[movie 2005] April Snow 외출

March 5, 2006

Happy Lunar Year, everyone!!!

My review of April Snow (CONTAINS SPOILER)
Anyway, I finally got a chance to watch April Snow today (I didn't want to watch it throughout the week because too many distractions.) I got a chance to watch it today and guess what....I LOVED IT!!! I don't care what some critics said, this movie was so awesome...maybe I'm being prejudice because I love BYJ so much but I know, even without him in the drama, I would have loved it. It's one of those movies where you really need to read between the lines (scenes) and they cut off alot of scenes. The passion that Insu and Seo-young shared was so strong and the actors portrayed it rather well. The frustrations they felt after being betrayed by their spouses and how they had to deal with it accordingly. One of my favorite part was when Insu was in the car and singing with music. This is the first time I heard BYJ sing. Well, I want to watch it again.

oh, yeah, the love scenes were awesome. I was kind of embarrassed because I've never seen this type of love scene since I've been watching korean dramas....actually this is the first korean movie I've watched. I'm not use to seeing such a passionate love scene...and in fact, 2 passionate love scene. But honestly, I couldn't get my eyes off BYJ's body...so masculine.

ok what else.......oh yea, the ending. i guess there are many ways to interpret it but this is my intrepretation. So, Insu and his wife separate and that's why they show In-su in an apartment with boxes all over the floor. Then they show him doing his job again and then it snows....in April. Then they show SY also amazed at the snow as Insu is. So next thing you know, there's snow everywhere and someone is driving in the snow and you hear the voices of SY asking where they are going and then Insu answered, where does she want to go. This is the same conversation they had before they went to the hotel the first time. So, I would like to interpret as they are going wherever they want to go....together. I tell you, I loved this movie.

ok, songjc out!!!!

I have recently watched this movie, and I LOVED it.

Sure, the movie was subtle, but despite the awkward circumstance that brings the two leads together, there were gentle yet deep love between them that I found myself rewatching over and over again to feel their love.

My take on the ending. Before the end scene, when his wife is lying on the hospital bed and asks him why he doesn't ask her anything, and he replies, I did have a lot of questions initially, but I don't have any now. I take this to mean that he no longer loves her, but instead loves SY.

When he tells his wife that the man is dead, and her response is to cry uncontrollably in front of her husband, well, that tells you where her heart lies. When he closes the hospital door behind him, and we can hear her crying, I think that's when their marriage is officially over. I think at this point Insu is completely sure that his wife has never loved him (at least not as much), and that he doesn't have to look back emotionally.

My only gripe about this movie is that at the end, they could've shown us the two leads' quiet yet happy faces. The way they did the ending may have been more artsy, but it wasn't as emotionally satisfying as if

we saw some human faces and interactions.

thesnowcrane · March 6, 2006

I was able to see April Snow recently, and I have to honestly say I liked it. Yes, it was subtle; yes, there was more audio than visual; and yes, it had a rather slow pace. But it was sooo well done! The emotions that you could see on BYJ's and SYJ's faces were flawless; you could see the love they had for each other, but at the same time, the insecurities they had. I don't really have much to say, but I honestly loved this movie.

March 7, 2006

~ April Snow reviews from France

translated from french to english by Camille

posted in BYJ's Quilt Freeboard

From : http://www.in-finite.info/dotclear/index.p...13/8-april-snow

Original in French by Davidous

Translated to English by Camille

I will not make a long posting for this movie.. I will try to make it short... So if I have to resume this movie in a few words, it would be... Sad, Moving, Morally Tough. This is how I would summarize it. The story is not that difficult but it’s hard for me to explain.

But let me say what I liked in this movie. First of all, this movie is uneventful, the director did not depend on the few dialogues, he especially accentuates on the acting of the actors, their ability to show their emotions, and they succeed very well !! The 2 leading actors have such a realism and a sensibility in their acting ... moreover, the movie is accompanied by a sweet and quiet music which accentuates the moving effect, and lots of "silences" or rather environment noises lead to a deep feeling.

In conclusion, I strongly advise to watch this movie but attention, easy TEARS are to abstain from... this movie was morally so tough that I have to watch it twice because the moments of silences were too deep...

