Poetry (film)
Encyclopedia
Poetry is a 2010 South Korean drama film written and directed by Lee Chang-dong
. It tells the story of a suburban woman in her 60s who begins to grow an interest for poetry
while struggling with Alzheimer's disease
and her irresponsible grandson. Yoon Jeong-hee
stars in the leading role, which was her first role in a film since 1994. The film was selected for the main competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
, where it won the Best Screenplay Award
. Other accolades include the Grand Bell Awards
for Best Picture and Best Actress.
. He is spiteful and runs the home.
Despite the fact that the registration period is over, she enters a poetry class at the local community center. At the suggestion of her teacher she begins writing notes on the things she sees.
Her grandson only interacts with his five male friends from school. After a poetry class, Mija meets the fathers of the group of friends only to discover that the group has, over a period of six months, repeatedly rape
d a girl at their school. The victim left a diary at home before committing suicide. The diary is discovered and in order to avert a full police investigation, the parents of the boys offer to pay a settlement to the family affected.
Despite the troubles in her life and the pain she sees in the lives of others, she cannot help but focus on the positive things she sees instead. Yang visits the mother of the victim and strengthens her resolve to bring the young men, including her grandson, to justice.
Lee wrote the lead character specifically for Yoon Jeong-hee, a major star of Korean cinema from the 1960s and 1970s. Yoon has expressed satisfaction with how the role differs from what she typically played in the past: "I’ve always had the desire to show people different aspects of my acting and (Lee) provided me with every opportunity to do just that." Prior to Poetry, the last film Yoon appeared in was Manmubang from 1994. Production was led by Pine House Film, founded in 2005 by the director, with co-production support from UniKorea Culture & Art Investment.
Filming started 25 August 2009 and ended three months later in the provinces Gyeonggi-do
and Gangwon
. Lee was initially worried that Yoon's long experience might have bound her to an outdated acting style, but was very pleased with her attitude: "she performed her scenes with a willingness to discuss and this is something that’s difficult to find even in younger actors."
reported a total revenue of 1,301,057 dollars (1,540,438,477 won
) in the film's domestic market. The international premiere took place at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
, where Poetry was screened on 19 May as part of the main competition. The Korean DVD was released on 23 October 2010 and includes English subtitles. The film will be distributed theatrically in the United States by Kino International.
, with a weighted average of 8.6 out of 10, and among "top critics" a 9.6 out of 10 with 14 reviews. At Metacritic
, based on 18 critical reviews the film had a 90 out of 100, categorizing it as having received "universal acclaim". "Given the abundant potential for missteps into sappiness with this sort of premise", Justin Chang wrote in Variety
, "what's notable here is the lack of sentimentality in Lee's approach. At no point does Poetry devolve into a terminal-illness melodrama or a tale of intergenerational bonding". Chang continued by noting how Lee's background as a novelist sometimes shows through, and that "[t]here are longueurs here ... that could be trimmed, though overall this absorbing film feels considerably shorter than its 139 minutes."
at the Cannes Film Festival. At the Grand Bell Awards
, Poetry won the prizes for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor. The film received the Korean Critics Awards for Best Picture and Best Screenplay. The jury of the Blue Dragon Film Awards
decided to exclude Poetry from the selection, since Lee had announced that he would boycott the ceremony. Still, they nominated Yoon for Best Actress as they thought the director's decision should not affect the cast. The award was eventually shared by Yoon and Soo Ae
, for her performance in Midnight FM
. Lee received the award for Best Achievement in Directing and Yoon for Best Performance by an Actress at the 2010 Asia Pacific Screen Awards
. The film was also nominated in the categories Best Feature Film
and Best Screenplay
.
Lee Chang-dong
Lee Chang-dong is a South Korean film director, screenwriter and novelist. He won the 2008 Special Director's Prize at the Asian Film Awards and has been nominated for the Golden Lion and Palme d'Or. Lee served as South Korea's Minister of Culture and Tourism from 2003 to 2004.-Life and career:Lee...
