Lee Hae-jun
Castaway on the Moon

It is a common belief that in recent years, Eastern cinema, if not the most important, is certainly among the most important in horror film production: think of the famous "Ringu" by Hideo Nakata or "Ju-on" by Takashi Shimizu, which have "suffered" (it seems quite fitting to say) American remakes, as well as the less famous "Exte - Hair Extension" by Sion Sono or "Shutter" by Banjong Pisanthanakun (also a victim, more than the aforementioned two films, of an American remake).

But there is one country, Korea (I mention it without political distinction between north and south) that, although having produced excellent horror films (most notably, "I Saw the Devil" by Kim Ji-woon) became famous thanks to films of other genres, especially dramatic ones: it is impossible not to mention, among all, the genius of Kim Ki-duk, of whom we cite just a couple of titles like Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring and 3-Iron. However, none of his films will be the subject of this review. Nor will it be a dramatic film. Rather, it is a comedy. I am talking about the splendid "Castaway on the Moon", directed by Lee Hae-jun, from 2009.

As the title suggests, it is a film about a castaway, with various references and citations to another much more famous film of this type (I am obviously referring to "Cast Away" by Robert Zemeckis). However, it is not a castaway on the moon. Kim Seung-geung is a man in despair, having lost almost everything (money and girlfriend), and decides to take his own life by jumping off a bridge in Seoul. But he is not very lucky. "You can't even take your own life," he says to himself. Instead, he finds himself on a small island right in the center of the city. Here, he again thinks about ending his life, but then changes his mind: that island will become his new home. After finding a packet to make black bean noodles, he dedicates all his time to making noodles (a dish he has always refused in his life, now regretting it). Meanwhile, Kim Jung-yeon, a girl who hasn't left her room for three years except to go to the bathroom (only when her parents are at work), lives her life on the internet. Her only connection to the outside world occurs at night, when she photographs the moon, or when, twice a year, the city becomes deserted for a civil defense exercise. Only then does she leave the house. One evening, however, while photographing the moon, she happens to see the castaway, whom she initially calls an "alien". Thus begins a strange, but exciting, long-distance relationship between the two.

The thing that strikes most about this film, at first glance, is the cinematography: all the colors are very bright, sometimes almost blinding. A crystal-clear image portraying a destroyed and filthy man (there is little time for personal hygiene as a castaway): personally, I really like it as an idea. Just like the cinematography, the direction is also of excellent quality: in his second film as a director (previously he only dabbled in screenwriting), Lee Hae-jun knows how to give us excellent camera movements and images with strong symbolic value. Sometimes, a single frame is able to tell a whole story, or at least, to speak to us directly. The screenplay expertly alternates moments of pure comedy (I personally adore the scene where, at the beginning, he tries to start a fire with wood) with others where we are invited to reflect. But the transition from light moments to more serious ones is not with a sharp break; rather, it is gradual, almost hard to notice when this transition occurs.

Obviously, knowing the plot, the critique hidden in the lines of this film becomes obvious: a castaway in the middle of a city, indeed, a metropolis. A metropolis that is a clear symbol of technological, scientific, social progress and everything else. A man, almost forced by this modern world to suicide, becomes a castaway, while modern life passes just a few meters away from him. And he, reduced to an almost primitive stage of human evolution, finally finds happiness, so much so that when SPOILER ALERT! they try to take him away from that island, he tries not to get caught, in vain. This makes me think of only one possible interpretation: all these possessions we have, actually possess us. True happiness lies in simple things. In a plate of black bean noodles, which, as the protagonist himself says, "represent hope". Hope is what is needed to keep living. Hope is what determines our life, according to the director, while the other Kim, the girl who chose isolation, and who is somewhat the embodiment of modernity made up of social networks and fake lives online, says: "It doesn't matter if what I do is real or not. It is the comments on my profile that determine what the truth is." Never was a quote more distressing...