This movie is not the movie of the century but as usual, the Asian directors and particularly Korean directors, give a sensibility and a sincerity out of common to their work.

From : http://www.lemelies.com/5/lefilm.php?numero=1528&affiche=P

Translated to English by Camille

The Korean cinema, often present on big screen since a few years (with success like Kim Ki-Duk’s movies for example) has accustomed us to a "trash" way whenever they’re love scenes or violent scenes. Here, on the contrary, we have a kind of Zen romanticism that we’re not really used to see on big screen anymore.

The simple plot doesn’t have any suspense effects; indeed, practically we get to know all the story at the first minutes, and the movie’s ending is as expected. But what interests and captivates us, are the way that the two characters arrive at this achievement.

In Su and Seo Young meet in a province hospital where their respective spouses just had a car accident together and were in a deep coma. Very quickly, it is obvious that the victims were lovers for a very long time. Initially joined together by the feeling of betrayal, waiting and worry, In Su and Seo Young will gradually get to know each other, appreciate, discover, and start to love.

With an infinite gentleness, a great tenderness and a very sensible sensuality, step after step, the story of this man who likes the winter and this woman who prefers spring will develop, in spite of guilt and forbidden, until, perhaps, snow falls in April...

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April Snow is one of the featured films in the Panorama Section of the 8th Deauville Asian Film Festival in France from mar 8-12, 2006

March 20, 2006

behind the scenes

March 20, 2006

Hi, I'm watching this movie right now, and I'm enjoying it. Well not really enjoying it...I feel terrible but I like the movie:). Does anyone know the band/song name for the music played around 37:48 into the film? It occurs when the main character is in his Jeep presumably drunk and singing along.

March 25, 2006

this movie is so sad. I just uploaded it in my CB ^^

http://down.clubbox.co.kr/hachigogo/3w6x6

sub

http://down.clubbox.co.kr/hachigogo/2w6x6

March 29, 2006

Hi, I'm watching this movie right now, and I'm enjoying it. Well not really enjoying it...I feel terrible but I like the movie:). Does anyone know the band/song name for the music played around 37:48 into the film? It occurs when the main character is in his Jeep presumably drunk and singing along.

the song is entitled 'Life is beautiful' by Lissang

here's the link ~ http://218.38.55.101/musicdbr/0/100/h0100914.asf

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April Snow feedback from France ~

Some infos about Mayenne Korean Film Festival and Interview of dir Hur at the opening ceremony.

From : http://atm53.free.fr/reflets2006/sequences/sequences2.pdf

Translated from French to English by Camille

posted in BYJ's Quilt

Excerpts from the opening ceremony of the festival.(page 1)

by Melanie Pinçon

… omit ….

It was also the occasion to discover the biography of director Hur Jin-Ho, present in the theatre.

A buffet followed the speeches then it was the very awaited projection of the movie April Snow at Cinéville theatre at 20h30 (for me, totally sublime).

Mr. Hur Jin-Ho, accompanied by his nice interpreter, Miss Lee Ja-Ho, could express himself and meet the spectators.

Rare and privileged moments of sharing and impressions, received and undeceived ideas. We learned the way the movie was made, the places, the choice of the title and the actors, the meaning of certain scenes from the director’s point of view.

A very constructive exchange, allowing to discover this singular country which is Korea.

Hur Jin-Ho showed his warm vision of Mayenne region and its people, and his satisfaction to be here.

We can largely return the compliment to him.

Discussion with Hur Jin-Ho, director of April Snow (page 2)

By Pauline Le Péculier and Pierre-François Tournade.

Question : How did you begin with the cinema?

Dir. HJH : I wanted to make movies since a long time, I studied cinema in Korea then I made several short movies.

Question : Can you explain to us your interest for the melodramas?

Dir. HJH : I prefer to choose for my movies the subjects from everyday life and love story is a topic which we find everywhere. The melodrama is for me, as a spectator, my favourite movie’s style. I am conscious that this kind of ideas doesn’t have any originality for the public but I want to speak about love in my movies because it is an universal subject, I want to say about things that everyone can understand, things which are close to us.

Question : In April Snow, the actress looks younger than his lover, why did you make this choice ?

