Beyond (Across) the Years (2007) Movie Review

2007 has been a landmark year for Korean cinema with the release of “Beyond the Years”, the 100th outing for director Im Kwon Taek, one of the country’s most accomplished and acclaimed film makers who has won praise around the world for works such as his 2002 Cannes hit “Chihwaseon”. The film is a follow up, or perhaps more accurately a continuation of his 1993 classic “Sopyonje”, being based upon the same novella by Lee Cheon Joon. Sadly, and indeed strangely, the film was not a box office hit at home, and didn’t make many waves at festivals, which is a real shame as it sees the director still at the top of his game with a career that has now incredibly spanned over 45 years without any sign of winding down.

The film follows Dong Ho (Cho Jae Hyun, recently in the politically charged thriller “Hanbando”), the brother of the original film’s protagonist, the blind pansori songstress Song Hwa (a returning Oh Jung Hae). Having run away from his sister and their controlling father, Dong Ho attempts to lead his own life, though finds himself unable to forget his sister and the bond they shared. Obsessed with finding her, he becomes a lonely wanderer, following her trail through the countryside and trying to find peace in his own heart.

“Beyond the Years” works as a companion piece to “Sopyonje” rather than a sequel, as the two films cover a lot of similar ground, though thankfully with very little repetition. Although the viewer doesn’t necessarily have to have seen the earlier film (though of course, any serious fan of Korean or indeed international cinema should have), it certainly helps, as they complement each other perfectly, and combine quite naturally into one moving piece of cinematic verse. The two films are subtly different, with “Sopyonje” being perhaps more lyrical and driven by narrative, whereas “Beyond the Years” meanders somewhat, and is a more abstract work which relies more upon visuals and mood. This is by no means a criticism, and the two films work in the manner of different instruments playing the same song, or indeed as brother and sister.

Im here again shows himself to be a master storyteller, seamlessly weaving the past and present together into one winding tale. Dong Ho’s story is every bit as fascinating as that of his sister, and if anything is even more sad and bitter, especially since many of his mistakes are clearly of his own making. Interestingly, Song Hwa floats in and out of the film as an ethereal presence, haunting her brother by remaining just out of his reach as an unattainable ideal of perfection. This lends the proceedings a distinctly melancholy air, dealing with themes of unfailing love, sacrifice and loss, and it makes for subtly emotional viewing, building to a conclusion that will leave even the hardest of hearts with a wistful ache. More than a simple story of love or obsession, the film embraces higher philosophical ideas as a search for the meaning of existence, and as such is an intellectual experience, though thankfully not in a cold or pretentious manner.

Music unsurprisingly plays a large part of the film, and there are plenty of scenes of pansori singing and other Korean folk traditions. Im uses these for far more than simple local colour however, allowing the rhythms of the songs and drum playing to become very much part of the film, underscoring the characters’ journeys and reflecting their many woes. This really does give the film the air of a piece of poetry, not least due to some truly gorgeous visuals, with Im making full use of the beautiful Korean countryside as the characters wander past small villages, lonely inns and misty lakes. Every frame is imbued with vivid colours, marking the passing of the seasons, years and decades, and giving the film a timeless, epic feel.

“Beyond the Years” is easily one of the best Korean films of the last few years and sees Im Kwon Taek again confirm his reputation as a cinematic legend and possibly the country’s greatest living director. A masterfully understated and refined tale of all consuming love and sadness, while it may seem rather old fashioned to those more used to modern melodramas, it attains a rare level of beauty and emotional depth, offering rich rewards to the patient viewer.

Kwon-taek Im (director) / Kwon-taek Im (screenplay), Chung-Joon Lee (novel)
CAST: Hyeon-jae Jo, Jung-hae Oh, Seung-eun Oh, Seung-yong Ryoo