Against the background of the overall rise of Korean films, many people are speculating whether this time the dilemma of never winning the Oscars can be broken. Although the "Sea Mist" selected by South Korea is not the most conspicuous of the foreign language films, it is still eye-catching. After all, it also received a lot of praise at the previous Toronto International Film Festival.
"Sea Mist" has the commercial shell of a thriller story, and it also tortures human nature. At the same time, it also implants the story into the grand background of the times, the financial crisis in South Korea, the survival of stowaways, black workers and the local people at the bottom Reality. Compared with the Oscar standards, "Sea Mist" may still be insufficient in terms of layout, and the details and the presentation of the characters' hearts are still a bit rough, but after all, there are still remarkable points. In particular, this film is co-operated by the famous screenwriter and director Shen Chengbao and Feng Junhao. Before that, they have cooperated to launch the famous "Memories of Murder" in film history. , whether or not it can be nominated for an Oscar is indeed worthy of attention.
The torture of human nature in a closed environment is one of the classic models in literature, theatre and film. The homicide at Wind Snow Mountain Villa or the reasoning in the secret room all fall into the category of this type of model. "Sea Fog" is slightly deformed, transplanting the confined space to the sea, much like the way of presentation of "Murder on the Orient Express". However, the vast sea, the lonely fishing boat, and the thick sea fog shrouding the surroundings can create a suspenseful and thrilling atmosphere, while the open ocean that seems to symbolize freedom is actually a more closed cage.
The story takes place in 1998, South Korea's economic crisis. The fishing industry, which had been in good business, was also affected. The owner of the fishing boat decided to take over a smuggling business to subsidize the family. Before that, he had scoffed at it. But the other party told him that the business this time was not to smuggle fake watches, but to bring stowaways to South Korea. In order to avoid the inspection of the coast guard, more than a dozen stowaways temporarily got into the fish cabin. However, the aging of the hull and the leakage of Freon from the refrigeration equipment caused all these people to die. There was only one girl left, and she was spared because a young crew member had a crush on the girl and placed her in the engine room ahead of time. The captain decided to decompose all the bodies and throw them into the sea to feed the fish. The sea fog is getting thicker and thicker, and the fishing boat at this time seems to have turned into hell. Extreme emotions were contagious in the confined space, the crew members quarreled and hurt each other, and finally the fishing boat sank into the deep sea.
This seemingly sensational story was actually adapted from a news story, and Shen Chengbao and Feng Junhao magnified the human nature and metaphor implied in this social news. The film gradually evolves into three distinct layers of depth. In the event level, the conflict between stowaways and fishing boat crews is the most superficial level; in the social level, the crew members know that their jobs are already precarious because of the economic crisis, but in order to survive now, they have to help cheaper labor smuggling. Going to one's own country and further robbing one's own job, this kind of absurd situation is beyond his control; and then leads to the content of the third level of psychology, the sudden situation stimulates the mystery hidden in their own psychology, and the long-buried dissatisfaction and greed And sexual repression, all kinds of "psychological dark matter" that were originally buried in the ground broke out, eventually triggering a bloody conflict.
These crew members are the most ordinary "good people", with flaws, cunning, but also kindness. Suddenly, they can change their faces and become devils, which is really worth pondering. To a certain extent, the fishing boat trapped in the sea fog is a portrayal of today's society. Ordinary people with smiles on their faces on weekdays, I don't know what kind of opportunities will be ignited and become unrecognizable by everyone. Such things are not uncommon.
This kind of story can be filmed so darkly that a boatload of people can completely kill each other. Of course, if that is the case, it may not be selected for Oscar. "Sea Mist" still retains a clue that symbolizes the light and kindness of humanity. The youngest crew is always trying desperately to protect the surviving girl. The two were able to go ashore. But in extreme circumstances, the girl who made the promise still chose to leave. A few years later, the surviving crew saw the back of a person in the diner, who seemed to be the girl. The film did not arrange to meet and confirm, only a faint stare, they had such a tragic experience, but now they can still be as blank as if nothing happened. Human nature is truly unfathomable.
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