Dir. HJH : The lead actress in April Snow is 30 years old and she’s married recently whereas the male character, had a longer experience of love. He already had a married relationship with his wife. These 2 actors have, in real life, 10 years of difference.

You have to understand the difference of the culture between Korea and France. In Korea, there are two ways to get married : either by love, or by choice from the parents. The father decides that her daughter has to get married, and the girl is often very young without any experience about love, which was the case of the heroine in April Snow.

Question : Why did you choose actor Bae Yong Joon, to play the main character in April Snow ?

Dir. HJH: BYJ is very well-known in Korea and in Japan but I chose him above all for his actor’s performance. I wanted for this movie someone who can show a very strong side of his personality and at the same time a tender way and I thought that this actor would be perfect for this role.

Question : Which are the differences when you compare Korean cinema and Western cinema ?

Dir. HJH : There is a difference of language and culture but about the relationship between the men, the human beings in general, I don’t see any difference between Korean cinema or French cinema for example.

I think I’m more influenced by Korean cinema but I also studied world cinema, such as Japanese, United States but also European like French or Spanish cinema.

Question : How do you explain the success of Korean cinema today? Directors like you, Kim Ki Duk, Hong Sang Soo or Im Sang-Soo make a cinema which has a lot of success in the international festivals and among the public, in their country or in Asia.

This success has something to do with the quotas policy in Korea?

Do you think, that the revision of the quotas envisaged by Korean government can put in danger Korean cinema ?

Dir. HJH : I think that thanks to the quotas, Korean movies currently have an important position in the world actually. This system of quotas must continue for Korean cinema because I think that we will have a serious problem and it can be a danger for Korean cinema if it has to stop one day.

Does the cinema have a significant place within Korean society ?

Yes, today, the cinema has a very significant place in Korea. We are in what is called the century of Renaissance of Korean cinema.

Some comments from spectators (page 2 and 3)

Quite simply beautiful but sad movie, I like the acting of the actors very much.

The lead actor has something, but I don’t know what !

Very beautiful movie, very touching in spite of some passages a little long.

A fabulous movie, especially thanks to the OST which gives a very moving aspect to the movie.

March 30, 2006

I think this movie is good but it is kind disappoint for me becos i can't imagined them doing those sex parts

March 30, 2006

The French like April Snow Aside from Camille's blog this is also posted in BYJ's Quilt

Two more French reviews of April Snow

Camille wrote ~

Today I would like to share 2 reviews of April Snow I found on a French movie portal.

Though they're long, they’re beautifully written and it’s hard for me to translate as my English is not very good.

There are some more articles which are very interesting, I will try to translate them to share with you later.

-------------------

From http://www.excessif.com/news.php?14740

Translated from French to English by Camille [http://toujours-byj.blogspot.com/]

Two points of view (female) about the movie April Snow, pearl of the director Hur Jin-Ho who delivers to us the most beautiful Korean movie since Locataires, of Kim Ki-Duk. Hat off !

Point of view of ELODIE LEROY

After his excellent but pessimistic Christmas in August and One Fine Spring Day, the South Korean director Hur Jin-Ho comes back with April Snow. No one is prophet in his country and it’s not in Korea that April Snow has made one of the biggest successes in 2005 but in Japan, where it became quickly a phenomenon. The reason is due partly to the presence of the main actor, Bae Yong-Joon, more popular in the Country of Raising Sun than in his native country. However April Snow could not be reduced to a simple demonstration of the hallyu, this sensitive drama all in subtlety is better than that.

Third feature film of Hur Jin-Ho, April Snow resumes the favourite themes of the director : an inaccessible love, the fear of engagement and also of marriage. Only recalled in his previous movies, the marriage is this time the starting point of the movie. The story starts with two brutal revelations, a double shock for In Su : the accident of his wife then the adulterous affair that she had with another man. In a mirror, Seo Young lives the same tragedy and the beginning of April Snow swings between the lives of these two persons at first stranger one to another but who suddenly are connected by the pain. Referring to In Su and Seo Young’s images, at first the movie dives into a soft apathy which results by plans following one another slowly and without nearly any dialogues and music. It’s only when In Su and Seo Young see each other that finally the movie lights up. This way to merge into the mood of the characters, to suggest their interior life through his directing, is undoubtedly something which makes the cinema of Hur Jin-Ho extremely emotional, so true.

