Essential Films: Burning (2018)

This week: resolving the cliffhanger that my last video ended on.
Written and edited by me, Julian Rhodes.
All music, images, and clips are used for the purposes of commentary in conjunction with the Fair Use Agreement under U.S. Copyright Law.

[@Daniel-ls1gb]

I've never watched such a long, slow-moving, and conventionally "boring" movie that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Loved it, definitely one of the best movies of the past few years.

[@amanms1999]

Paul Thomas Anderson movies like There will be blood, The Master and Phantom Thread are also like this. They are very slow paced but still keeps you completely engrossed from beginning to end

[@Booksandchess]

I’d recommend reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Murakami if you enjoyed this movie.

[@lanagaga7504]

yes. ugh

[@travisbickle0526]

Stalker by Tarkovsky is the same

[@uaena182]

same here

[@majestycrush]

This movie is such an underrated masterpiece. I still think about it most weeks

[@imaddann]

Its haunting

[@maevemora2448]

The film score literally gives me chills! I watched this film a week ago and still cant stop thinking about it, there is not a single element that wasn't done tastefully and effectively

[@yoruneko34]

watch poetry of the same director

[@lanagaga7504]

period!!

[@JuliaMinervaRhodes]

One thing which I wanted to discuss in this video (but which I couldn’t find a way to smoothly integrate into my talking point) was Ben’s wealth being an integral part of his character as a villain. The sense of dread and uncertainty which pervades the film applies not just to the unsolved mystery, but also (as the director himself states) to the socioeconomic environment many young people find themselves in today, uncertain of their futures in a world in which resources are controlled by an elite class of people who are so rich that they don’t even work for a living, and who sociopathically and systematically prey on the working class. (Edit: it is this apt portrayal of our present times which I feel make it a more than fitting selection for the Film of the Year).

[@curiousworld7912]

Agreed.

[@JRyrie-ul6yw]

Ahhh, I suspected this on the basis that you liked my comment in the last video in which I said 'my favourite film of 2018 was Burning'.

[@edwardblanton4809]

Yes while that is true some will argue that there are some poor who do that as well....if they get Medicare, Food Stamps, Housing and unemployment, etc without contributing as well are they not preying upon society as well always taking never giving? The system was designed to have compassionate aid for those in need for short period of time not making people co-dependent enslaved by a lifetime of government benefits....there are those in the middle class who also prey....going on disability when there is nothing wrong working as little as possible and also stealing from employers in other ways...perhaps it is symptomatic of our society...those who are moral and give and those who are immoral and take....sadly to some extent many in all classes do both so that few are actually without blame

[@curiousworld7912]

@@edwardblanton4809 There will always be people who 'game' the system - in any class. The question is, how much harm does one class do compared to its opposite? Yes, there are those who would rather collect social safety-net benefits not owed them, but compared to what a corporation or the inheritor of great wealth who avoids paying fair taxes costs society - which does the most harm? A society that implements oversight as well as encouraging social responsibility greatly reduces the costs of both.

[@edwardblanton4809]

s p I agree corporations need to be reigned in and the fact Obama and Romney paid less taxes than average middle class is sickening actually politicians are probably the biggest predators we have

[@_holy__ghost]

knowing without knowing or burning without catching fire

[@Aidamorden]

