goon, hatches an elaborate plan to get Young-goon to eat, convincing her that he can install a food-to-electrical-energy conversion unit (a "rice-megatron", as he calls it) in her back. After eating her first meal at the hospital, and confiding her secrets to the head doctor, Young-goon ponders the meaning of a recurring dream in which her grandmother explains to her the purpose of her existence. Interpreting the lip-read message as that she is in fact a "nuke bomb" that requires a bolt of lightning to detonate, she goes out into a horrendous storm with Il-sun, intending to use her radio's antenna as a lightning rod.
In the middle of the storm, the wind blows away the tent they are using, prompting both of them to scramble about covering the food they had brought with them. Young-goon tries to cover up the opened wine bottle they had brought with them as well, but is unable to find the cork. Hearing her cry out about the wine, Il-sun hastily grabs it from her and covers it with his pinky finger. Unknown to Young-goon, Il-sun had in fact placed the missing cork on top of the makeshift lightning rod they had constructed, thereby ensuring that they will never get hit by lightning. It reveals that Il-sun never intended for Young-goon to die despite seemingly helping to carry out Young-goon's wishes of 'detonating' and bringing about the 'world's end'. His 'helping out' was in fact his way of protecting Young-goon like the way he installed the 'rice megatron' to induce her to eat. The movie ends with the sunrise, both of them still alive and well. They are naked as they took off the wet clothes.
.
2,478,626. However, in its second weekend, it plummeted by 76%, and was pulled from most screens prior to the Christmas holiday period. Sales of approximately 780,000 tickets were considered a disappointment in contrast to Park's earlier films, Joint Security Area
, Oldboy
, and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
, which had all sold in excess of 3 million.
I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK won the Alfred Bauer Award at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival
, and was selected as the opening film for the Hong Kong International Film Festival
. Also, Rain was nominated for and won Best New Actor at the 43rd Baeksang Awards.
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
directed by Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. One of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in his native country, Park is most known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy, consisting of...
.
Plot
The film takes place mostly in a mental institution filled with an eclectic menagerie of patients. Young-goon, a young woman working in a factory constructing radios and who believes herself to be a cyborg, is institutionalised after cutting her wristSelf-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
and connecting it with a power cord to a wall outlet in an attempt to "recharge" herself, an act that is interpreted as a suicide attempt. Her delusion is characterised by refusing to eat, (she instead licks batteries and attempts to administer electric shocks to herself,) conversing almost solely with machines and electrical appliances and obsessively listening to her transistor radio
Transistor radio
A transistor radio is a small portable radio receiver using transistor-based circuitry. Following their development in 1954 they became the most popular electronic communication device in history, with billions manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s...
at night for instruction on how to become a better cyborg. Her apathetic mother is interviewed by the institute's head doctor, to determine the roots of Young-goon's psychosis; despite claiming ignorances of her daughter's delusion (it is later learnt she knew but was too busy to make her seek help), she reveals that Young-goon's mentally-ill grandmother had previously been institutionalised for delusions of being a mouse, a trauma that sparks Young-goon's own lapses from reality. As a result, she fantasizes frequently of finding her grandmother and seeking revenge on the "men in white" who took her away.
Il-sun, a young male patient hospitalized for anti-social behaviour and kleptomania (stemming from schizophrenia), becomes fascinated with Young-goon; he is described as having "no sympathy" for his fellow man, believes he can "steal" other people's souls/attributes, and frequently wears handmade rabbit masks. He fears that he will eventually "shrink into a dot" and is seen compulsively brushing his teeth when nervous or upset. His habit of covertly taking the traits of his fellow inmates makes him the frequent target of scorn, however is shown willingly accepting and returning certain traits to their owners after he has had his fill of them.
