Poetry by Lee Chang-dong

POETRY (Shi)

Directed by Lee Chang-dong, South Korea ( 2010), 139 Minutes

In recent weeks five teenagers have killed themselves as a result of bullying. A new poll has indicated that slightly more than a third of teens in the U.S. personally have been subjected to bullying behavior. In the poll, more than two-thirds of teens also said their friends about been bullied. Yet a majority of adults, according to the poll, believe bullying is a minor problem or not a problem at all. In the macho society we live in and tolerate, women are even more likely to be victims than men. In Lee Chang-dong’s latest film Poetry, winner of the award for Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival, a young girl commits suicide after being repeatedly raped by a group of juveniles. Sadly, the fathers of the other boys are only interested in protecting their sons from prosecution, silencing the press and school officials, and collecting enough money to pay off the girl’s mother.

Like Secret Sunshine, Poetry revolves around a woman mourning the death of a child, although here it is not her own. The idea for the film had its origin in a true case where a small town schoolgirl had been raped by a gang of teenage boys. In contrast to the grandmother in Bong-Joon-ho’s Mother who refused to believe her son was responsible for a murder, Mija, a 66-year old played by Yung Jungee in her first role in 16 years, learns from the fathers of the other boys that her 16-year old grandson Wook (Lee Da-wit) was one of the people involved in the rape and wishes to pursue justice. Though Mija privately knows that it is more important for the boys including her own to acknowledge their role in the crime, living in the male-dominated middle class Korean society, she reluctantly tries to raise her share of the payoff money, but expresses her feelings in not wanting to participate by the look on her face and by abruptly walking out of meetings.

Rebelling against society’s norms comes naturally to Lee’s characters even though they have suffered a terrible loss or, in the case of Mija, is beginning to suffer the effects of encroaching dementia. Always dressed in flowery clothes and looking cheerful, Mija takes care of Wook in the absence of his mother who is divorced and living in Pusan and she supports herself by taking care of a stroke-ridden elderly man. Unfortunately, Wook spends most of his time on his computer or cell phone and there is little communication between grandmother and grandson. Aside from screaming at Wook, “Why did you do it?” Mija does not attempt to engage in conversation with the boy about treating others with civility and respect, nor apparently do the fathers of the other boys talk to their sons about their atrocious behavior.

After seeing a poster that reminds her that one of her teachers once told her that she had a vein for poetry, Mija, on a whim, enrolls in a poetry class and the film follows her attempt to write a single poem before the class ends. Some of the most affecting scenes in the film are the discussions in the poetry class led by their teacher who tells them poetry does not require a special time or place or even inspiration, it only requires seeing the world as if for the first time and asks the class to share their memory of the most beautiful time in their life. Another poignant moment is when Mija meets the mother of the deceased girl (Park Myeong-sin) in a field and establishes a relationship based on the world that they see around them, even though she neglects to ask her if she would accept a cash settlement, the reason she went to visit her.

Lamenting the fact that poetry is a dying art, Lee challenges us to see the beauty and the transcendence beyond the pain of the modern world. Speaking at a press conference, he said, “Poetry is not just like a bouquet of flowers that is beautiful in itself," he says. "It is life. No matter the ugliness of the world, there's always something beautiful inside. That's what I wanted to show." Lee succeeds in showing us the beauty beneath the ugliness and the fact that regardless of our age or circumstances, we have the ability to transform our lives. Yet the question must be raised – would not Mija have made more of a difference if she had engaged in a quiet conversation with her morally-challenged grandson about knowing why it is wrong to be reckless with the lives of others than in waxing poetic about flowers and fruits, or even life and death?

GRADE: A-

Excellent thread, Howard.

You're probably too young, but when I was in high school (back in the dark ages of the 1960's), you were considered a "queer" if you didn't go to the parking lot after school and let a bully beat the tar out of you. I can remember being slammed into a locker right in front of a teacher. Afterward the teacher said, "Why didn't you fight back?" That kind of antiquated mentality has existed in the school system far too long.

