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[HanCinema's Hall of Fame] "The Power of Kangwon Province": Magic-realism, two fish, and some shade.

In the Spotlight this Week: Hong Sang-soo's "The Power of Kangwon Province"...

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The films of auteur director Hong Sang-soo are, indeed, an acquired taste. They are slow musings of human interactions flecked and fettered with an uncomfortable realism; stories of serendipitous and strained encounters that, in Hong's rumination, depict relationships that resemble uncanny magic. His works comes infused with a delicate flavour, a unique blend of cinematic spices that, at first, may arrive at our senses plain and perhaps unpalatable, but when allowed to linger and ferment the results are rich and rewarding.

In "The Power of Kangwon Province", Hong's sophomore feature, this cinematic connoisseur shows the lives of two young souls lost in the aftermath of their affair. The film is decanted into two parts, dual currents that crossover only in minds of the viewer. The first follows Jisook (Oh Yoon-hong), a young woman who, along with two of her friends, steps out of Seoul to enjoy the mountainous offerings of Korea's Kangwon province. The three enjoy the beach, trekking around the sleepy slopes, have a few drinks with a friendly policeman, and, in general, take their time enjoying fresh air and friendship. During which they chat about seemingly meaningless topics, interact with locals, and rub each other the wrong way after a few drinks. It's meditative, honest, and contains moments that openly depict real relationships without ostentations or the giddy glamour much of contemporary cinema prescribes.

Hong then snaps that series of events and introduces us to Sangwon (Baek Jong-hak), a lackluster man who is coming down from an affair he had with Jisook. Sangwon is also currently applying to become a professor, although his heart, like most aspects of his life, is simply not in it. After submitting his application and engaging in an awkward attempt at networking, Sangwon heads out to Kangwon with a friend to explore the mountain's magic and to escape. The two men drink, converse, and hike their way around, all without running into Jisook or even realizing she was ever there.

Like a catatonic fly on the wall, Hong shows us their story without the need of superfluous camerabatics or rapid cuts, and instead favours long takes and stability over hyperbolic motion or melodramatic acting. Boom microphones wander into the frame at various moments; dispelling any suspension of disbelief the viewer might want to indulge in. This is, paradoxically, not entirely unsettling, and surprises by managing to reinforce the ultra reality of the characters themselves. It's mesmerizing and jarring at the same time.

Although the characters don't directly interact during their respected trips, the film makes subtle connections between the two tales that crossover into the other's reality like the Cheshire Cat's smile. This quantum arrangement sometimes takes the shape of a similar setting or composition, other times it's a character both of the ex-lovers came across along the way. But the most compelling thread comes in the form two fish that both try to keep in the shade, one alive and alone, the other dry and dead.

Like much of Hong's filmography, "The Power of Kangwon Province" is a fascinating examination of human relationships. Hong has an almost nihilistic approach to progress and ironically teases his characters from one situation to the next. The result is an awkward honesty that is riddled with realism; an unburdened worldview that strips away pretention to delicately exposed a modest mode of magic. Watching Hong's films is like starring at a certainty until your eyes begin to play tricks on you, revealing another truth that was always there to be seen, but that you never quite had access to. His films will most certainly bore many, but for those who are willing to gaze long enough into his abyssal apparitions, you'll find that his voided reality will eventually stare right back without a blink.

- C.J. Wheeler (chriscjw@gmail.com@KoreaOnTheCouch)

 

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