. It tells the story of a suburban woman in her 60s who begins to grow an interest for poetry
Korean poetry
Korean poetry is poetry performed or written in the Korean language or by Korean people. Traditional Korean poetry is often sung in performance. Until the 20th century, much of Korean poetry was written in Hanja and later Hangul.- History :...
while struggling with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
and her irresponsible grandson. Yoon Jeong-hee
Yoon Jeong-hee
Yoon Jeong-hee is a South Korean actress active since 1967. Yoon debuted as an actress in 1967 as starring in Cheongchun geukjang directed by Gang Dae-jin after elected in a recruit held by Hapdong Film. Yoon was commonly referred to as one of the "Troika" along with her rival actresses, Moon Hee...
stars in the leading role, which was her first role in a film since 1994. The film was selected for the main competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
2010 Cannes Film Festival
The 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 12 to May 23, 2010, in Cannes, France. The Cannes Film Festival, hailed as being one of the most recognized and prestigious film festivals worldwide, was founded in 1946. It consists of having films screened in and out of competition during the...
, where it won the Best Screenplay Award
Best Screenplay Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Screenplay Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival...
. Other accolades include the Grand Bell Awards
Grand Bell Awards
The Grand Bell Awards is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea....
for Best Picture and Best Actress.
Plot
Yang Mija is a 66-year old grandmother living on government welfare and a small job taking care of an elderly man. She takes care of her grandson, whose divorced mother lives in BusanBusan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
. He is spiteful and runs the home.
Despite the fact that the registration period is over, she enters a poetry class at the local community center. At the suggestion of her teacher she begins writing notes on the things she sees.
Her grandson only interacts with his five male friends from school. After a poetry class, Mija meets the fathers of the group of friends only to discover that the group has, over a period of six months, repeatedly rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d a girl at their school. The victim left a diary at home before committing suicide. The diary is discovered and in order to avert a full police investigation, the parents of the boys offer to pay a settlement to the family affected.
Despite the troubles in her life and the pain she sees in the lives of others, she cannot help but focus on the positive things she sees instead. Yang visits the mother of the victim and strengthens her resolve to bring the young men, including her grandson, to justice.
Cast
- Yoon Jeong-heeYoon Jeong-heeYoon Jeong-hee is a South Korean actress active since 1967. Yoon debuted as an actress in 1967 as starring in Cheongchun geukjang directed by Gang Dae-jin after elected in a recruit held by Hapdong Film. Yoon was commonly referred to as one of the "Troika" along with her rival actresses, Moon Hee...
as Yang Mija - Lee David as Jong Wook
- Kim Hira as Mr. Kang
- Kim Yong-taek as Kim Yongtak
- Park Myeong-sin as Heejin's mother
Production
The idea for the film had its origin in a true case where a small town schoolgirl had been raped by a gang of teenage boys. When Lee Chang-dong heard about the incident it made an impact on him, although he was never interested in basing a film on the actual events. Later, during a visit in Japan, Lee saw a television program in his hotel room. The program edited entirely from relaxing shots of nature, "a peaceful river, birds flying, fishermen on the sea -- with soft new age music in the background", and a vision for a possible feature film started to form: "suddenly, it reminded me of that horrible incident, and the word 'poetry' and the image of a 60-year old woman came up in my mind."Lee wrote the lead character specifically for Yoon Jeong-hee, a major star of Korean cinema from the 1960s and 1970s. Yoon has expressed satisfaction with how the role differs from what she typically played in the past: "I’ve always had the desire to show people different aspects of my acting and (Lee) provided me with every opportunity to do just that." Prior to Poetry, the last film Yoon appeared in was Manmubang from 1994. Production was led by Pine House Film, founded in 2005 by the director, with co-production support from UniKorea Culture & Art Investment.
Filming started 25 August 2009 and ended three months later in the provinces Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...
and Gangwon
Gangwon-do (South Korea)
Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
. Lee was initially worried that Yoon's long experience might have bound her to an outdated acting style, but was very pleased with her attitude: "she performed her scenes with a willingness to discuss and this is something that’s difficult to find even in younger actors."
