A calm and introspective take on love triangles
Past Lives is the next Korean movie to take Hollywood by storm and we are absolutely here for it, Joining big-wigs like Bong Joon-ho, Lee Isaac Chung, Park Chan-wook and Lee Chang-dong, is the rising filmmaker Celine Song who gives us an oriental yet modern love story with the bittersweet Korean philosophy of past lives.
The refreshing take on the usual love triangle melodrama, makes Past Lives a sweet but realistic experience, possibly why it was also labelled film festivals’ favourite in the first half of 2023.
Greta Lee of Russian Doll fame plays the immigrant, Nora who leaves behind her home and her first love, Hae-sung for greener pastures in North America. She gets with Arthur, portrayed by John Magaro and a marriage of convenience turns into a romance written in the stars. However, their world is turned upside down when Hae-sung, played by Teo Yoo of Love to Hate You decides to reconnect with Nora decades later.
Song uses the philosophy of ‘inyeon’ to weave a tale of missed connections, second chances and hope. Inyeon is the fated connection between two people; an interaction is the culmination of past interactions in previous lives between those two people. Past Lives uses this idea to give meaning to all the relationships between the characters, even those of exes.
This is exactly what elevates the story of Past Lives as it gives a more mature and realistic portrayal of relationships. Even when Nora, Arthur and Hae-sung get together, their interactions are not toxic. They respect each other’s space and allow viewers to understand their connection on a more metaphysical scale. There are no frustrating or hair-tearing moments that usually accompany a love triangle story, which instantly makes Past Lives an uplifting movie.
The soothing colour palette and old-school technology bring a sense of nostalgia while also adding to the plot. It creates an understanding of how a long-distance couple in the early 2000s could have probably fared better in 2023, giving a realistic approach to why Nora needs to break up with Hae-sung. It ties in with the idea of inyeon, as Hae-sung makes peace with the hand that is dealt to him, chalking off their current life as part of inyeon for a better next life.
In tune with the plot amassing decades, the movie has a slow, laidback pacing which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. On a rewatch, the realisation hits that it takes more than 30 minutes for the film to actually take off. Granted it is meant for exposition and establishing the relationship between Nora and Hae-sung.
However, there isn’t enough to hook us in. But once the conflict begins, oh it is delicious. The drama is not over the top, but there is this suspense of will they or won’t they, partially due to the palpable chemistry between Nora and Hae-sung.
The attention to detail makes it that much more exciting to watch and mull over such as the negative space that is almost always present in Nora and Hae-sung’s scenes compared to the other couple – Nora and Arthur.
Then there is the literal pole that separates two characters who are standing a hair’s breadth from each other, adding to the idea that there is a distance that probably wasn’t there when they were actually miles apart. Well, there are tons of such easter eggs and foreshadowing that go unnoticed only for viewers to recall it after the tear-jerking but fitting end.
In contrast to other types of media, a film is a success if it has viewers constantly going back to it, poring over the different elements and dissecting it. And that is what Past Lives does. It is a calm and delightful watch that makes us introspect and think about life while appreciating this artistic medium of storytelling.
Read More: Past Lives Movie Analysis
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Verdict - 8/10
8/10