Burning is a metaphorical parody of life. The act of burning is in fact the act of living. This is a movie that cuts across all and any aspects of living in the contemporary society encapsulating universal theme, ie how humans live their lives. The movie contemporises human experience in a governed society by showing the flag, by setting scenes in Paju close to the North Korean border where sounds give us glimpse of the life on the other side. It leads us to thinking of the divided nation. The universal theme pierces into the reality of a class society in the stark and glaring contrast between Jonshu and Ben. The film snakes into the sad and cruel reality of people defined and created by their economic status. Burning is a depiction of living in a society of laws and the influence of wealth in navigating the legal process. For me, there are two focal symbolisms in the movie. One is HAE-MI who is herself the metaphor of desire, life’s desire as she explains ‘little hunger’ and ‘great hunger’ which are levels of desire, reminding us of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a theory describing needs at various stages of human development, ie that these little hungers are our economic, socio-political needs and our great hunger is the existential desire to grasp the meaning of life. Hae-mi initiated the sex with Jonshu, pantomines reality and imagination, dances to freedom in her naked self (I would have preferred her to be completely nude). For nudity is as much a symbol of freedom as it is of sex. The second focal symbolism in this film is the GREENHOUSE. Ben, whose name is itself universal) burns abandoned, unused and greenhouses. He does not burn greenhouses that are in use, that . Ben gives us a glimpse of a life being lived as a play, not as burden. He burns the abandoned shelters the seeds of life and protects unspoilt, nascent lives). He destroys that which used to be useful, that which shelters and protects lives. He burns them which is a symbolism of giving life to them again of being reborn. Ben is being in the world of wealth and adding colours to his desires (as symbolised by putting on make up to women and by keeping mementos of their existence). In the end, Ben attempts to embrace Jonshu as Jonshu kills him. Ben is a fulfilled life, a serial killer? No. Because in this film everything is symbolism, everything is a metaphor of an idea. If Hae-mi is desire and Jonshu is searching for her, Jonshu’s life is a constant search of meaning because meaning and desire are existentially the same. Ben is not bothered by whether Hae-mi is dead or alive. He meets another woman, paints colours and creates his object of desire. If Jonshu is a metaphor of one existence, Ben, the metaphor of another existence, what form of life will be created by the naked Jonshu (end of the movie)? Ben is a symbol of fulfilled life (yawning as Hae-mi dances) and fulfilling life constantly, creating and defining (burning greenhouses and putting on make-up to women). He is the Great Hunger. Jonshu is a symbol of developing and desires and unfulfilled life and therefore full of life as desires drive him to continue living. And to continue living he has to burn that which threatens to extinguish his desires. This is a truly existential movie.

[@MCSolaireBro]

Burning is the best movie I saw at tiff 2018 by far, and also my fav film of the year

[@draagsyl]

I'd never seen this film without you, and I really loved it. Thank you so much!

[@savehimgffff1777]

Here's how I saw it: ben symbolizes the upper class(he has a ton of money and belongings and the people below him don't even know where the money comes from). Hae-mi symbolizes the middle class(She has the luxury of pretending that she has certain things(pantomime) because she has what she needs. Notice how she focuses on the taste of the tangerine that she imagines, not the hunger she feels. Taste is a luxury. Hae-mi represents the middle class, as she offers to give Jong-su a watch and sleeps with him even though she ultimately prefers to be closer to ben, Hae-mi has more than Jong-su as she can hold a job, travel to another country, and has her own decent studio apartment. Jong Su symbolizes the lower class: He is abandoned by his family, lives like crap and rich people like Ben are trying to burn stuff around him down. What really interests me is the end of this film. A lot of poeple I know where saying that Ben may not have killed Hae-mi, but I don't think that matters to the story. Ben represents the upper class. Whether or not he directly hurt those below him, the lower class decides that he must pay for his good life. An example of this in real life would be that, even though a rich person may have worked hard for their money, many people believe that they must pay higher taxes to make it "fair." Jong-Su makes things "fair" in killing Ben. Jong-su does this because he believes that ben contributed to the disappearance of Hae-mi(middle class). By killing Ben, Jong-su makes Ben(upper class) feel something he never has before: pain/sadness. In this moment of anarchy Ben needs Jong-Su's mercy, just as in times of revolt, the upper class is at the mercy of the larger lower class. Ben hugs Jon-Su because he realizes that no matter how many cars or apartments he has, he's only one knife away from being at Jong-Su's level. So, as I said before, it doesn't matter whether Ben did it or not. What matters is that Jong-Su completes his character arch in becoming a completely active character. At the beginning of the film, When Hae-mi invites Jong-Su on a date he says "why not." Not very active. Later, Jong-Su follows Ben to a river, which is a pretty dangerous move for his character, but he still hides from Ben and does not confront him. Jong-Su does, however, slowly stand up in one shot where he hides from Ben behind Ben's Porsche. So, Jong-Su is almost at Ben's level. Finally, Jong-Su stands up to Ben and Knifes him. Jong-Su completes him Character Arch in deciding to burn everything. He proves that he is a better man than Ben in that he doesn't want Ben's money, or his Porsche or anything. He burns it all, even the clothes off of his own back, and leaves without looking back. Fire is cleansing, and a Pheonix can rise from ashes. Jong-Su is reborn as a better man.

[@unknown.shifu.]

Crap

[@ryanm994]

I saw this movie about 3 months ago. I thought it was a great thriller and introduction in Korean cinema. However I hadn’t thought too much of it since. Until this past weekend when I saw Parasite, my now favorite film of the year. I read a review that compared it to Burning. I have to agree you’re right, since then I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Burning too and the ambiguity nature of the film. It’s risen up to one of my favorites of the decade.

