Kim Ki-Duk is possibly the Greatest Director on the Planet!!
In my opinion sharing first place with David Lynch.
This Film was Unbelievably Beautiful, as are all the rest of his.
For years & years now i've wanted him to work with one actress, SHU QI!
I think they would make the best combination imaginable!
Anyway its probably not likely but if someone could suggest this to him they'd be making cinematic history!
Kim Ki-Duk, PLEASE keep them coming!
Terrible movie.
Being artsy, nonsensical, but very interesting does not mean a movie is a masterpiece.
Allow me to list a few of the 100 reasons this film is the worst Korean film made in Korean history.
SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN(IF you can finish the movie, congrats!)
The leading lady tells the leading man he can never go to sleep again. He nods and agrees, saying he will do his best, as if not SLEEPING is a possible task in his mind. He sounds so certain and honest about saying yes, too, that's what makes it sad. He had no realistic thoughts or emotions to her demand.
After a night or two, they LAY in BED trying not to fall asleep, while staring at a wall. Each one begging the other not to fall asleep. Kinda hard not to fall asleep, when:
A) you're staring at a wall, when you could be doing something, anything.
B) You're in bed, the place that was made for sleeping
C) Sleep is inevitable. You can't ignore it.
It is at this point in the movie where you realize the script is a complete disaster. Characters seem to be void of any logic and rational thought.
Instead of trying to mutilate your body and stare at a wall trying not to fall asleep, the two could've chose to sleep at different times. She could take night, he could take early mornings. God knows neither of them work or have a job, since they hang out with each other all day trying not to fall asleep, and a normal life seems to not exist in this movie, outside of their sleeping sessions, and conversations that lack any sort of romance or chemistry, but inevitbly lead to a cliche , creepy asian love that comes from absolutely nothing valid or realistic, other than the fact that they talk for an hour and he gives her a necklace.
Watching these dumb people, with this dumb script, made me understand the movie must be dumb, since it's making me feel dumb.
Now, even though she kills her ex bf, because the leading man dreamt it, you think that all of their problems would be solved. The ex bf is dead, so therefor the leading mans dreams cant affect her; their dreams were only connected through their ex relationships. Maybe the writers forgot about that....because...
Instead of going on with life as best as they can, the leading man decides to never go to sleep, ever, ever again, even though her ex bf is dead, and therefor it's all utterly pointless. I guess he feels so some of guilt since the lady is in jail for killing her ex bf, thanks to his dream.
Oh, did I mention leading lady is in some sort of mental hospital/jail cell, so even if he did dream, she can only walk 5 feet?
He walks in to visit her, cut all over, blood drenching his face, and she looks at him with no emotion...but moments later we are supposed to think they're in love? She looked bored that he was a bloody, dying mess, not worried at all.
Oh, and umm...why would they let him visit her? He has fresh blood on his body. That's the sort of thing jail wardens/mental hospital wardens like to look out for...LOL.
Anywho, her ex bf is dead, therefor dreams have no affect on her actions, but I guess leading man didnt think things through, because...he decides that it's getting a little boring cutting up his body to stay awake and make her happy, so he kills himself instead, to end her "pain".
And to think...all of these ridiculous, melodramatic "problems" are all over the fact that these two couldnt figure out a way to NOT SLEEP AT THE SAME TIME!
This is the most silly, overblown story of retardation I have yet to witness.
But...since the two kill themselves at the same time, and she turns into a butterfly, and other lame metaphorical artsy nonsense, I guess the film is "brilliant" , "depressing", and "beautiful", ha, isnt that right, guys?
I guess any time a director adds a little bit of nonsensical abstract, symbolism mumbo jumbo that makes you "think" (but inevitably the thinking leads nowhere, because logic prevents it from prevailing or seeming like it meant anything or was worth anything) a film automatically becomes a masterpiece, and intellectual....ami rite guys? Is that how these art house movies work?
