Just watched this last night and really liked it.
Just wanted to ask: At the end, its snowing so been a while since he passed away. Does this mean she got his letter, and if so, knows hes passed away?
(Others who have watched it assume she doesnt know he's dead...)
s
Of course she knows. You heard that in the comment, how Jung-won feels for Darim right?
shareYes, i thought so too.
However, others disagree. Even the tour2korea site -
(http://english.tour2korea.com/02Culture/Movies/movie_02_view.asp?cpId=15&konum=2&kosm=m2_5)
-has the following on their review:
"When Christmas arrives, Da-Rim visits the studio once more, and smiles at the sight of a framed photo of her hanging on the wall- NOT knowing that Jeong-Won is already gone."
s
Yes, that can also be possible, due to the fact that Jeong-Won only reads out the content of the letter. Also he has put the letter in one of the boxes and since his father took over the place, I don't know if he has discovered the letter and sent it to Da-Rim. The stamp and adress name were on it, so it wouldn't have been a big problem. So that's why I do think she knows.
shareof course she doesn't know. i can't believe u guys discuss about this topic of such a romantic movie. didn't u catch the rhythm of the movie?! he would never send out the letter - with true love in mind and also with that pain to suffer he would never let the one he loves feel sad - that's the beauty of the story and that's why we are moved. no otherwise!
i love this movie. with such a movie, when death faces love, it is just like part of the 'lightness of being'. in contrast, love is forever-persisting and sweet.
for 'christmas in august', i would imagine death as the shutter of love. at the very most beautiful moment of love, something - god or fate - snapped the very most beautiful scene of love - everything thereby stops at that special state. so does the very most beautiful love. in this way love becomes everywhere - there is no spacial or time separation for love any more: it's still there even one is already gone; christmas can also be in august as far as there is love; and darim can feel the warm love in winter as well. how great is the idea.
i feel like visiting seoul, to see that small studio. but i'm not sure whether it's still there. also, would anyone provide a link to that theme song in the end?
Of course she knows. But it doesn't matter. Just as this film is a celebration of the beauty of life, not a lament for death, so she is remembering him with love - not sadness.
When she breaks his window she is angry and confused, not understanding why he just "disappeared." But now, months later, she does understand, and all her negative feelings have gone.
This is true love, folks. And by the way, has there ever been another film that portrays the beauty of love more poignantly and powerfully? I certainly can't think of one.
I agree with yaozhengzhong. I don't think she does know, because telling her wouldn't have made sense. It would have been a huge disappointment to see her find out from him, while he kept the truth away from those who, to be blunt about it, matter a bit less to him.
Plus, I don't think the film was ambiguous about this, either. I think it's a stretch to think she found out about him.
Some viewers of this film make the assumption that if she found out, it must have been from him. He would never have told her, of course. But there are other ways she could have learned the truth.
And if she didn't know, how do you explain her demeanor at the end? How come she is no longer angry with him?
Probably she knows... Her photograph and a letter to her were in the same box. At the end her photograph is on the window of shop. So probably she got the letter too... It is up to his father...
And also at the end we learn what's writen from his voice...
She knows. She's in all that makeup and dressed up at the end going to the funeral. She looked incredible beautiful.
shareMy DVD of the film has the director's commentary. At the ending scene, he reveals that he and Shim Eun Ah discussed the final scene. While he (the writer/director) didn't have a definitive answer, he believed the girl did not know of the man's death -- otherwise she wouldn't be smiling at the end. Instead, she has "moved on" past this love.
Since even he is uncertain, I choose to interpret it the other way. That she came by the shop knowing that he had died. That someone discovered the envelope addressed to her and mailed it. It seems fitting to me that she would smile at the photograph. If he could smile and laugh as he was dying, why would she have to be in constant mourning? She could find delight in his gesture (displaying her photo). She could walk away relieved and happy in a bittersweet way, knowing that -- unlike her angry suspicions -- he hadn't abandoned or forgotten her -- or would ever forget her.
To me, I think Da-rim doesn't know. Like j_eyon-2 mentioned in the previous post how she had "moved on", and I agree with that. Jung-won was shown as a selfless person throughout the film, and so I think he certainly would not have wanted to burden her over his inevitable death. I believe Jung-won said his final goodbyes at that coffee shop scene, and upon seeing Da-rim happy the way she was, he couldn't bear to hand her the letter. He would have wanted the best for the one he loved, and because they weren't "official" if you like, I figured the less she knew the better. Remember, Jung-won mentions in his letter that "feelings of love would fade like old photographs." That statement applied to Da-rim, as their little fling would only become a distant memory for her over time. In the closing scene, we see her looking at the old portrait of her, she smiles because not only she sees that old photograph for the first time, but she is able to reminisce about the joyful times she had in the company of Jung-won.
share