[@harumahluv4582]

This and parasite have the same cinematographer. Hence both of them looked great

[@marshallzane7735]

Seriously my fav movie of 2018. I’m glad I’m not alone in thinking that it’ll go down in film history more so than other films released that year.

[@Asherbw]

The power of this film is perfectly communicated by you. Great job!

[@ubermensch8022]

Liked it more than parasite

[@TheHYEGUY]

I agree. I wish this got half as much attention as Parasite. Parasite was filled with instant gratification and focused on the twisty plot. That's why I think it was so popular comparatively. I found it's themes too surface level for me to love it.

[@architheia9443]

Yeap, will go pick burning over parasite if asked to do.

[@cherisyevvladeschi6598]

@@TheHYEGUY holly shit you guys are pretentious

[@barsam2a]

this is like 10x better, "parasite" was so "on-the-nose", like the comparison, with the rain pouring down. the rich lady in the taxi was relieved, the poor got flooded.

[@TheHYEGUY]

Yesss! I love finding good KZbin channels about film analysis. Instant sub from me!

[@parvezshahid8906]

SPOILER ALERT: Haemi said she got plastic surgery, but did she really? Maybe that girl isn't even the true Haemi.

[@biclexual]

I'm assuming it was Haemi because there was no reason for her to lie about her name, especially since the two of them didn't know each other well when they were younger. Either way, it wouldn't really matter if her name was Haemi or not. That's kind of irrelevant in the story, since it's a story about that character going missing. Let's not forget plastic surgery is super common in Korea though.

[@seanmatthewking]

@@biclexual It's certainly not included as an accident. She also said he called her ugly. She also told a story about a well that was very significant to her, but Jong-su remembers neither the incident nor the well. I mean, why choose to make him not remember her when she remembers him? By default, the writer would have him remember her. What's the significance? I don't know.

[@biclexual]

@@seanmatthewking I remember in the movie her mother tells him there never was a well and that she often lied or made up stories? Wells are very common in Murakami's stories. I suppose they often represent being stuck, frozen as the world changes around them, or even death. In this movie it could represent how she felt like the world was moving too fast around her and she felt trapped because of it. Really it could mean so many things, and I suppose that's one of the things I liked about this movie.

[@seanmatthewking]

But going off what the guy in this video said, perhaps the point is that we have to act in life even if we don't have answers to life's deepest questions, or what we're supposed to do in life? I don't know...

[@sabornisaha8962]

@@seanmatthewking she said so many things that were not verifiable and jong su clearly didn't remember, but I thought it was more of an attempt by the writers to establish her as an unreliable narrator. We often come across this trope in thriller books where either the protagonist is an addict or just a manipulative person that makes us question their conviction, I guess something similar going on here

[@filmfrauds7018]

Burning has to be one of the most fascinating movies of the last decade. I've now seen it twice, and it definitely holds up. The movie proposes so many questions that are never fully answered, and yet I found Burning have a completely satisfying narrative. Also, as someone who has a difficult time watching movies over 120 minutes long, Burning does not feel its length. My friends and I just did an hour + long discussion of Burning on our channel, and it was crazy to see how we all have different interpretations of it.

[@GibbaBites]

parasite is just a less subtle burning in a nicer house. sure, class is more central to parasite but it really is striking how similar is is thematically and visually (both had the same dc)

[@andrewstephens5885]

completely different styles and storytelling lmaoooo please don’t compare two films just because the themes are slightly similar and they’re korean 😐 they could not be more different pimp

[@tomjolliffescreenwriter]

A perfect encapsulation of the opening feelings about the film (as you stated); Like many I was almost waiting to be grabbed while watching, and couldn't feel it. After the film my wife turned and said to me: 'what was that shit?' I wasn't sure how to answer. Next morning she says: 'I couldn't sleep last night, I thinking about that film...' My thoughts exactly. It's not till you've walked away, some distance you realise there are hooks in you, suddenly you're pulled back and the hooks never come out. I'm obsessed with the film now and it's one of the best I've seen this century. Masterpiece (which is very rare to say in the 21st century). The work of a genius to infiltrate you so subtly. It's a film that when it does grab people, it really grabs them. Usually after breathing space from the end credits.

[@heechman5436]

In actual Korean Hei-Mi calls him “boyfriend”, but the English translation didn’t

[@Maki-00]

Him who? Ben or Jong-Su?

