Aje aje bara aje (1989)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Kwon-taek Im

Writer:

Sung-won Han (writer)

Release Date:

3 March 1989 (South Korea)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Sun Nyog struggles after joining a Buddhist temple as a nun for lack of discipline. She saves an alcoholic...

Plot Keywords:

Nun | Abbess | Non Catholic Nun

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Soo-yeon Kang
Yeong-mi Jin
In-chon Yu
Mu-song Jeon

Also Known As:

Come Come Come Upward

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

South Korea:18

Company:

Taehung Pictures

Movie Connections:

Referenced in F. (2007)

Women search for direction via Buddhism

Come Come Come Upwards, a film by prolific Corean director, Im Kwon Taek, after watching it, I found myself trying to figure out if it was a film about Buddhism or a Buddhist film. Even as I consider it now, I'm not certain.

The film itself is split structured between two protagonists, the principle protagonist is a wandering woman who seeks Buddhism, apparently as as escape to the woes of her life and, as we find out, for more reasons than just that. The second protagonist is another Buddhist monk who struggles to understand how to grow deeper in her faith. As we progress through the course of the film, we watch as they both search for their meaning through different means, the first woman by enveloping herself in the world and the second by exploring it without integrating with it.

I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with director Im's direction of actors and his overall direction shows the sign of a steady and sure hand. He knows what he's doing and you can see it in almost every picture he takes. The film itself is a bit of a wanderer and sometimes seems aimless, even though the film does have a story that reaches a conclusion. The finale of the film doesn't quite satisfy what I was hoping to see. Also, the characters do development, but it seems slow and there's not a strong degree of dynamism. And part of this I think is well in keeping with the kind of story trying to be told as well as the subject.

I have to say that despite the limited scope of the film and the subject matter, I definitely didn't find Come Come Come Upwards boring. It drew me in quietly and kept me interested to the end, but at the same time, it's not a potent experience, but more of a reliable one. The production values are surprisingly good for a film of its age (1989) and I have to say that those inclined to watch films exploring Buddhism as well as personal inner struggles might find something to watch here. A decent art film about two women searching for direction in their lives. 7/10.