Wanderer in Winter (1986) Movie Review

Originally released in 1986, “Wanderer in Winter” was the debut film from noted Korean new wave director Kwak Ji Kyun, who had previously worked as an assistant to the likes of Im Kwon Taek and Bae Chang Ho. The film was actually written by noted scribe Choi In Ho, who also wrote some of Bae’s most famous works during the 1980s, including “Whale Hunting”,” Deep Blue Night”, and “Do the Right Thing”. As might be expected, the film is a gritty human drama inspired by what was a turbulent time in Korean history, following the dashed dreams of youth and the daily struggle to survive.

After a beginning full of promise, in which cheerful medical student Min Woo starts courting a young girl called Da Hye with the help of his friend Hyun Tae (popular actor Ahn Sung Ki, who also starred in a number of films for Bae Chang Ho around the same time), things go rapidly downhill. Min Woo is forced to flee after he beats a man trying to attack his father in hospital, only to end up in jail, effectively ruining his career. Upon his release, he skulks off to a nearby military town where he drowns his sorrows and slowly drifts into a life of crime. Meanwhile, Da Hye and Hyun Tae desperately search for him, drawing closer to each other as they do so. At the same time, Min Woo forms a tortured relationship with a prostitute called Eun Young and gradually forgets his old life. Eventually, their paths all cross again, leading to complications and heartache.

It’s clear from the start that “Wanderer in Winter” is not a film where everyone is likely to live happily ever after, and sure enough, it wastes little time in pouring on the misery. Eschewing politics for the most part, aside from a few references to the US as a kind of escape for the desperate and hopeless, the film instead simply focuses on its characters, following their thwarted efforts to make something of their lives. As such, when at least one of the characters manages to eventually get his act together, it comes as somewhat of a shock, though of course this inevitably leads not to immediate happiness, but to another set of difficult choices. The overall feeling is one of hardboiled bitterness, with a lot of the running time being taken up by scenes of the characters getting drunk. Certainly, acceptance rather than triumph is the best result that the film offers, though this does make it believable and moving, albeit rather depressingly so.

The film’s main strength is its complex characters and the fact that none of the relationships between them are either predictable or straightforward. Min Woo and Hyun Tae’s lives and development as men are effectively contrasted, and the film skilfully switches between the two, with Da Hye remaining as the only constant. Director Kwak takes a decidedly non-judgmental approach, especially in the case of Min Woo, who is basically irresponsible, not thinking of the impact of his behaviour on his friends, both of whom make sacrifices and suffer greatly on his behalf. As such, the winter of the title is a moral one, and the film is unsurprisingly without any answers or easy resolutions. Whilst this does mean that it makes for pretty bleak viewing, it does add enough emotional depth and thoughtful social commentary to lift it above being a mere melodrama.

Visually the film is grounded and fairly basic, though there are a few striking images, such as trains disappearing slowly into the mist and the atmospheric depiction of the neon lit empty streets, both of which work well to subtly underline the characters’ loneliness and despair. Unfortunately, the editing is a little choppy at times, and there are a few confusing moments when it is briefly unclear whether or not the film has skipped forward in time.

“Wanderer in Winter” is a welcome DVD re-release, and should be enjoyed not only by those interested in Korean new wave cinema, but by anyone tired of the kind of overblown melodramas which the country is now commonly associated with. Harsh and painfully realistic, it paints an engrossing portrait of life and love during a difficult time, and does so without patronising the viewer or offering a sugar coated fairy tale solution.

Ji-kyun Kwak (director) / In-ho Choi (screenplay)
CAST: Sung-kee Ahn
Mi-suk Lee
Seok-woo Kang
Hye-yeong Lee