Christmas in August

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Christmas in August

Korean film poster for Christmas in August
Directed by Hur Jin-ho
Written by Jin-ho Hur
Oh Seung-ook
Shin Dong-hwan
Starring Han Suk-kyu
Shim Eun-ha
Release date(s) January 24, 1998 (South Korea)
Running time 97 min.
Language Korean
IMDb profile

Christmas in August (8월의 크리스마스, Palwolui Christmas) is a 1998 South Korean romance/drama film. It was director Hur Jin-ho 's debut and stars Han Suk-kyu and Shim Eun-ha.

With over 400,000 admissions in Seoul and screenings in Cannes, Singapore and Pusan, the film to this day enjoys an enduring fanbase throughout Asia. It was one of the titles garnering critical and popular support for the emerging Korean film industry, as well as inspiring subsequent works made in its tribute.

The Japanese actress Yuko Fueki was inspired by the film to pursue a career in Korea; Yu Aoi desired to act with Han Suk-kyu [1]; Chinese singer Lee Jian wrote his own version of "Christmas in August" as a pop ballad; a close Japanese remake by director Shunichi Nagasaki was released in 2005. Many Sinophone filmmakers have also named it as among their favorite South Korean films: Andy Lau[2], Tony Leung Chiu Wai (at Korean press conference for Hero, January 16, 2003), Leslie Cheung (as movie recommendation to Chinese radio listeners), and Feng Xiaogang[3].

The film's also had an enduring influence within the Korean film industry. Actor Jang Hyuk reportedly studied the film in preparation for his comeback role in MBC drama "Thank You" [4]. Assistant Director Park Heung-shik was influenced by particular scenes of Jung-won washing rice and teaching his father the VCR remote control, for his film Bravo, My Life!. The muffled weeping scene also found its way into My Mother, the Mermaid.[5] Characters in Barking Dogs Never Bite and Girls' Night Out are shown, respectively, watching scenes of the VCR remote and lovers' stroll. Han and Shim are named as ideal casting choices by the eponymous aspiring script writer in My Sassy Girl.

The film recently landed in the top spot of Movie Week's special feature of 10 Best Korean Romance/Melodrama from 1980-2007 [6], touting the lead performances as gold standards of the genre. In the same feature, noted director Song Hae-seong of Failan, names the scene of a lonely Jung-won singing "In the Street" by Kim Kwang Suk (whose funeral portrait inspired Hur Jin-ho's debut film), as a particularly resonant example of melodrama transcending its genre to express humanity's essence [7].

Contents

[edit] Plot

The plot follows a portrait photographer, Jung-won (played by Han Suk-kyu) and his developing romance with a parking attendant, Da-rim (Shim Eun-ha). However, the romance never gets a chance to develop into intimacy. Jung-won soon finds out he is suffering from an unnamed illness and has to come to terms with his impending death. He sets out to continue living as usual, going out with his friends and spending time with his family in the small town he has lived for decades.

In the Japanese remake the female character is a teacher.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Press conference for Hana and Alice on November 18, 2004.
  2. ^ Korean press conference for Infernal Affairs on February 13, 2003.
  3. ^ Director Feng Xiaogang on becoming a fan of South Korean films after viewing "Christmas In August"; September 19, 2006 article.
  4. ^ Press Conference for MBC Drama "Thank You" on March 15, 2007
  5. ^ Interview with Park Heung-shik, August 29, 2007.
  6. ^ Movie Week Special Feature, Part 1, October 9, 2007
  7. ^ Movie Week Special Feature, Part 5, October 9, 2007

[edit] Main cast

  • Han Suk-kyu as Jung-won
  • Shim Eun-ha as Da-rim
  • Shin Goo as Jung-won's father
  • Oh Ji-hye as Jung-sook (Jung-won's sister)
  • Lee Han-wi as Chul-goo (one of Jung-won's friends)

[edit] External links

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