As in Christmas in August, where the physical suffering caused by the disease of the main character seemed apparently forgotten but showed however painfully, the director once again uses in April Snow the extraordinary capacity of the suggestion to let us perceive the world shared by the two illegitimate lovers. A video which we heard initially the sounds, messages on cell-phone... these few signs fill up partially the ellipse proceeded on the affair of the two victims - partially only. Since how long have they seen each others ? What did they have together that their spouse could not or could not anymore give them? As many questions as In Su and Seo Young have asked themselves and which stir up in them complex, intense upheavals. Frustration, anger, sadness, betrayed feeling, culpability, the pallet of emotions which they go through is shown with decency and sobriety, without useless overflowing. While One Fine Spring Day showed a bit moralist in his story about a rupture, April Snow reaches an additional stage : after the collapse of a world and the anger, comes the reconstruction. In Su and Seo Young mutually will reveal themselves but perhaps they will also discover their own part that they had given up since a long time. The emotion aroused by the start of a romance, with all the doubts stirred up by the circumstances, is distilled in a diffuse way. Near to his subjects without any intrusion in their intimacy, the director endeavours to catch gestures, gazes.

The film is not exempt from some lengths in its second part, but it is supported by the delicate interpretation of the two main actors, who admirably give life to their characters. Extremely popular till now due to television, Bae Yong-Joon proves that he can play a lead role in cinema by finding an acting right for the role of In Su. As for the actress Son Ye-Jin, more than ever on the top since the success of A Moment to Remember (Lee Jae-Han), she impresses us by the mixture of discretion and touching spontaneity which impregnate her acting.

Story of a mourning, hope of a new beginning, April Snow draws up with finesse the touching image of a man and a woman that Hurl Jin-Ho arrives as usual to make them truly than ever. An elegant movie, subtle, moving, and in spite of the appearance remains till today the most optimistic work of its author.

From http://www.excessif.com/news.php?14740&page=2

Sudden Impulse of MATHILDE LORIT

With April Snow, the Korean cinema gives us a new proof of its capacity to transcend the most traditional scheme to give birth to scarce movies, made with an infinite grace.

Generally, the love stories don’t finish well and in particular for the spectators. Scenarios repeated endlessly, conventional situation, absence of authentic bias of the directing, bad actors... the romantic movie has seen its dark moments since a moment. Except some wonderful Korean movies, like Locataires of Kim Ki-Duk or Une femme coréenne of Im Sang-Soo, from now on we can add to this prestigious list the name of Hur Jin-Ho, whose first feature film, Christmas in August, had been selected in 1998 at the Semaine de la critique (camille : Cannes festival section) . We already detected in this first movie, centered in a young man who knows himself condemned by the disease, a refusal of the melodrama that we find in April Snow and which makes it worthy.

In Su has just learned that his wife had a serious car accident. He comes quickly to the hospital and meets Seo-Young, also coming to her husband’s bedside... the other person in the damaged car. Both realise at the same time the involvement of this discovery and the disclosure of the lying life. Face to the same frustration not to be able to ask for explanations, they begin to share their meals, their sadness and their desire of revenge. Until falling in love together.

Difficult to find scenario more classic : obviously we think about Sydney Pollack’s movie, Random Heart, which used the same dramatic scheme, but also In The Mood For Love, for the sad collusion which fatally brings together the two betrayed spouses. And then we forget quickly these references to let ourselves grabbed by the delicacy of a director who avoids all the traps, showing an extreme sensitivity and a matchless reserve. Each time the movie could fall into easiness, it takes us by surprise and avoids the simplistic answers : the waking up of In Su’s wife will not have the awaited effects, nor the learning of adultery by the betrayed spouses.

http://www.excessif.com/news.php?14740&page=3

With some fixed shots and lengthy silences, Hur Jin-Ho focuses on the beginning closeness of these two persons dashed one to another. This love which starts isn’t oversentimental, there isn’t any self-indulgent note in this wavering adultery, but a real sensuality and an incredible sharp analysis. Hur Jin-Ho has studied philosophy before being devoted to the cinema : no doubt that he kept a true meaning of nuance and deepening, through a directing which explores the hearts and the individual nature. We project ourselves in the movie at the first minutes and we ask ourselves, even if it means to have doubts about fidelity. What is adultery? What is love story ? The music, superb, is added to the emotion, the lyricism and a certain form of subjugation : we could follow the two lovers for more hours, learn with them and feel the frailty of the hearts.

