The tremendous change in Korean drama has been a topic of discussion recently. It's no wonder that 'Past Lives' quickly secured a special place in people's hearts. This incredibly moving and bittersweet film, created by Korean-Canadian writer and filmmaker Celine Song, featuring Greta Lee,Teo Yoo and John Magaro, has a profound emotional impact. It evokes feelings that are both emotionally draining and strangely elated, as though we can experience the intense highs and lows of an 18-month love affair in just under two hours.
It's as if the movie glides through a sea of deep silence, immersing you in an intense relationship in a very short amount of time. Director, Celine Song, truly knows how to tug at your heartstrings and create a rollercoaster of emotions. It's hard to believe that 'Past Lives' marks Song's directorial debut for a feature film.
Did you know that this Korean romantic drama has an Indian counterpart from 2018? Yes, the antecedent '96' is a Tamil romantic drama written and directed by C Premkumar. The film features Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha Krishnan in the lead roles, portraying characters named Ram and Jaanu. Meanwhile, newcomers Gouri G Kishan and Aadithya Bhaskar play the younger versions of these characters.
'96' tells the story of the reunion of high school sweethearts, Ram and Jaanu. In 1994, they were close friends with a budding romance. After 22 years, they meet again at their reunion. Both reveal lingering feelings and regrets. Jaanu shares her married life in Singapore, while Ram is still single. They spend a poignant evening reminiscing. Jaanu's departure forces them to confront their unspoken love. She leaves, and Ram finds her forgotten clothes, packing them with their school memories. It's a heartfelt tale of lost love.
In Seoul, young classmates Na Young and Hae Sung develop feelings for each other, but lose contact when Na Young's family emigrates. Twelve years later, they reconnect on social media. They can't meet due to life's demands, and they stop communicating for a while. Na Young (who changes her name to Nora) marries Arthur, while Hae Sung dates someone else. They finally meet in New York, raising questions about their past love. Over dinner, they reflect on what could have been. Later, Hae Sung asks about their next life, leaving it uncertain. The story concludes with an emotional parting as they acknowledge the complexities of their past and present love.
Both movies are about delivering a touching farewell, the togetherness of childhood, a man remaining single and unable to engage in other relationships, women getting married, the absence of physical touch, and the inevitable emigration of the luxuries of futile life.
In 'Past Lives,' we can see Arthur finding it hard to witness their love in a bar. You can see how their mentioned past lives make Arthur question himself and his existence. He waits until Nora comes back after bidding farewell to Hae Sung, and he feels the pain of a thief. He hugs her, and at that moment, Nora starts feeling the grief that has been buried deep in her heart.
In both movies, the characters never touch each other, leaving the viewer in great pain due to untouched proximity. It sometimes makes the audience's hearts ache. Both movies prove that there is no need for dialogues; silence acts as the background score.
In 'Past Lives,' they hug during the reunion but cannot while saying goodbye. Did we all expect a warm, deep hug at that moment? But in '96,' all those touches make Ram weak, and he is ready to break all the stereotypical masculine traits, just like Hae Sung.
When Nora says, 'He is so Korean,' it reminds us how this childhood crush of life has returned as a fully grown man years later in all of our lives. But they still hold that unattended confusion.
Emigration and the airport play a significant part in both movies. But 'Past Lives' takes an extra step by discussing the feelings they had for each other in a fully stretched narrative dialogue, while '96' completely relies on a single song from Jaanu. Women are portrayed as strong, decisive, and sometimes acting according to the wishes of family and survival.
Even if both movies revolve around the same plot, they stand as different cinematic experiences without any busyness or heaviness. We all wish we could have had a chance to address the unattended past, just as 'Past Lives' believes that Nora and Hae Sung might be living together in their future, considering Arthur is the past.