“Idle hands are the devil’s tools” as the old idiom goes, and in Sang-soo Hong’s 2008 film, Bam gua nat (Night and Day), it’s easy to see where this philosophy can be applied. Sung-nam Kim (Yeong-ho Kim) is a 40-something, married painter who has just arrived in Paris from South Korea, where he was busted for smoking marijuana. During his stay at a small Parisian hostel, Sung-nam smokes, wanders the streets, cries to his wife over the phone, and has brief encounters with an ex-girlfriend and a young, South Korean artiste. Without his wife, a steady job, and without a sufficient creative vision, Sung-nam is free to indulge in city strolls, occasional visits to the sea, and free to pursue the pretty artist, Yoo-jung Lee (Eun-hye Park).
As if watching Sung-nam in these activities, or non-activities, weren’t enough, director Sang-soo Hong’s leisurely style goes a step further, encouraging the viewer to actually indulge in the mundane existence of his exiled protagonist. The film itself is approximately 144 minutes long, leaving plenty of time for the audience to either sympathize with the lonely foreigner, or become increasingly irritated with his male ego and sexual impulses (Imdb.com). The narrative is interrupted every so often with a journal-like insert in which the audience reads the date, but unlike the Hollywood “journal” movies we’re used to, there is no commentary or narration in Night and Day. Just the date is given to us, leaving the audience to fill in the blanks of Sung-nam’s thought life as we watch him suffer yet another long, leisurely day in France.
Not surprisingly, the indulgence and leisurely pace driving Sang-soo Hong’s films can be somewhat paralleled to his own life. Theauteurs.com, for instance, states that Hong “has a fondness for alcohol,” and he often takes his actors on binges just before a shoot. Either because of this alcoholism, or because of his desire to get a “real” performance, Hong has directed some scenes with authentically intoxicated actors (Theauteurs.com). While some critics complain that Night and Day’s run time is entirely too long, and therefore less likely to draw large box-office numbers, they might also consider the fact that drunkenness takes time to direct (Elley).
According to Koreanfilm.org’s Adam Hartzler, Night and Day, Hong’s ninth film, is a continuation of the same “ebb and flow” created in Hong’s previous films. Hartzler believes that it wouldn’t be the least awkward if someone spliced scenes from this film into another of Hong’s films; in fact, it would still recreate that sense of “déjà vu” that Hartzler says is common in Sang-soo Hong’s features. Whether or not you appreciate the style, though, the film makes for a good study of the psychology of a displaced man in a large metropolis. Sit back, relax, and – if you are not too offended – indulge.
Elley, Derek. Variety: “Night and Day.” http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=review&id=2478&reviewid=VE1117936181&starting=1
Hartzler, Adam. Koreanfilm.org: “Night and Day.” http://koreanfilm.org/kfilm08.html#nightandday
Imdb.com. Bam gua nat, 2008. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1176096/
Olivia, What a great analysis of the film and Hon's work in general. I think you bring up some really interesting ideas and have the research to back them up. I like how you discussed the issue of "leisure" and indulgence within the main character's life as well as in the film's creation. I was also interested in your research into Hong's lifestyle and tactics as a director. I laughed out loud when you wrote, "they might also consider the fact that drunkenness takes time to direct"! I also think you did a nice job finding elements of the film that you could appreciate and your summary of the film is very thoughtful: a good study of the psychology of a displaced man in a large metropolis.
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