A few days ago, I had the chance to watch the 2021 South Korean film Seo Bok directed by Lee Yong-ju and starring Gong Yoo and Park Bo Gum. The film follows the story of a former intelligence agent Min Gi-heon (Gong Yoo), who gets called on a mission to safely transport the first ever human clone, who holds the secret to eternal life. However, Gi-heon and the clone, named Seo Bok (Park Bo Gum), are faced with dangerous situations as other forces try to take possession of Seo Bok.
Right from the start, I was enthralled by the powerful introduction. Featuring alternating scenes of chaos and calm, the introduction portrayed a contrast between the scenes that worked to captivate my attention. The introduction features scenes from before the time in which the movie mainly takes place, and the slight foreshadowing increases the suspense and sense of curiosity in the viewer.
Throughout the film, there are small details embedded in the scenes that hold a deeper meaning and symbolize core themes of the film, such as mortality. These subtle details help create a stronger emotional response in the viewer as they come to realize the underlying meaning behind them. Pay attention to the details in this film, as it will help enhance your viewing experience by allowing you a deeper understanding of the subtleties of the plot.
One of the things that I enjoyed the most about this film was perhaps the hints of Korean life and culture featured in the scenes. For example, there is a particular scene where Gi-heon and Seo Bok are walking through a Korean street market, which are quite common in Korea. These markets have vendors selling all kinds of different food and produce, and are usually bustling with crowds of people. The liveliness of these markets was very well captured in the film, and offered the viewers a snapshot of life in Korea. Those who are perhaps unfamiliar with life in Korea can get a sense of the way Koreans live through the subtle backgrounds in the film.
With that being said, I greatly enjoyed this film and would highly recommend watching it. Rife with symbolism, advanced cinematography, and gut-wrenching emotion, Seo Bok is a film that will pull viewers in and trigger a deeply emotional response. The powerful plot and charismatic characters captivates the viewers and leaves them thinking long after the end of the film.
Image retrieved from: https://www.popcorn.app/sg/seobok/movie/13716
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