I wasn't shocked by the events that took place recently (where the young gay man jumped from a bridge). We've seen a huge influx of Middle Eastern and Oriental immigrants into this area over the past decade. They bring with them very low tolerance for gay men or women. It is quite common in their cultures to belittle, harass and even torture gay men as outcasts. I've noticed that these "subcultures" do not mix with the main stream. They have their own stores, their own churches/temples, and their own neighborhoods. So it does not surprise me to learn that when two people, albeit young, come from two different "cultures" within American society, they should be so indifferent to the other's feelings. If you wonder who watches Fox News, if you wonder who supports the views of the Republican Party, if you wonder about where they obtain their funding... look no further than these so-called Americans, who believe less in the flag, apple pie, liberty, and the constitution, and more about imposing a rigid religious way of life on this society.

The unfortunate truth is that the world is not all poetry and beauty, but that the world is full of too many people who choose hatred, fear, and bigotry over acceptance; and until we embrace the moral principles you admire in Chang-dong's work, we shall continue to see headlines full of hate speech, mindless attacks on the innocent, and abhorent images of young boys strung up in places like Iran.

Thanks for commenting. Sorry to disillusion you but I am definitely not too young. I went to high school in the early 50s and experienced bullying even back then. There was no such thing then as gay or straight but I started high school when I was only 12, a few years younger than my classmates so I was a target because of my physical stature. I don't think there are any easy answers but the prevalent attitude of many school administrators that" boys will be boys" is self defeating.

I don't think you can single out any ethnic group as being responsible. The student of Middle Eastern origin who tormented the boy at Rutgers according to those who know him is not a homophobe and had many gay friends. Some of the boys who were teased until they reached a breaking point came from places like Oklahoma and Pennsylvania where there is not a large Asian or Middle-Eastern population. This is a problem that begins with parents at home, religious leaders in their pulpits, and the corporate moguls who encourage macho attitudes in society, in TV shows and films which often glorify violence as the best way to solve problems, simply as a way to make money.

Another factor that has always been there is that young people especially those without a strong self-image want desperately to belong. To gain acceptance (at least in their mind) they find someone who is different or weaker than them and bully them to convince others they are part of the in-group. The longing for conformity in every aspect of life in the U.S. is more important for people than finding out where the truth lies and having the courage to stand alone if necessary.

I think Lee Chang-dong in his film recognizes that the world is not all beauty but it doesn't hurt to be reminded that there is beauty in the world alongside the ugliness and we should not hesitate to embrace it.

As the Cannes award implies, POETRY seemed to me one of the best structured narratives of any film in the New York Film Festival 2010. Thus it subtly juggles various subjects, growing old, the disciplining of a boy who goes badly astray, the decision to enjoy the moment rather than worry about an illness, the attempt to learn a new skill of writing poetry, and so forth. You will find my review of it in the Festival Coverage Section here.

Despite the starting point of the film or the topical lead of Howard's review, POETRY in my view is not about bullying or primarily about the crime of her grandson. It is primarily about Mija, her skill at being herself and making something worthwhile of her life despite serious challenges. It doesn't delve into the psychology of Jongwook, the teenage grandson, at all. He remains opaque, as I think I said teenage boys often are.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chris Knipp

Despite the starting point of the film or the topical lead of Howard's review, POETRY in my view is not about bullying or primarily about the crime of her grandson. It is primarily about Mija, her skill at being herself and making something worthwhile of her life despite serious challenges. It doesn't delve into the psychology of Jongwook, the teenage grandson, at all. He remains opaque, as I think I said teenage boys often are.

---

As you point out, the film has several themes. I think what a film is "about" is ultimately open to the interpretation of the viewer. When I talk about a film, I discuss the themes of the film that have the greatest meaning to me. I didn't say that the film was about bullying. It was one aspect of the film but one I chose to discuss because of its relevance to my life and contemporary society. Lee also said that the most important idea in the film for him was the emptiness of the values of the middle class Korean male-dominated society as shown by the attitude of the fathers to try and protect their boys rather than seeking education or justice.

Another key issue Lee raises is what he considers the dying art of poetry. The character of the grandmother is the key to understanding how poetry can exist alongside the ugliness and that it will always have a place in a humane society. Similarly, her willingness to see beyond the limitations her life and now her illness imposes and seek out that beauty underscores the idea that people at every time in the lives have the ability to transform the quality of their life.

I believe I discussed all of these issues.

In haste....because on the road... I did not mean to imply you said the film POETRY was simply "about" bullying. The way the discussion was going with cinemabon though, it might have misled readeers who haven't seen the film into thinking it was more about that, when it is, as you say, about multiple themes, and is first and foremost about the lovely old lady, that is, her point of view, in which her grandson is only one element, if an intrusive one.

Glad to see the site is back.