Woman Is the Future of Man
Encyclopedia
Woman is the Future of Man (여자는 남자의 미래다
- Yeojaneun namjaui miraeda) is a 2004
South Korean film directed by Hong Sang-soo
. The film wasn't a box-office hit, but was entered in the competition category of the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
and received screenings at several other festivals. The title of the film is a translation of a line from a poem by Louis Aragon
that the director saw printed on a French postcard.
), a university art teacher and Kim Hyeon-gon (Kim Tae-woo), a graduate from an American film school who has recently returned to his home country. While having dinner in a restaurant, Kim convinces Lee to arrange a meeting between them and Kim's old girlfriend Park Seon-hwa (Seong Hyeon-ah). Unbeknownst to Kim, however, Lee had become involved in a relationship with her after Kim's departure to the United States. The three meet for a night of drinking, as past tensions and attractions reemerge. In the end, both self-centered men abandon Park as they had years ago.
's company MK2. It was given a production budget of 1.3 million US$. It was the fifth feature-length film directed by Hong Sang-soo, who also wrote the screenplay.
The film was screened alongside another South Korean film, Oldboy
, at the competition category of the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
, marking the first time that two films from the country were in the competition simultaneously. Yu Ji-tae played parts in both films; he had the role of the main antagonist in Oldboy. Unlike Oldboy, Woman Is the Future of Man did not win any of the awards and reportedly met with a mostly unenthusiastic reception. It was the third film of director Hong Sang-soo to be screened in Cannes, following The Power of Kangwon Province
(1998) and Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors
(2000), and the first to be entered in the competition category. In 2005 Hong's next film, Tale of Cinema
, also competed in Cannes.
The film was also screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival
, the Vancouver International Film Festival
, the New York Film Festival
, the London Film Festival
and the Pusan International Film Festival
.
Critics gave mixed reviews for the film. Manohla Dargis
of The New York Times
, reviewing the film during the New York Film Festival, called it "intellectually stimulating [and] aesthetically bold", and mentioned its suitability for an art-house crowd. Duane Byrge of The Hollywood Reporter
was less positive, calling the film amateurish, a dud compositionally and accused the story of being plodding. On the review aggregator
Metacritic
, it has an average score of 64 out of 100 as of March 24, 2008.
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
- Yeojaneun namjaui miraeda) is a 2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
South Korean film directed by Hong Sang-soo
Hong Sang-soo
Hong Sang-soo is a South Korean film director. Hong's directorial debut, The Day a Pig Fell into the Well , was praised by South Korean critics for its originality and won international film prizes...
. The film wasn't a box-office hit, but was entered in the competition category of the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
2004 Cannes Film Festival
The 2004 Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ran until May 23. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.-Jury:* Quentin Tarantino, President * Emmanuelle Béart * Edwidge Danticat * Tilda Swinton...
and received screenings at several other festivals. The title of the film is a translation of a line from a poem by Louis Aragon
Louis Aragon
Louis Aragon , was a French poet, novelist and editor, a long-time member of the Communist Party and a member of the Académie Goncourt.- Early life :...
that the director saw printed on a French postcard.
Plot
The plot revolves loosely around two old friends: Lee Mun-ho (Yu Ji-taeYu Ji-tae
Yoo Ji-tae is a South Korean actor and director.- Career :Yoo Ji-tae in a very short time rose to become a major actor in Korean film. In the year 2000, with a series of hit films, widely-seen TV appearances, and a career in modeling, Yoo was more constantly in the limelight than any other...
), a university art teacher and Kim Hyeon-gon (Kim Tae-woo), a graduate from an American film school who has recently returned to his home country. While having dinner in a restaurant, Kim convinces Lee to arrange a meeting between them and Kim's old girlfriend Park Seon-hwa (Seong Hyeon-ah). Unbeknownst to Kim, however, Lee had become involved in a relationship with her after Kim's departure to the United States. The three meet for a night of drinking, as past tensions and attractions reemerge. In the end, both self-centered men abandon Park as they had years ago.
Production
Woman Is the Future of Man was co-financed by South Korean production companies UniKorea and Miracin Korea, and French producer Marin KarmitzMarin Karmitz
Marin Karmitz is a French jewish businessman whose career has spanned the French film industry, including director, producer, film distributor, and operator of a chain of cinemas....
's company MK2. It was given a production budget of 1.3 million US$. It was the fifth feature-length film directed by Hong Sang-soo, who also wrote the screenplay.
Reception
The film was released in South Korea on May 5, 2004. It didn't enjoy a particularly successful theatrical run; the total attendance figure of 284,872 ranked it 46th out of 75 domestic feature-length releases in the country in 2004.The film was screened alongside another South Korean film, 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...
, at the competition category of the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
2004 Cannes Film Festival
The 2004 Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ran until May 23. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.-Jury:* Quentin Tarantino, President * Emmanuelle Béart * Edwidge Danticat * Tilda Swinton...
, marking the first time that two films from the country were in the competition simultaneously. Yu Ji-tae played parts in both films; he had the role of the main antagonist in Oldboy. Unlike Oldboy, Woman Is the Future of Man did not win any of the awards and reportedly met with a mostly unenthusiastic reception. It was the third film of director Hong Sang-soo to be screened in Cannes, following The Power of Kangwon Province
The Power of Kangwon Province
The Power of Kangwon Province is the second film by critically acclaimed South Korean director Hong Sang-soo. It follows the lives of a man and a woman who have decided to end their affair....
(1998) and Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors
Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors
Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors is a 2000 South Korean comedy-drama film, directed by Hong Sang-soo. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival....
(2000), and the first to be entered in the competition category. In 2005 Hong's next film, Tale of Cinema
Tale of Cinema
Tale of Cinema is the sixth film by critically acclaimed South Korean director Hong Sang-soo. It was entered into the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Bang Moonsu* Choi Bo-Kwang* Choi Myeong-su* Jo Han-Cheol* Kim Myoeng-su...
, also competed in Cannes.
The film was also screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival
Melbourne International Film Festival
The Melbourne International Film Festival is an acclaimed annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1951, making it one of the oldest in the World....
, the Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
, the New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
, the London Film Festival
London Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, , currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute...
and the Pusan International Film Festival
Pusan International Film Festival
Busan International Film Festival , held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan , South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia...
.
Critics gave mixed reviews for the film. Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis is a chief film critic for The New York Times, along with A.O. Scott. She was formerly a chief film critic for the Los Angeles Times, the film editor at the LA Weekly, and a film critic at The Village Voice. She has written for a variety of publications, including Film Comment and...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, reviewing the film during the New York Film Festival, called it "intellectually stimulating [and] aesthetically bold", and mentioned its suitability for an art-house crowd. Duane Byrge of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
was less positive, calling the film amateurish, a dud compositionally and accused the story of being plodding. On the review aggregator
Review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services . This system stores the reviews and then uses them for purposes such as: creating a website for users to view the reviews, selling information to third parties about consumer tendencies and creating databases for...
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,...
, it has an average score of 64 out of 100 as of March 24, 2008.