The Day After – Geu-hu (2017)

Directed by: Hong Sang-soo | 92 minutes | drama, romance | Actors: Cho Yunhee, Joabang Ki, Kim Min-hee, Kang Taeu, Kim Sae-byeok, Kwon Hae-hyo

Shot in black and white, ‘The Day After’ is the second film by Korean film star Hong Sang-soo, which premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. This one ran in competition, ‘Claire’s Camera’ got a special screening. Hong Sang-soo is known for his casual way of filming, repeating themes (the Korean man’s many shortcomings, for example, often take center stage), and playing with the viewer’s time and expectations. The director also uses his trademark in ‘The Day After’.

This time, however, it is not about a man in the film industry, but the owner of a small but successful publisher, Bong-wan Kim (Haeh-yo Kwon). We meet him at breakfast, which, according to his wife, takes place much earlier in the morning than usual. She worries about him: why can’t he sleep, where will he go when he leaves the house, is he maybe having an affair? Bong-wan doesn’t answer, but his smile and silence speak volumes.

After this somewhat slow start, ‘The Day After’ continues at an accelerated pace. At first, you think you’re watching a scene that follows that first breakfast cross-examination, but it turns out it happened before. And so Hong Sang-soo plays with the viewer, just when you think you have a grip on the situation, and in which order the events took place, you have to reconsider that. It’s amazing that the filmmaker has managed to create such an intriguing whole with so few resources (for example, the film only has a handful of locations) and a basic story that seems simple.

Most interestingly, the focus on Bong-wan as the main character transitions seamlessly to the incomparable Kim Min-hee, who, as Bong-wan’s new employee Areum, once again puts her boss in his place with a few intelligent remarks – unintentionally. . It’s easy to identify with her as a viewer, as the other characters like to make fun of themselves in their sniffling, drunken outbursts full of lies and manipulation. And the great thing is that Areum herself seems to have the most influence on her cowardly boss, without both parties being aware of it.

Hong Sang-soo’s films are like little gems, worth watching in their own right. No prior knowledge is necessary, if ‘The Day After’ is your first acquaintance with this filmmaker, that’s fine. But as with real pearls, the movies increase in value as you add more of them together. If you place ‘The Day After’ in the context of Hong Sang-soo’s oeuvre, you will appreciate this film even more. A film that you can definitely watch more often, to get even more out of it.