When Young-goon convinces Il-sun to take away her "sympathy" in order for her to be able to kill the men in white, she has a hallucination of going on a rampage, slaughtering the doctors and orderlies of the hospital. When she is given shock treatment due to her refusal to eat, she believes that she has been recharged. In reality, her physical condition begins to deteriorate rapidly, and the doctors begin force-feeding her to keep her alive. Il-sun, now wracked with sympathy for Young-goon, hatches an elaborate plan to get Young-goon to eat, convincing her that he can install a food-to-electrical-energy conversion unit (a "rice-megatron", as he calls it) in her back. After eating her first meal at the hospital, and confiding her secrets to the head doctor, Young-goon ponders the meaning of a recurring dream in which her grandmother explains to her the purpose of her existence. Interpreting the lip-read message as that she is in fact a "nuke bomb" that requires a bolt of lightning to detonate, she goes out into a horrendous storm with Il-sun, intending to use her radio's antenna as a lightning rod.
In the middle of the storm, the wind blows away the tent they are using, prompting both of them to scramble about covering the food they had brought with them. Young-goon tries to cover up the opened wine bottle they had brought with them as well, but is unable to find the cork. Hearing her cry out about the wine, Il-sun hastily grabs it from her and covers it with his pinky finger. Unknown to Young-goon, Il-sun had in fact placed the missing cork on top of the makeshift lightning rod they had constructed, thereby ensuring that they will never get hit by lightning. It reveals that Il-sun never intended for Young-goon to die despite seemingly helping to carry out Young-goon's wishes of 'detonating' and bringing about the 'world's end'. His 'helping out' was in fact his way of protecting Young-goon like the way he installed the 'rice megatron' to induce her to eat. The movie ends with the sunrise, both of them still alive and well. They are naked as they took off the wet clothes.
Cast
- Im Su-jeongIm Su-jeongSu-Jeong Lim, also known as Im Soo-jung is a South Korean actress.-Career:Im Soo-jung made her debut in 1998 as a cover model for teen magazines. She soon moved onto dramas and films, but it was Kim Ji-woon's 2003 stylish horror A Tale of Two Sisters that first drew her critical notice and...
as Cha Young-goon - Rain as Park Il-soon
- Choi Hie-jin as Choi Seul-gi
- Lee Yong-nyeo as Young-goon's mother
- Yu Ho-jeong as Il-soon's mother
- Kim Byeong-ok as Judge
Critical reception
I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK received generally positive reviews; it currently holds a 89% 'fresh' rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Box office
I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK opened in South Korea on December 7, 2006, and was the number one film at the box office in its opening weekend, grossing $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2,478,626. However, in its second weekend, it plummeted by 76%, and was pulled from most screens prior to the Christmas holiday period. Sales of approximately 780,000 tickets were considered a disappointment in contrast to Park's earlier films, Joint Security Area
Joint Security Area (film)
Joint Security Area is a 2000 South Korean film starring Lee Young Ae, Lee Byung-hun and Song Kang-ho. It was directed by Park Chan-wook and is based on the novel DMZ by Park Sang-yeon...
, Oldboy
Oldboy
Oldboy is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. It is based on the Japanese manga of the same name written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. Oldboy is the second installment of The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr...
, and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is a 2008 South Korean film by director Park Chan-wook. In North America and parts of Europe, the film has been screened under the title Lady Vengeance. The film is the third installment in Park's The Vengeance Trilogy, following Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy...
, which had all sold in excess of 3 million.
I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK won the Alfred Bauer Award at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
, and was selected as the opening film for the Hong Kong International Film Festival
Hong Kong International Film Festival
The Hong Kong International Film Festival is a platform for filmmakers, film professionals and filmgoers from all over the world to launch and experience new film work. There are seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and parties celebrating the festival community...
. Also, Rain was nominated for and won Best New Actor at the 43rd Baeksang Awards.
Accolades
- Alfred Bauer Prize, Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film FestivalThe Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
(2007) - Opening Film, Hong Kong International Film FestivalHong Kong International Film FestivalThe Hong Kong International Film Festival is a platform for filmmakers, film professionals and filmgoers from all over the world to launch and experience new film work. There are seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and parties celebrating the festival community...
(2007) - Film Presented, New York Asian Film FestivalNew York Asian Film FestivalThe New York Asian Film Festival was first held in 2002, growing out of the previous year's New York Korean Film Festival...
(2007) - Official Selection (Special Screenings), SXSWSouth by SouthwestSouth by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
(2007)