Diary of June.
January 23rd, 2007 | by john |I can't say I know too much about the progression of Korean films over the years but watching this film has made me realize that Korean film makers are capturing the essence of what many feel Hollywood has lost. Originally, I thought that 6월 일기 (Diary of June) was just another Hollywood-esque book-turned-movie thriller copied by a Korean producer (and maybe it was). However, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of character development and dolefully profound plot all wrapped up by a slight head-tilting twist at the end that always intrigues me no matter what movie.
Diary of June is about two detectives who discover what originally looked like a murder-suicide was actually the beginning work of a serial killer whose target victims all seem to be tied to classmates of a high school. The audience is actually introduced to the killer early in the plot but this character's motives are hidden but not by dramatic irony alone. It is through the detectives' investigations after each murder victim that the reasoning for the murders is unraveled and this is how it is promoted as a thriller and not a mystery. The movie has a very somber (even cruel) yet powerful conclusion that gave me goosebumps and slightly teary-eyed.
Another aspect of this film I liked was the memories it brought back about Korea. I can't possibly explain it in words because it's an abstract type of feeling generated by memories. When you visit a place for a elongated period of time, your brain seem to store the combination of your senses in bulk; like how the place smelled, how the air felt, the things you heard and saw. Then, if you visit a place with similar senses, your brain triggers a memory and you are reminded of the other place perhaps because you were fond of it.
I guess one of the things I distinctly remember is the Korean classroom. It's not carpeted nor is the chairs and desks made out of malleable plastic as they are in elementary schools here. The entire school's foundation from floor to floor is made out of concrete, a small smear of water on the floor would have you flying head-first into a concrete wall. The desks I remember being made out of old wood that's been darkened by heavy use and laden with drawings and chairs that were awfully uncomfortable. Every school has a front yard but not covered by grass, I remember it being sandy.
Anyway, what great acting by Yun Jin Kim although slightly overplayed at times. Made me wonder what made her accept her role in ABC's "Lost" because frankly her character has not been that impressive and I can only consider her role in that show a step down from her contribution to Diary of June.
