The Way Home

The Way Home

Release Date : 2002
Director: Lee Jeon Hyang
Writer: Lee Jeon Hyang

Cast:
Kim Eul Boon ... Grandmother
Yu Seong Ho ... Sang Woo




Reviewed By: Boondockerz

This unexpected box office success by Lee Jeong-hyang has catapulted her to become one of S. Korea's most acclaimed female directors. This picture opened with little fanfare or commercialism, but it steadily gained popularity to eventually land at #1 in the 2002 box office, and became one of the year's best films.

The story begins with a young, struggling mother who leaves her 7-year old son to stay in the rural, mountainside home of his 78-year old deaf/mute grandmother. The boy is to stay with the wizened, old woman while his mother looks for work. Because his mother ran away from home at a young age, the boy and old woman are strangers meeting for the first time. Initially, the boy is furious at his situation and reacts like a spoiled little brat accustomed to the creature comforts of big-city Seoul. Refusing to accept life in his rustic surroundings, he throws tantrums, makes unreasonable demands and generally acts like an insufferable little twit. The grandmother reacts with the patience and sacrifice that only a grandparent can give.

Eventually, the boy slowly comes around and the beginnings of a strong, heartwarming bond is made.

One aspect of this film is the vast contrast between big-city life under post-modern Seoul and the much more simpler one of traditional Korean culture. This is empahisized by the slow-paced, natural cadence of the film, which plays out like we are looking at a typical slice of real country life, instead of an an actual movie.

However, the real strength of the story lies in the relationship between the boy and the old woman. They give superb, convincing performances in a film without much dialogue. Instead, much of the emotions and storyline is conveyed non-verbally through subtle nuances of face and movement.

The grandmother is the star of this movie to me. She plays the role of a deaf and mute person, yet manages to convey so much. Kim Ul-boon, who plays her, is an amateur who was has never even seen a movie in her life! She was discovered walking down a country road by the director, and has since become semi-famous. Perhaps this is the reason her acting comes across as so natural in the film.

This movie can definitely be a tear-jerker, but the emotion is not forced, as is often utilized in many popular Korean dramas. No one gets sick or dies in a horrific traffic accident. There are no endless scenes of tearful goodbyes on a hospital bed. Instead, it relies on a deeply moving storyline and the beautiful bond between the two protagonists. It makes the viewer reflect on how one can take things for granted, and the bittersweet regret of not appreciating parental love in our youth.

Non-Asian viewers may miss some of the subtler aspects of traditional Confucian/Korean values and ideas of sacrifice, but the ultimate lesson is not lost. This heartwrenching parable of family values demonstrates how the unconditional love of a grandmother transcends all cultural barriers. It conjures up images of warm apple pie and the nostalgia of old country life. In fact, this picture can be seen as an homage to all grandmothers everywhere and I highly recommend it to any fans of Korean cinema... or any cinema for that matter.