Author: Mei Sheng
Throughout Lee Cangdong's six films directed and written by Lee Cangdong, the trajectory of the fate of weak individuals under the process of Urbanization in South Korea is a penetrating theme with recurring imagery elements, such as the large weeping willow tree at home, the train driving forward, the tapestry painted with the "oasis" pattern, and the scenery in the air. At the same time, religions that penetrate the daily lives of Korean people are ubiquitous in his films, but they do not point to the salvation of spiritual beliefs, but are only practical things that dispel the pain of reality and solve the problems of life, with strong secular colors. To some extent, these two points are the current global problems, which also determines Li Cangdong's "author-director" attribute, which can go out of South Korea and gain the recognition of audiences around the world.
Green Fish
Toward the end of his 1997 directorial debut, Green Fish, Mo Dong's family joined hands to fulfill his wish: the family who had lived apart for a long time returned to the family, ate and lived together as in the past, and renovated the dilapidated courtyard into a new home with the function of a restaurant. Around the new home, the natural scenery of the past has been replaced by high-rise buildings, and only the large weeping willow tree in the courtyard stands still, witnessing the change of time and the departure of Mo Dong. Family photographs on the walls of the restaurant became evidence of Mo Dong's "involvement" in the reconstruction of the family.
In order to make the couple who came to the meal believe in the nature of the ingredients, Mo Dong's sister invited the two to watch the process of catching chickens and killing chickens, leaving a sigh of "after all, this is an era that no one can believe". What she didn't know was that her brother was close to these two guests during his lifetime, and it was his absolute trust in them that led to his death. He was once a male guest of a gang boss and a big brother of Mo Dong. As a woman next to the eldest brother, the female guest Mei Ai has had an innocent underground lover relationship with Mo Dong. However, after Mo Dong solved the big trouble for the eldest brother, he also changed from an obedient and good brother in the heart of the eldest brother to a new threat related to both status and emotion, ushering in the fate of being eradicated by the eldest brother himself. The beauty and love that witnessed this process were powerless to rewrite Mo Dong's tragedy, nor could they escape from the hands of the eldest brother, but could only pray to heaven while weeping at the vicious face before his death, hoping to exchange for inner peace.
"Poetry"
Juxtaposes the fate of the individual with the urban and industrial expansion that represents the course of the times, and continues to Li Cangdong's five subsequent films. The objects of his "follow-up" are not only the weak people who passively enter the torrent of the times like Mo Dong, but also the marginalized and disabled people who are completely rejected by the mainstream society. These people have traces of the agricultural era on their bodies, showing their humble authenticity, but they cannot influence the evolution of their relationship with their loved ones and the people around them, because the Structure of Korean Society and Family, which was once shaped by Confucian culture, is already out of balance.
In 2002's "Oasis", Hong Zhongdu was regarded as a burden by the whole family because his brain was not bright enough and did not understand the rules of society, and he went to prison instead of his eldest brother, and the whole family breathed a sigh of relief, and it seemed that he finally sent away the plague god. His appearance on the streets of winter in summer clothes after his release from prison shows that his family has long forgotten him, but he still thinks about buying his mother a beautiful and warm sweater. Han Gongzhu, a cerebral palsy patient who slowly married him, seemed to her brother and sister-in-law to be almost only worth the value of a new apartment for the disabled, and she was sent back to her old home just after hiding from the eyes of the inspectors. The neighbors who were entrusted by her brother-in-law to take care of her were only reluctantly coping with the face of the banknotes.
In 2010's "Poems", the old man Miko uses fashionable and appropriate costumes to clothe her soul with self-esteem and self-love, eager to write a good poem, but the scarred reality plagues her steps, so that she can only write sporadic feelings about the beauty of discovery. Her grandson, who was left by her daughter's side, lives indifferently in her own world and does not sympathize with her hardships at all. After the grandson committed a heinous crime with his classmates and forced the girl they raped into a suicide, other parents reached a private agreement with the school authorities and the victim's family, etc. She was powerless to meet the dangers of society and people's hearts, and could only wearily obey the arrangements of others, but she could not afford to pay the corresponding compensation, so that she soon ushered in double humiliation of body and spirit like a dead girl.
