'Dedicated to grandmothers everywhere', "The Way Home (Jibeuro)" could be one of the pleasant movies to watch in ur life. The film begins with Sang-woo being dropped off in a rural village with his deaf-and-mute grandmother so that his mother could go to work in Seoul. Sang-woo finds it difficult to adapt to his surroundings. His grandmother’s inability to speak and the country lifestyle without electricity or running water frustrate him. Out of frustration, Sang-woo calls her a ‘retard.’
Despite his disrespectful behavior, she becomes increasingly generous, cleaning and cooking for him, and gathering water from the well. He begins to accept the new lifestyle, helping his grandmother to thread a needle, hang up clothes on the clothesline, and shop with her at the market . Over time, Sang-woo slowly comes to appreciate the sacrifices that have been made for him in her home.
The director Lee skillfully portrays the emotions between her two main characters. Sang-woo is unmindful of his selfish actions and his grandmother’s tireless acts to take care of him. The performance of her leads is arousing and believable.
Aside from the literal interpretation, “The Way Home” could also be considered an examination of the gap between the older generation and youth, who have grown up in a world of cell phones, internet access, and video games. Like the Sang-woo character, it is sometimes easy for us to forget the sacrifices made by older generations.
The film has a deep impact; after all, we have all been impatient and self-absorbed like Sang-woo. But don’t forget it is the wisdom of our parents and grandparents that has made us better.
Some trivia about this film:
The 78-year-old villager and non-actress 'Eul-boon Kim' had not only never performed in a movie before 'Jibeuro', but she had never before seen a film. She was found during an extensive talent search among real rural village people by director Lee Jeong-hyang to play the lead role of the stoic, heroic mute grandmother.
"The Way Home" became the second highest-grossing film for a non-commercial film in South Korea.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312841/
Comments