[@stefanostsougkranis5851]

I don't know if I loved this film in its entirety but... it will certainly stick with me for a while. It's as real as it is hypnotic, it feels as emotional as it feels distant. The unnerving music and so many questions and different possibilities BURNING my mind. The symbolism etched in my memory... So I want to address an issue about this film's story and plot : I have a strong feeling that Ben and Jong-su is the same person. Some thoughts on this: Africa could symbolize its descend to the great hunger that he satiated when he killed Hae-mi. The cat could be left alive as a memento to her existence (that was disputed entirely for a part of the film) and that she wanted to end. Jong su obviously had a strange relationship with fire, as described in the infamous "weed-smoking scene", when he said that his father made him burn his mother's clothes when he was still a child... and "he hates his father". He probably could burn "greenhouses" (having many different girls as victims) himself after having the traumatizing experience of his mom leaving the house. Hating his father could be an excuse made by him after commiting all these murders when fueled by lust for living to the extreme alongside women, thus having a strong fire burning within him. And also don't forget the interesting connection of the following two phrases "I can't understand why people cry" and "The world is an enigma to me". To cut a long story short, I believe Ben is one of the possible alter egos of Jong-su's quiet and stoic self when exposed to the ever-burning fire that is life.

[@ninab9952]

Thanks for the spoiler countdown!

[@friscokid66]

You nailed it. A boring movie I could not stop watching. When over I could not stop thinking.

[@johnnypopstar]

I must thank you! I did not connect with this film at all, so went looking for reviews to see what I missed. Seeing you cite Mandy and You Were Never Really Here as your other favourites, two films I also didn't connect with, just confirmed in my mind that there's some wavelength differences between me and these kinds of movies, and that that's ok.

[@slothsarecool]

I wish they left it a bit more ambiguous, my theory was that the girl resented him for what he said to her when she was younger, and wanted to make him pay by playing these mind games and disappearing on him to make him commit the murder, but maybe that’s not likely since Ben is hints at it pretty explicitly

[@tariqkhan-qo3ow]

read murakami books, if you liked this film.

[@IlijaBossrock]

I read story barn burning after watching this film and i like it. I will read more Murakami in future.

[@tariqkhan-qo3ow]

@@IlijaBossrock its based on a short story called a elephant vanishes

[@IlijaBossrock]

@@tariqkhan-qo3ow a elephant vanish is collection of short stories. Barn Burning is story from that collection book.

[@subijoyacharya3189]

There has never been a film like this. This is not surreal film but just film about ambiguous reality.

[@gotpancakes]

Would love to see you review a Paul Thomas Anderson film. Magnolia, There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread are my personal favorites.

[@diepersona]

It's like you knew I just watched this, I come out of the theater and on my way home this pops up on my phone.

[@dornravlin]

What are you thoughts on Parasite. I saw this film it was good but it didn't blow me away there's a lot i do admire about it. One Thing i like about this and what other films Lee Chang-dong is how he creates a feeling of naturalism to immerse you into the film.I think he does it better then Michelangelo Antonioni In my opinion.

[@petitnicollas]

The movie reminds me of Blow-Up, maybe because of the obsession of the protagonist

[@timrizzo3941]

Thanks for the spoiler warning! I blind bought it so I guess I should just go watch it already.

[@slothsarecool]

Also I’m assuming you know of Parasite already, but just in case, you’ll definitely enjoy it!

[@sisyphus0324]

This was a really great explanation, but I still have one question left: Who was calling Jung Soo on the phone?

[@Frankie-xu6sr]

Good point, that's a question that was never addressed in any analysis I've seen

[@USMFAN1996]

I always assumed it was his mother just too afraid to speak. Idk though

[@biclexual]

That's another part of the ambiguity of this film I suppose. We don't get an answer to it. It could be his mother, or it could be Haemi. It could've literally been a butt-dial for all we know.

[@NoirOsain]

His mom... You didn't saw at last she talked to him

[@architheia9443]

Mom I guessed

[@Jadewizard]

yeah but here's the thing about awards. As you pretty much stated it's really subjective. But there's 2 major issues here: Since they are subjective and a matter of opinion and those judging, is it really the job of awards bodies to decide upon a film that will be a classic in the decades to come? Is that even possible? The passage of time as a film's future reception is inherently absent. it's about a moment in time and timing. If people operated with a sense of responsibility to designate a future classic it'd be pretentious at best, embarrassing at worst. Also, Burning is still very new. We can only surmise its future reception. As far as the film goes, while I didn't herald it as quite the masterpiece as most critics did, ot certainly cast a spell and remained memorable enough for me to want to see it a second time. There's some really great cinema coming out of South Korea these days.