This is the worst movie he's ever made. Avoid it so you don't lose respect for this otherwise brilliant, thought provoking director.
AGREED.
shareYeah they could have a shift of time for sleeping. Thats what annoyed me more abt the movie.
And why was he afraid of sleeping when she was in asylum ? She could only walk 5 meters there.
Whats with inflicting wounds on yourself, why not take some drugs which causes insomnia...lol
_______________
But you're a doctor! It's your job to heal people!. How can you just let her die!
I liked the film, until the temple scene... from there on it's all downwards...
from there on I agree with a_crow_quilled_threnody, the film doesn't make sense.
or, will any of you guys who think this film is a masterpiece give a clear logical explanation??
"What if there is no tomorrow? there wasn't one today...!"
Haha, awesome post. While I liked Bi-mong, I do have to agree that the stupidity of the characters was a bit distracting. When he put the handcuffs on her for the first time I was like "smart!" but then he cuffed the other ring to himself and I was like "doh!". Hey dude, don't you think the bed is a bit more idiot-proof?
But they were both sleep deprived and more concerned about emotional turmoil than setting up a sleep schedule, I think. What subtracted more from the film, in my opinion, was the not-so-good acting. It was passable, I guess, but Jin was played as a passive, timid self-apologist and Ran seemed like she didn't care about what was happening, AT ALL, even when she was sobbing. Even though I appreciated the tragic situation, I didn't really feel bad about the characters dying. Or not dying. Either way, who cares? Not me.
Terrible movie. Being artsy, nonsensical, but very interesting does not mean a movie is a masterpiece.Listen, Kim Ki-duk is one of the best filmmakers on the planet right now, but I have to agree with you because this particular film just SUCKED.
Sadly, I tend to agree more with yourself than the OP.
Just finished watching it and its easily Kim's worst. By a long way.
It has a really good first 15 minutes as well. I was very disappointed with how it develops.
Hopefully his next film will be more along the lines of Bad Guy, 3-Iron or Time.
This is definitely not Kim’s best. It is barely passable.
The in your face yin yang symbolism and awkward exposition really ruined this film. The butterfly dream’s ambiguity is total lost. I think Kim missed this one.
Is that how these art house movies work?
[deleted]
10 minutes into the movie, I wonder why I bothered getting it...it was because it was the same director as old boy. Except this movie is garbage.
shareIt isn't by the director of Oldboy. But he too has a weird pointless movie called Saibogujiman Kwenchana but at least that makes more sense than this one apart from having some funny bits.
shareThis is a good movie, but Kim Ki-Duk has better films than this.
I feel that at the end of the movie Kim took the easy way to resolve the conflict.
Kim is a very creative writer, maybe he had to thing in a more interesting way to close the story.
It´s a peaty because is a very very interesting plot. The scenne with the 4 characters playing together was really great.
But at the end seems like Kim was a bit tired about this double mirror play.
Oscar from Rosario City
Argentina
Based on the idea of ying and yang, the movie make perfect sence, they never are in the same place, they can even sleep at the same time.
At the end, when He die, she lives, or she brings life in a new way...
But finally, they are together, they can function without each other at the same time.
if he put the hancuffs to a bed, the idea of the movie get lost, if he sleep at the end, the idea get lost.
Maybe he could be a night worker and sleep at day.
What is the problem....?
At the end, we sleep only 8 hs over 24, then is not so difficult to live and include to love togheter....
This post is only a joke.... I understand the deep meaning, but I think this was a bit force situation.
Oscar from Rosario City
Argentina
Huge fan of Kim, loved all of his movies up until this point.
I really found Dream to be lacking in all elements, it didn't feel like a Kim film and it didn't have anything special about it.
For the most part, I felt the characters were dumb, they seemed unreal and unlogical. I disliked both the leads. There were some moments where I thought it was going to turn around but it just didn't happen. Not a great deal of art in this one compared to his other work.
Overall, just very disappointing