ode to my father
2015 review number 52:
Ode to My Father: (Drama): 70 out of 100: Set over a period of 60 years, this is an epic detailing the effects the Korean War had on many families. It's actually a grand soap opera which covers a lot of bases including separation of families, struggles of relocation and reuniting loved ones.
Jeong-min Hwang stars as Duk-Soo, the patriarch of the Yoon family. We see him age (through some noticeable make-up) from a young man to an elderly gentleman. He is married to Youngja (Yunjin Kim playing young and old) whom he meets in Germany when he works as a miner to support his family back home in Korea. The story dates back to when he is a little boy where he becomes separated from his father and sister as they try to escape from the Chinese invasion. He must look after the surviving members of his family as he is now the head of the household. The story is told through some flashbacks which highlight the key moments of his life.
The movie is one heck of a grand melodrama. These are the types of movies that hit you with a sledgehammer in terms of being forced to endure the pain and suffering the characters experience. It sure did its job on me as there was one scene which made me cry. I couldn't believe that I had succumbed to the director's manipulation of emotions!
You can't help but admire the effort that the cast puts in. Even though the two main actors wear some dodgy aging make-up, they still deliver their lines perfectly to make the audience feel for them. What was manipulative however was the direction. A lot of scenes are captured in slow motion which obviously was a tool employed to make the audience suffer the same anguish experienced by the survivors. The score has the same effect. When you hear those violins you know it's time for you to start feeling sorry for someone.
The cinematography is divine. The shots of Korea, both urban and rural are delightful. The outdoor scenes especially have a picture-perfect clarity to them. The sound effects accompanying the separation scenes are also worthy of a mention as you feel that you are in the midst of the invasion itself.
If you are after a melodrama on a grand scale then you should enjoy this movie. Be prepared to take some tissues with you because if you are the emotional type then you are bound to shed some tears. I hardly cry when I see a movie so let that be a warning to anyone who is sensitive.
Starring Jeong-min Hwang and Yunjin Kim
(126 minutes)
Parental advice: Violence and adult themes
Additional scene during or after credits: No
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpvfBfxjNPQ (Movie trailer)
(Reviewed on Wednesday 8th April, 2015)
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