The movie is one of the biggest Korean successes in Japan, partly thanks to the notoriety of its main actor, Bae Yong-Joon, immensely popular after the soap opera Winter Sonata. The chance of European spectator is to discover him virgin from any reference and particularly touching of modesty. Beside him, Son Ye-Jin (rising star in Korea, which we already saw in Ivre de femmes et de peinture) delivers a subtle pallet of feelings, changing with nuance from the most raw sorrow to the learning of true love. We are overjoyed in advance to see her soon in Daisy, the new movie directed and produced by Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs).

(camille : I think she misunderstood Miss Son Ye Jin with another actress)

About the distributor, Pretty Pictures confirms its good choice, and with this benefit, prepares the release of Hur Jin-Ho’s second movie, still unseen here : One fine spring day, which should come this summer in our screens. Till then, April Snow will be presented at Deauville Asian Film Festival (March 8-12) in the PANORAMA section, with the presence of the director. A good indicator about the quality of the 2006 selection.

April 1, 2006

Another French review of April Snow and interview of Dir Hur.

translation from French to English by Camille

posted in BYJ's Quilt Freeboard

Camille ~

This is another French review of April Snow and an interview of director Hur I would like to share with you. I'm glad to see a lot of positive reviews here about April Snow.

Btw, yesterday I saw on a French newspaper that April Snow’s premiere will be in Paris on Sunday April 2nd and there are 150 tickets to get, we must ask for it by e-mail. So I send mine right away to them but today they answer me it’s already full !!

From : http://www.sancho-asia.com/article.php3?id_article=1450

translated from french to english by camille

Hur Jin-Ho is an unusual director ; only three movies till today, through a period of seven years. Though he is the man who has revolutionized Korean cinema and particularly the melodrama, through Christmas in August in 1998. Sublime love story in which the attention given to everyday life signs replaces any sentimental American emphasis, Christmas in August was the first exploration of the love process for the South Korean director. After One Fine Spring Day, Hur Jin-Ho is again on this process which captivates him, and more particularly its beginning, its end, and in this case, the possible frontline which constitute its various interruptions.

In Su and Seo-Young come both to the hospital. There they discover their respective spouses, in a coma within the same room, as a result of a car accident. To the sadness of the situation is added the interrogation of the discovery : the woman of the one and the husband of the other were in the same car. She was drunk, supposed to be in professional trip but actually on holiday. In Su and Seo-Young don’t be long to understand that their spouses have - had? - an extramarital relation. It is of course this betrayal which, instead of separating them, brings them closer; and with the premises of their relation flock the questions, as for the legitimacy of this bringing together, itself extramarital...

If the subject of April Snow can send back a bad memory of Random Hearts (Sidney Pollack, 1999) to Harrison Ford’s fans, Hur Jin-Ho’s movie is very different. More than a simple love story of a second chance, this story of April does not make the born love its only principal character. It is the real Love - marital, extramarital, innocent, destroyed - which is the plural subject of the movie. Although In-Su and Seo-Young are indeed the only characters of the movie, their respective spouses impose their presence through their absence. The two betrayed persons attitudes show a deep respect for the victims, even if the angers which come along with the discovery are soberly presented; and we guess the broken-hearted couple in filigree, with In Su wedding’s picture on which the director’s camera will never pinpoint.

In a certain way, Hur Jin-Ho weaves an implicit link between these four lovers: if each couple has loved once, and if the forbidden lovers lived a pure story, why In-Su and Seo-Yeong could not match each other? Rather than to judge, the director takes an interest in details which build a lost love, a finding love (the superb bed scene which brings together the two heroes), a found love (through In su’s refusal to ask his wife). The performance of the actors and in particular Son Ye-Jin, in these simple and essential moments, are excellent; we keep in mind this modest moment of sharing, which is the peeling of an apple by In-Su and Seo-Yeong.

