"Interestingly uninteresting"
While the film boasts strong performances, direction, and cinematography, its plot feels thin and overly stretched. Adapted from a short story, it might have been more effective as a short film. Though it's intended as a "slow burn," the 2.5-hour runtime feels excessive, with the first 1.5 hours dedicated solely to setting up the premise—something that could have been accomplished in just 30 minutes.That said, the movie gains depth in hindsight, as certain dialogues take on new meaning upon reflection. However, don’t expect a complex mystery; this is primarily a drama (about 75%), with subtle mystery and thriller elements sprinkled in.
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For deep thinkers OR those open to films with more than 1 EXACT interpretation (ambiguity)
I was VERY confused trying to figure out where the story was going for 1/2 of the movie but I oddly/weirdly enough kept my eyes on the screen the whole time & didn’t fast forward even when I was confused bc I didn’t want to miss any super deep crazy metaphor from the slow storyline.It’s one of the movies where not much can happen vocally/physically but there’s symbolism in the simplest/quickest conversation between characters AND/OR cinematography. The solemn & storyline gave me the American movie “Lovely Bones” vibes. Though “Lovely Bones” you’ll actually cry a river of tears. It wasn’t perfect but it’s one I’d definitely recommend to anyone okay with exploring different genres & wanting to watch something with deep meaning. I love Yoo Ah In but I had to hide my eyes most time from the nudity HAHA he has a baby face & I was like “Oh no” even though he’s grown LOL.
This movie is not a waste of time you just have to be in the right mood when watching, have an open mind & be willing to question fact from fiction. It gives the chance for the audience to make a decision on what has happened. This could be used in a class tbh. If you’re used to this genre type the symbolism was easy to catch on to if you watch a lot of mystery cases/crimes & can connect what has happened to a similar storyline.
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Unforgettable Performance
Every role of You Ah In is a masterpiece, just unforgettable, incredible masterpiece. He can be so smart, so dumbfounded, so sexy, ...lovable ... you name it - he is the best at any role! All his roles are so good, so heart touching that stay in your heart forever, but my favorite is Secrete Affair. I watched it SEVERAL times; he is so sexy in this one. In Burning he is in love and is shaken to his bones by a psycho to the point that is capable of killing when loses his love one. And this happens naturally, without any scruples, or hesitation. After watching it, I am shaken myself, had to take some time to breathe. The info about him in Wikipedia is ENDLESS, so impressive that keep you at awe for a long time! His rewards are another surprise to keep him in your heart for a long time!Was this review helpful to you?
A Meditative Masterpiece: Metaphors, Existential Depth, and the Haunting Legacy of Barn Burning
This is a terrific movie: thought-provoking, layered, and brilliantly acted. If anything, trimming 10 minutes (particularly the ML's solo scenes before BEN's entry) could have made it even tighter. Still, it’s an excellent film, easily a 9.5/10.While the pacing leans slow, it’s intentional, allowing the metaphors, analogies, and deep existential questions to linger. The adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s Barn Burning is masterfully done—though I’d recommend reading the short story (or at least a summary) after watching to fully appreciate its depth. Without that context, some viewers might struggle to stay engaged.
Important Note: Don’t go in expecting fast-paced action or clear resolutions. This is a slow-burn film, rich with symbolism and philosophical musings on life.
The acting is flawless, particularly by the three leads. JJS delivers a mesmerizing performance, embodying her role with such effortless depth that it’s mind-blowing.
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This review may contain spoilers
Masterpieces that enchant and amaze.
Class differences and deep obsession take center stage in Lee Chang-dong's dense Burning. One of 2018's masterpieces that is both shocking and fascinating."Everything is very uncertain and that is exactly what is so reassuring". That's what the character Tootiki said in the book Moomins and the Winter Wonderland, one of the most well-known Moomin books. And that phrase can absolutely be applied to Lee Chang-dong's film Burning with the slight change that it is not soothing but rather "magical".
When the Korean director returns to the big screen for the first time in 8 years after the fantastic Poetry, he has based the story on Haruki Murakami's short story Elephant Vanishes, but the film stands entirely on its own in the surprising plot.
In the beginning, we get to meet Jong-soo (Yoo Ah-in), a young man with a violent father who has to take care of their farm. Jong-soo himself is more interested in writing, but is hindered by his economic worker background. One day he runs into his childhood friend Hae-mi (Jun Jong-seo). They start hanging out and Jong-soo quickly falls in love with her, but when she goes to Africa for two weeks, things change.