Release
On 13 May 2010, N.E.W. released Poetry in 194 South Korean theaters with a gross revenue corresponding to around 258,000 US dollars during the first weekend. As of 1 August 2010, Box Office MojoBox Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. Brandon Gray started the site in 1999. In 2002, Gray partnered with Sean Saulsbury and they grew the site to nearly two million readers when, in July 2008, the company was purchased by Amazon.com through...
reported a total revenue of 1,301,057 dollars (1,540,438,477 won
South Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...
) in the film's domestic market. The international premiere took place at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
2010 Cannes Film Festival
The 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 12 to May 23, 2010, in Cannes, France. The Cannes Film Festival, hailed as being one of the most recognized and prestigious film festivals worldwide, was founded in 1946. It consists of having films screened in and out of competition during the...
, where Poetry was screened on 19 May as part of the main competition. The Korean DVD was released on 23 October 2010 and includes English subtitles. The film will be distributed theatrically in the United States by Kino International.
Critical response
As of 31 August 2011, the film had a 100% "fresh" rating with 55 reviews at film review aggregation site 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...
, with a weighted average of 8.6 out of 10, and among "top critics" a 9.6 out of 10 with 14 reviews. At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, based on 18 critical reviews the film had a 90 out of 100, categorizing it as having received "universal acclaim". "Given the abundant potential for missteps into sappiness with this sort of premise", Justin Chang wrote in Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, "what's notable here is the lack of sentimentality in Lee's approach. At no point does Poetry devolve into a terminal-illness melodrama or a tale of intergenerational bonding". Chang continued by noting how Lee's background as a novelist sometimes shows through, and that "[t]here are longueurs here ... that could be trimmed, though overall this absorbing film feels considerably shorter than its 139 minutes."
Accolades
Lee won the Best Screenplay AwardBest Screenplay Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Screenplay Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival...
at the Cannes Film Festival. At the Grand Bell Awards
Grand Bell Awards
The Grand Bell Awards is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea....
, Poetry won the prizes for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor. The film received the Korean Critics Awards for Best Picture and Best Screenplay. The jury of the Blue Dragon Film Awards
Blue Dragon Film Awards
The Blue Dragon Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony that is presented annually by Sports Chosun for excellence in film in South Korea....
decided to exclude Poetry from the selection, since Lee had announced that he would boycott the ceremony. Still, they nominated Yoon for Best Actress as they thought the director's decision should not affect the cast. The award was eventually shared by Yoon and Soo Ae
Soo Ae
Park Soo-ae , known simply as Soo Ae, is a South Korean actress.- Career :Soo Ae nearly became a member of a pop idol group. Fresh out of high school, a record agent approached the young stunner on the street in the trendy Apgujeong area. She spent six months in grueling practice, but in the end...
, for her performance in Midnight FM
Midnight FM
Midnight FM is 2010 South Korean thriller film by Kim Sang-Man which stars Soo-ae and Yoo Ji-tae in lead roles. The film has Yoo's villain role after Oldboy and made cameo by Hyun-ah and Nam Ji-hyun from 4 Minute.-Plot:...
. Lee received the award for Best Achievement in Directing and Yoon for Best Performance by an Actress at the 2010 Asia Pacific Screen Awards
Asia Pacific Screen Awards
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Events Queensland, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of UNESCO to...
. The film was also nominated in the categories Best Feature Film
Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Feature Film
The winners and nominees of the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Feature Film are* 2007 Secret Sunshine - Republic of Korea - Kim In-Soo, Lee Chang-Dong, Hanna Lee**Caramel - Lebanon - Anne-Dominique Toussaint...
and Best Screenplay
Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Screenplay
The winners and nominees of the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Screenplay are* 2007 Gandhi, My Father - India - Feroz Abbas Khan**Lucky Miles - Australia - Michael James Rowland and Helen Barnes...
.
External links
- Official North American website at Kino International