April Snow’s purpose is actually an incredible generosity: through a love studied with great delicacy, Hur Jin-Ho doesn’t seek for the legitimacy of each depicted relations, inside or outside the movie. What interests him, is the recognition of these different loves, as a life force or a destruction. Because love is a wonderful thing setted up with its own life, an ineffable link that this snow in April, shared by two persons who will never be able to love by memory, brings together out of time and restraints of our modern societies.

Interview at the 8th Festival of Asian film of Deauville, Friday March 10, 2006 at Normandie Hotel. Thanks to Karine Ménard.

From : http://www.sancho-asia.com/article.php3?id_article=1458

translated from french to english by camille

Sancho does Asia’s story is in a certain way, closely related to the Korean director Hur Jin-Ho. At the beginning, the website purpose was indeed interested to Korean cinema, and Chrismas in August, the director’s first movie, was one of our first sudden impulse, delivering to us two precious ways of discovered course : Shim Eun-ha and Han Seok-gyu.

Meeting Hur Jin-Ho, at the projection of his last movie, April Snow, in the Panorama section of the 8th Festival of Asian film of Deauville.

Sancho: It seem that, since your first movie, Christmas in August, your cinema is interested exclusively in the various phases of love process, in quite particular cases...

HJH : If I chose to work in the melodrama, firstly because I think of showing in various way the encounter of a man and a woman, to express it cinematographically. But I did not want to do it within a banal, common way. What interested me were the special situations, different contexts. Thus for April Snow, the love context is very different from my two previous movies, much more intense.

In Christmas in August, I depict a love relation at its beginning: the protagonists had feelings, not really "nice", but certainly naive - in a positive way. In my second movie, One Fine Spring Day, I wished to show the feelings of a man who thinks that love is eternal, which never changes; whereas the woman which he is in love, although she loves him, is convinced that love, feelings change as the time goes by. It is this contrast which interested me. In April Snow, I wished to clarify the two contradictory facets of adultery, namely that, although the act is almost always perceived like something ugly, negative, for the lovers it can be a question of sincere and really wonderful love story.

Sancho : Your direction in April Snow, which gives the better part to silences, paradoxically offers a very great presence to the absent lovers…

HJH : The question for the man and the woman who are confined to bed, unconscious, at the hospital, are to let us know what is exactly the nature of their relationship. Is it a carnal relation without importance, or a craving love, or at least as intense as the love of the two main protagonists, In-Su and Seo-Young? The most probable thing is that the two love stories are identical, that these two person love, with the same difficulties to concretise their feelings. This man and this woman suffer, because they are married. I wanted to show this conscience through In Su’s character and attitude towards his wife: at the end of the movie, he doesn’t ask her any question. He understands her, because he thinks that she has lived the same story. In Su’s wife as Seo-Young’s husband, are certainly very present in their mind throughout the story, this is why they keep such a place.

Sancho : In the scene of the two heroes’s awareness, you show a true cinematic delicacy. One of the outstanding demonstration is the first bed scene between the two heroes, who show a real discovery, a wonderful reserved passion... how have you approached the shooting scene?

HJH : We have shot during a very long time, about ten hours. During this time, I did not really give any precise instruction to the two actors; the camera moved to follow their movements. I just said to them that I wished a beautiful, aesthetic scene, and specified that they played two persons who had never been unfaithful before, and so they had to approach the scene in a hesitant way, with trembling bodies. Then, they played it in a natural way.

Sancho : You don’t give any judgement at the end of April Snow to various relations that you direct; you wish just that they are recognized, and appeal to the nature, through this "snow in April", to bring together the separated persons...

HJH : It is very rare to have snow and flowers at the same time, but that occurred in Korea two years ago. It really snowed whereas the flowers started to bloom. For me, the two heroes cannot continue their love relation, because they carry in them a suffering, a pain related to their past. So I think that it is difficult to continue their love story. Nevertheless as a director, I wanted that the story has a good ending for them; snow was an excuse to allow them to meet up. It is true that it’s an unreal feature, almost fantastic, and it is precisely what I wished: that this moment of sharing is something which results from miracle.