The Triangle – Daisy (2006)

Directed by: Wai-keung Lau | 110 minutes | drama, romance | Actors: Gianna Jun, Woo-sung Jung, Sung-jae Lee, Sara Bernardo Aires, David Chiang, Ho-jin Jeon, Dion Lam

Images of a beautiful green landscape, crossed by a calm stream, form the opening scene of the film. When very familiar buildings come into view after this, it is clear that this film is set in the Netherlands, and for a large part of it in Amsterdam. The shooting in Amsterdam caused some commotion among the Asian tourists, they did not miss the opportunity to see their idols. Gianna Jun and Woo-sung Jung are superstars in the Asian continent while most Dutch people have never heard of them. In contrast to the shooting of ‘Ocean’s Twelve’, director Andrew Lau was not hindered by a massive crowd. The director previously gained great fame with the exciting triptych ‘Infernal Affairs’. With ‘The Triangle’ (also known as ‘Daisy’) he chooses a different direction, although the film still contains thriller elements, it is more of a romantic drama.

Although the location is homegrown, the film has a typical Korean atmosphere. ‘The Triangle’, in which the Asian film has proved so exceptionally good in recent years, is a beautiful story about love with a large dose of drama. A typical Korean phenomenon is the very slow build-up of the story. Many will experience this as too slow, but this aspect is just part of it and you should take it for granted. Ultimately, the Korean film often works towards a very emotional apotheosis, as in ‘The Triangle’.

Hye-young (Gianna Jun) is a street artist who portrays people in the center of Amsterdam. Police officer Jeong-woo (Sung-jae Lee) observes a gangster gang and can do this best from the position where Hye-Young works. In order not to stand out, he allows himself to be portrayed, but he soon starts to feel more for the artist. Their happiness is short-lived, after a shooting Hye-young is injured and loses her voice and Jeong-woo seems to disappear into thin air. Hit man Park-yi (Woo-sung Jung) also keeps a close eye on the drug gang and has a crush on Hye-young. The result is an intriguing love triangle. The story is told from three different points of view and is not chronological.

First is the introduction of Jeong-woo and his development from the relationship with Hye-young up to the shooting. This is followed by the introduction of Park-yi and his relationship with the artist. In this way, the meeting between the admirers of and with Hye-young is beautifully worked towards. Partly due to the impressive cinematography, the story gradually takes on an emotional charge, without becoming sentimental. Almost every scene is a feast for the eyes, the images of the CS in Haarlem alone are stunningly beautiful. Although the sometimes thick violins and slow motion images are perhaps a bit too much of a good thing, the sweet story increasingly turns into a thriller-like romance with a dark edge.

Gianna Jun caused a furore in Asia with her role in the rock-solid comedy ‘My Sassy Girl’. Besides the fact that she interprets her role in ‘The Triangle’ in an excellent way, she plays unparalleled in the scenes where she can no longer speak. Emotion bursts from her face, she portrays an outburst of anger so beautifully that no scream could have topped it. Actors Lee Sung-jae and Jung Woo-sung put in a great performance, but Jung Woo-sung, unlike his role in the emotional ‘A Moment to Remember’, doesn’t always manage to really convince. He seems too sweet for a hit man, and often lacks variety in expression.

‘The Triangle’ is a film that will only appeal to a small audience. The story is simply not diverse and fast enough to really make it into an exciting thriller. However, this is a beautiful romantic drama that finds its way to your heart if you give the film a chance. And how often do we have to deal with a Korean production that takes place in the heart of Amsterdam?