I finally watched A Werewolf Boy on theater. I finally did. Cheer on me, Song Joongki-sshi.
Okay, hyperbolic. Few days ago I went to Teraskota, a mall rather faraway from my dormitory just to watch this movie (please consider I don't own any vehicle and still unfamiliar with the public transportation).
This is the daily-diary part. That particular day we had an exam, so we had to hurriedly take the public transport and change up to three times until we reached the destination. We took angkot, and honestly I never take any angkot before. The surrounding inside the angkot was filthy, and if you're unlucky, you had to share seat with strangers. Anyway I'd never, ever took an angkot if it weren't Nikita I was going with. (because neither Fanis nor I exactly know the route of angkots --it's dangerous to ride one if you're not familiar with it, you might get lost).
I was so happy I took photos with every Werewolf-Boy posters they had... and even girly-decorated them.
So the thing is. I'm really, really happy because I finally can watch this movie on theater. This movie has one of the purest love story I ever watched, and of course, because there is Song Joongki. When I found out about this movie, I downloaded and watched it with almost no subtitle. Well it came with English subtitle, but the sub was pretty messed up and unrelated to the movie. With no subtitle, I don't understand what they're saying or even what are their names. I just cried whenever the music got sad and the character faced some problem/dilemma/climax.
I didn't know Blitx Megaplex is playing this movie. I actually saw the ad when I read newspaper while waiting for a queue at an airplane office. Anyway then I searched for the movie schedule and found out that it was only playing until last Tuesday (?) so I asked, or you could say forced my friends to watch it with me. Turns out they're still playing the film up to this moment. Sigh.
Anyway, the point is I'm so happy now asdfghj I will make some review, screencaps and spoiler about this movie.
Ending will be revealed. Skip if you don't wish to see the ending. Picture heavy. You're already warned.
Su-Ni, an old woman who lives with her family in USA, was called back from the Korean civil government because her old house in the countryside has been sold. She came back to Korea, and along with her granddaughter, went to the old house and she began the story of her memories living on that house.
We start this movie with Su-Ni (our protagonist, a quiet girl with lung disease and introvert personality) and her family moving to countryside. She lives in an abandoned old house whose owner recently died, and there the family found Chul-Soo, a feral boy who can't neither speak nor write, but is extremely strong and behave like a beast.
Thanks to Su-Ni's mother's kindness, Chul-Soo was taken to live in their house until a the government found a place for Chul-Soo. At first, Su-Ni was disguised by Chul-Soo's way of eating (because he eats like a hungry animal) and refuses to eat at the same table with Chul-Soo.
As the time grows, Su-Ni found Chul-Soo actually has a good heart even though he's still wild. Su-Ni started to train Chul-Soo to be more human-like, with a pat on the head as a reward for being a good boy.
Chul-Soo, in return, became more fond of Su-Ni and started following her wherever she goes. Su-Ni, starting this moment, became the sun of Chul-Soo's world.
I love how this arc was very heart-warming and lovely. Chul-Soo became friends with the children of the village; him playing dress-up and wearing hanbok; Su-Ni playing a song with her guitar which amazes Chul-Soo; everything was depicted very sweet.
But then the dark arc begins.
When picking up a ball he previously throw on the goat stall, Chul-Soo saw Ji-Tae (our antagonist, simply an asshole who's arrogant, rich, and playboy) being drunk and killed a goat with his drunk-driving. Ji-Tae then started to corner Chul-Soo with the idea of him still being a cannibal feral beast.
Chul-Soo was prisoned in his "house", the storage beside the main home.
This is the beginning of how the heartbreaking sad arc. Chul-Soo, being prisoned, cried after hearing the village children asking him to play together. He was freakingly strong and none of the police officers could tame him, except when Su-Ni said "Chul-Soo, wait."
Ji-Tae became mad and wanted to get rid of Chul-Soo, he tried to threathen the villagers and even kicked Su-Ni several times. Chul-Soo, watching his master being hit, changed to a monster and killed Ji-Tae in a dash. Then he picked the passed-out Su-Ni and started running to the forest. Joongki is seriously beautiful on that last panel. His lips are so asdfghjkl red!
When Su-Ni wakes up the following morning, she realises that Chul-Soo will be killed by the police if he follows her back to the town, so she asked him to go. She even slapped Chul-Soo and cried "Go!" to Chul-Soo.
While Chul-Soo, on the other hand, shed a tear and said his very first word; "Don't go."
Anyway Su-Ni still go, leaving Chul-Soo in the forest because he'll surely be killed if he's coming. After all the incidents, the family are also leaving the village.
Before going, she wrote a note for Chul-Soo, left it in his "room" in the storage and cries in sadness while walking away. They say goodbye to the village and left.
Back to the present time, old Su-Ni who's having a night on the old house heard a sound from the storage and went to see it. She stumbles and hestitates a few times before having a courage to open the door to Chul-Soo's room. And there he is; still young, still handsome, and still waiting for her. He still asks for a pat on the head.
He gave her back the letter, in which was her handwriting; "Wait. I'll come back."
For 47 years, Chul-Soo has been waiting for Su-Ni to come back. Old Su-Ni cries and apologies in sadness for letting Chul-Soo in a wait for such a long time while she's married, getting children and grandchildren, and having life. She told Chul-Soo to stop waiting for her. She said how she's now old and frail, and how her hair is all white. Chul-Soo said that she's still the same Su-Ni; the same eyes, same lips, and same hands. They both embraces and cries.
Then Chul-Soo reads old Su-Ni a children book she once ask him to read. Su-Ni sleeps in Chul-Soo's bed. The following morning, Su-Ni wakes up and found that Chul-Soo is gone, but she saw his desk; she saw his handwriting are now clean; he could draw very well, and of course, that he now can speak.
Old Su-Ni packed up for leaving again, and while in car, the civil government calls again and asking her about the house. She said she's not selling the house and hangs up the call. Both Su-Ni and her granddaughter left the house with Chul-Soo watching with sadness from afar.
Credits roll, with Chul-Soo making a snowman alone, a promise Su-Ni (also) make to him previously.
Afterthoughts.
Despide of the ending, I really like the movie. I hoped the movie ends with old Su-Ni passed away in her sleep with Chul-Soo reading her a story, because it would be more climax and total heartbreaking. Her leaving Chul-Soo again was kinda mean in my opinion. I mean, he has waited for 47 years, you went home once, and you left again in the morning?
I also think that Chul-Soo are in love with Su-Ni in a completely different state than a lover's love. He loves her as a master, as a sun which the earth orbits to, and as a reason for living.
And I have to say that I really, really like the details of this movie. The color palette was very vintage, and they pay much attention to the fabric and pattern, too. I like how the color palette turns darker and bluer when the arc turns darker, and how the music was really nice.
The one thing I don't like from this movie is the computer graphic image. It's too rough, and left a question, how does Chul-Soo's hair come back to normal after being a werewolf? How is his clothes still good and not ripped out? I think the wolf on this movie should keep being a term, not an actual monster.
I think the moral value I took from this story is how human is sometimes more beast then the actual beast itself. Ji-Tae, being crazy and mean, are more beast than Chul-Soo will ever be.
And he, will forever be, a wolf boy waiting for his master to come back.