[@goinorthfilmspvtltd289]

Haemi very very near ( green house).

[@chicodayz565]

Hmm fax

[@josean6283]

Burning é um filme literal.

[@racewiththefalcons1]

Did the well ever exist?

[@AstorThalis]

One mother said yes, the other no. The whole movie is about "maybe", because there's a lack of communication. It describes a society which sets their values and actions just by the things they see. This society is slowly _Burning_ down itselves.

[@yoruneko34]

it did because it symbolizes the fall of Hae-Min into anonymity, not even her family remembers or want to see her. The well is the mouth of society, of loneliness, of debt. Of course, Lee Jong-soo's mother remembers, cause she went through the same hole.

[@ethanjames45]

Just watched the movie...my question is why did her family lie about the well? His mom tells him a well was definitely there. Who was lying? did her family just not want to admit she was down there for hours?

[@colonelmothgod1517]

Ethan James his mom could also be wrong, I think the differing perspectives on whether the well exists mirrors the way we are confused whether Ben is guilty or not. There’s no definitive answer, just as with the well.

[@sumairahmad9464]

brah , the well was dried up , her family could have never used it or easily could have never knew about it

[@ethanjames45]

@@sumairahmad9464 but didn't she fall down the well? so the family would know about it then. they just played it off strange in the movie. idk I watched the movie months ago I dont remember all the details now

[@sumairahmad9464]

@@ethanjames45 maybe jongsun's mom is confused about the well or idk for some reason her family does not know about it . In my opinion she was lying about the well

[@seanmatthewking]

@@sumairahmad9464 But there's no reason to lie. I don't think there's a correct answer, and if you try to choose a correct answer, you're asking the wrong question. The question isn't 'did the well actually exist," because who cares if it did or not. The ambiguity is intentional. The movie is jammed full of these ambiguities, so the question is what is the significance of these ambiguities?

[@angelkalathas]

I enjoyed it far more than Parasite.

[@riawidiharti1459]

i actually think that the possibility of ben killing haemi is 50%, cause it is so ambiguous. Haemi in one scene told them that she wished to disappear like she never existed. So idk if ben killed her. Sure movie pointed that way, but did he really kill her? we never know, we can only guess

[@Droxal]

But what was Ben reffering to when he talked about burning the "Greenhouses" if that was the case?

[@RTPXX]

Please do Cold War

[@BryceZed]

Hear hear!!

[@johnmckenna5782]

I wished I hadn't watched this movie. It was too dark for me.

[@anndrezzz4483]

This Film is very Stanley Kubrick With Alfred Hitchcock’s

[@d.b.levitt]

Wrong and wrong

[@architheia9443]

Yeah a sort of... but not close.

[@olive4naito]

Looking back, I still feel annoyed by all the smoking but I'm glad for the significance of it. I'm only starting to discover that there are more nuanced ways for a film to make an an impression on you that you may not immediately be aware of. I watched Burning last night and my friend is saying it was weird. I'm okay with that. Disappearances of women like this happen quite often though and as unpleasant as it may be, it is a chance for anyone who watches it to digest the subject matter in more depth. I haven't read Murakami's story from which the film was derived from but it's given me more material to read.

[@seanmatthewking]

Annoyed by smoking? Seems like a weird and unimportant thing to be annoyed by.

[@olive4naito]

@@seanmatthewking Much like your comment.

[@angelmakima]

I’ve seen, I saw the devil, The Whailing, and Peter Pan, let’s not forget Parasite. The Burning was so boring, I don’t understand how some people actually think it was the best “thriller movie of 2018” no it wasn’t it, not even top 10

[@Droxal]

It was a slow burn, but it leaves you asking questions both about the plot and about life itself. There are so many meanings you can pull out of this one movie.

[@louisaparker]

I don't think that this film will be remembered years later as some great masterpiece. It is well made, but still a rather typical drama-thriller.

[@timlarson3192]

First

[@FHK1817]

Congrats bro you atleast came first in something im happy for you

[@vito9985]

Second

[@ostrava8809]

here's my interpretation: The movie is a boring 2 and a half our snoozefest made as a joke by the director to see how pretentious fake film buffs interpret nothing

[@ethanlxz]

It's called overanalyzing movies, and it's honestly not a bad thing as it brings more meaning to the movie

[@Maki-00]

Just because YOU didn’t like the move, it makes everybody else who did pretentious? 🙄

[@ketodiet5766]

This movie shouldn’t exist. It was boring as hell.