Oasis
In connection with the reality of Korea, one of the consequences of the increasing disintegration of social and family functions is that a variety of religions fill the corners and corners of society, and the church is often transformed into the core of the "big family", binding public opinion with a completely deformed "Confucian culture" and doing crazy things. The large-scale infection of members of the Daegu Shincheonji Church with the new crown virus is the best illustration. Lee Cangdong is probably because he soberly realizes that religion does not have the role of spiritual comfort for the Korean people, and acts as a carrier to transfer the reality of the dilemma, religion in his films, nor does it have a relationship with salvation, at best, it is just a utilitarian color in people's hands, a tool to solve practical problems, often with its own hypocrisy, and automatic stealth function.
The church deacon in "Green Fish" put his hand on the body of the female believer after the mission. Zhongdu in "Oasis", believing that the priest's prayer would improve his situation and Gongzhu's situation, took the initiative to ask the priest to pray for him, and when he found out that this was not the case, he decisively gave up on God. Miko in "Poems" witnesses a cold prayer meeting to soothe the soul of a suicidal girl, and sees several offending children playing basketball and playing electric with excitement as always.
1999's "Mints" uses flashback techniques to restore Kim Yong-ho's transformation from a gentle boy who loves art to a trapped beast advocating violence, and finally crushes love and ideals to destruction, and writes about the impact of Korean historical turning events such as the Gwangju incident and the financial turmoil on individuals. The prayers made by his wife, who looked from death to his marriage and his future, became ironic.
"Burning"
In 2007's "Miyang", Li Shen'ai came to Miyang from Seoul with her son, although miyang is the hometown of her deceased husband, but mainly to escape her tense relationship with her father, mother-in-law and others. Miyang, whose development scale cannot be compared with Seoul's, seems to have a stronger human touch than Seoul, but this is only an illusion. The Father is being blinded by the gradually changing appearance of the Sun, and is becoming increasingly unable to see the sins on earth.
In 2019's "Burning", when the gap between rich and poor is getting wider and wider, God in the traditional sense is simply completely absent, and the rich young people replace him and turn the wealth in their hands into nectar, but this nectar is not used to give charity, and the rich play the role of judge, burning the lowly life like a dilapidated plastic greenhouse everywhere to ashes.
Looking back, the two major characteristics of Li Cangdong's film creation are also clearly reflected in his novels and screenwriting works other than the above six films. "Burning Paper", a collection of 11 novels written by him in the 1980s, revolves around the great development and transformation of Seoul (the predecessor of Seoul) and even distorts interpersonal relationships and individual personalities. Written by him in 1995 and directed by Park Kwang-so, "Beautiful Young Man Jeon Tae-i" uses black-and-white and color interwoven pictures to tell the story of the Korean working class's struggle for legitimate rights and interests in accordance with labor laws, and the take-off of the Korean economy, soaked in their blood and sweat. In this film, religion acts as an accomplice to the Industrial Revolution.
"Miyang"
Back to the little characters in Li Cangdong's movie. Although they are not accepted by mainstream society, they are regarded by Li Cangdong as treasures that carry the light of love and righteousness. Mo Dong's stupid big brother in "Green Fish" firmly remembers the date of his return home from the army and goes to the station early in the morning to meet him. Through the willow tree, Mei Ai recognized that the place to eat was Mo Dong's former home when she cried bitterly, but what was comforting was that the fetus in her womb was very likely to be a continuation of Mo Dong's spiritual bloodline. At the end of "Oasis", Zhongdu rushes from the police station to the tree in front of Gongzhu's window, cuts off all the branches, so that his "princess" is no longer afraid of the shadow hanging over the "Oasis" tapestry, and Gongzhu turns on the radio and responds with music. At the end of the poem, Miko reported the case to the police to arrest her grandson, and the police officer, who had been considered "inferior", took the racket from her grandson and accompanied her to play badminton. Neighbors, who had been dissatisfied with her behavior, followed her steps and learned to appreciate the poetic moments of life.
What is particularly touching is the car repairman Zong Can, who never abandons Shen Ai in "Miyang". His behavior is not vulgar, but he has always acted as a gentle backing for Shen Ai. It is the existence of Zong Can that allows her to inquire about the meaning of life and find the answer in the real human world - the picture of family reunion in "Green Fish" may be gradually drifting apart for modern people, and the two souls can at least hug each other.
In this regard, Li Cangdong and Jia Zhangke have certain similarities. In Jia Zhangke's many movies, on the devastated land, there will always be a sweet spring of love, although thin, but precious. (Mei Sheng)