A BITTERSWEET LIFE... or How to Push the Envelope
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- čas přidán 20. 07. 2024
- Kim Jee-woon's "A Bittersweet Life" might come off to some people as a generic crime flick, and in some ways it is. However, there's so much more to talk about, in particular the skillful handle of physical and emotional violence, and that one little detail regarding the "love" that our main character, Sun-woo, might have towards his boss' young mistress... Which I do my best to refute.
Anyway, watch South Korean cinema (and "The Last Stand", it's not as bad as it looks, I promise).
Subtítulos [CC] en Español disponibles.
English subtitles [CC] available.
Narrated and Edited by Gabriel Legua
Twitter: / gabriei_legua
Instagram: / gabriel.legua
Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/GabrielLegua/
Music Used in the Video:
You Know I'm No Good (Instrumental - Amy Winehouse)
Générique (Miles Davis)
Romance (Yuhki Kuramoto - from 'A Bittersweet Life' OST)
This video, and its usage of copyrighted clips and music, is an educational analysis / critique and therefore falls within the remit of Fair Use under copyright laws.
Este video, y su uso de clips y música con derechos de autor, es un análisis / crítica educativa y, por lo tanto, está dentro del ámbito de Fair Use según las leyes de derechos de autor. - Zábava
I agree, he wasn't really in love, he was relieved. She was the complete opposite of him: extraverted, smiley, careless, "unfaithful", happy, passionate, etc. He was indeed heartbroken by his boss, not her. It's a father and son movie about duty, loyalty, faith and betrayal.
"It's a father and son movie about duty, loyalty, faith and betrayal." - Excellent read on the film and its narrative
This is legit the best analysis of a bittersweet life I have ever seen. I have always found this film to be deeply heartfelt and emotional in ways that other films of this genre never quite captured. I do agree with your analysis of sun-woo's intentions as well, even if the director didn't intend it that way, that's what I came away with from the film, great video
It always felt way deeper than just a gangster film to me. Perhaps it's just Lee Byung Hun that just manages to carry all this extra depth, but there's just something about it that always hits me so hard. I basically can't watch it anymore because I'll make me way too emotional for days after watching it.
It is good to have certain interpretation of a movie even if the director says that wasn't his intent, that's something beautiful about art
I saw this film recently and I sincerely thank you so much for this brilliant essay. It really fortified my love for the film :)
Thanks so much!!!
This movie is a korean classic. There’s one super underrated korean masterpiece I’d like to recommend, Joint Security Area. It’s absolutely amazing and you definitely won’t be disappointed. Lee Byung Hun is in it too.
Agree on JSA - I just have a hard time explaining it to people without totally spoiling it.
@@tomsinclair4977 people are totally sleeping on it, I’ve hardly met any Korean film enthusiasts who’ve actually seen it
Wow. What a tribute to a great film. Just saw it. BTW, this film had a great score that I rarely hear praise for.
My favourite film of all time, and it's not even close! Enjoyed your analysis very much. Thanks.
Really enjoyed the snarky, in between comments (Kim Jeewoon shoving your theory up your ass and the "why don't they just shoot him" regarding the Batman scene). Also, this made me wanna watch A Bittersweet Life (a movie I had already known for a while but never cared enough to actually watch) not only because of your analysis but also because I hadn't realize who were the lead actors up until now!
Beautiful take! Thank you for putting so much power into international filmmaking!
Damn your narration, the background music and the editing...everything about this video is so amazing and also the fact that you are talking about my favorite movie of all time is the cherry on top haha. Shit I couldnt take my eyes of the screen. This video is a movie itself. How the fuck do you have just 323 Subscribers ?! thats just crazy. Hope you get big soon
Thank you so much!!! That means a lot.
The same thing I was wondering, I guess his channel is as underrated as the movie-"the bittersweet life"....
Brilliant film. One of the very best
Really great video man, after watching the film I've been trying to get all my thoughts down and this captures them perfectly. Fantastic Gangster flick. Looking forward to checking out more of your vids.
Beautiful review. Man, I love this movie
Love the Miles Davis used
Perfect. Thanks.
after watching this video I conclude that you want to talk about Burning at one time or another
Second favorite film of 2018 behind You Were Never Really Here!
Great work, amazing review. Must have more views.
I need to ask you about something that is - Some people say that the main character is just having a dream, in the end he is shadow boxing himself, and it looks like that he is just imagining betraying his boss, revenge and stuff. What do you think about that?
I've heard/read of that analysis before and while I do think it's worth examining, I can't personally believe the whole narrative of the film can be surmounted to a "dream" the main character has
Do you think the movie was just him daydreaming? As it ends with him the same place as the beginning?
I would think so...I mean if you consider what the MC went through before his "demise". Even if he is a NO. 2 to the crime boss, you can tell that he is not well versed in the world he is in. The ice rink scene would be a BIG tipoff to believing that it is a dream. I mean, he knows that the Baek's son is a scumbag yet he just took a couple of ice pick stabs. He has lost ALOT of blood from that moment until the final scene. I mean its like Reservoir Dogs, Mr. Orange should well be dead before the end...with all that blood he lost.
Yes, you are both right, that leaves the question tho, what was the message? I will go as far to say that it speaks to all of us, many times we daydream of an a escape from our "bittersweet" lives those scenarios often have a dramatic flare no matter the person, yet in the end our hero while a cool cold criminal enforcer, he also suffers the same fate as many, never to realize his full potential, never to have his romantic side shine upon a love interest. The director said that the last scene conveys to us that the protagonist lost the battle with himself as his reflexion slowly fades away, never to be who he truly is, only to remain as others perceive him.
Still a better love story than Twilight.
South Korea makes the best movies,theyre going to beat Hollywood soon
: a life of indolence and self-indulgence. - called also la dolce vita.
La dolce vita translates from the Italian as 'the sweet life'
and this was used as one of the advertising taglines
for the film.. name of the bar/lounge
great
9:03 I’d like to believe the ending scene where the main lead lays in a pool of his own blood and almost looks like he’s slightly smiling is a nod to Le Samourai’s alternate ending where Alain Delon has a smiling death from the same angle.
Spoil me the movieeee pleasee what happened?? 😅
The argument that instead of him falling in love with her it’s that she represents a different life than the one he’s living is so ridiculous, it’s so clearly both. It’s the type of love or it’s a lot more about what she represents in their actual relationship. But to say that there’s no romantic angle is foolish