When Hae-mi comes home, she has met Ben (Steven Yeun from The Walking Dead), a rich and well-to-do young man who lives in a lavish apartment and drives an expensive car. The trio begins to hang out, but after a long evening outside Jong-soo's house, unexpected and fiery desires are revealed and the plot suddenly takes a completely unexpected turn that makes Burning a fascinating mystery.
Lee works as usual with long takes, a 10-minute dance at a sunset is one of the closest visual poetry you can get, and portrays the contrasts in Jong-soo's and Ben's lives through both subtle and clear scenes. The film requires you to accept that it takes a while to get into Lee's naturalistic grasp, but once you do, you can't take your eyes off the screen.
The second part of the film, which becomes a kind of existential riddle, is absolutely fantastic. You have no idea how it will end, but the feeling of discomfort and uncertainty is palpable. What actually happened? Was the cat that Hae-mi wanted Jong-soo to take care of really exist? Who is Ben? When will his cravings strike next? The questions are many and not all will necessarily be answered, but Lee relies on the audience's intelligence to be swept up in the plot more than to analyze it.
The actors are excellent in their roles, the film is technically well-made with well-chosen music and the sound contributes to the tight atmosphere. Burning is simply fantastic on every level. A film that, like life itself, happens before your eyes and then refuses to let go when it's over. Like a passionate burn that never leaves your skin.
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I wish I could dissappear, like i never existed
"Burning" has been on my mind ever since I saw it a years ago—and I've been yearning for a film like this ever since, but honestly there's nothing like it. It's smart. It doesn't cry out for you to spot little things and expect praise. It's just so minimal yet liminal. Burning is a mostly slow and subtle film but when it hits it hits hard. It often follows the protagonist in his seemingly mundane daily routine and very little information is revealed about the few characters involved. It's amazing, almost like magic, how this film keeps the mystery of a story so close to us. It's hard to describe the feeling it gives off after i watch it. It's like seeing an optical illusion. The theme of seeing what is not there is what underlies the story of this film. We can get clues about this from the scene where Hae-mi mimes eating oranges in front of Jong-su who gapes at the beginning of the story. It's so realistic, Jong-su can feel the sweetness of the oranges Hae-mi is eating, but there aren't really any oranges there. This film confuses, grips us tightly, makes us miserable by our own bad thoughts, it's so good and entertaining in its own way. The events in this film are intended to be a mystery, open to the interpretation of each viewer, how each of us sees things. The uncertainty of what really happened is the film's main strength.Burning is not like a traditional (Hollywood) thriller where clue after clue is dropped one after another, nor is it one where you are certain of what the end goal is. The extra-diegetic music is not used as a device to necessarily excite, but more as a way to help build tension and a mild anxiety. It is a quiet film filled with lonely characters. Because of that, I can’t recommend it to people who are looking for the traditional thriller because this film isn’t that – it offers more of a study on the characters, their surroundings
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Os atores são excepcionais, principalmente o Steven Yeun, que superou e muito as minhas expectativas.
E quanto ao suspense, ao longo do filme são deixadas pistas que levam à uma conclusão simples e que faz todo o sentido.
Super recomendo assistirem ele!
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This review may contain spoilers
esse filme é tao...
decidi assistir dps de ver um edit no ttk,e esse filme me surpreendeu de alguma forma.no começo é bem lento,pq mostra a vida dos personagens e tals, mas foi essencial.pensei ate q seria um romance,ate teve so n durou mt😞no início tava dboa, so q dps q a guria desapareceu eu n tava entendendo nd,mas td se explicou qnd eu percebi q na vdd oq o cara falava de"queimar estufas"eram as vítimas,e as pulseiras na casa dele eram das vitimas.ai foi q eu entendi o pq da guria ter sumido.eu amei💔😭
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O MELHOR FINALLLL !!
Não tô acreditando na nota baixa desse filme. Ritmo "lento", intimista, onde somos capazes de entender bem a personalidade dos nossos protagonistas, para justificar e explicar as ações de cada um. Melhor final que poderia ter. Yoo Ah In é DIFERENCIADO. O cara consegue transmitir todas as emoções essenciais do personagem. Aliás, todo o elenco nota 10. Gostei MUITO !!!!! Indico assistir sem spoiler ❤️Was this review helpful to you?
