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- A Reason to Live
- by CHO Meanjune / Jul 17, 2017
2011 | 119 MIN | DramaDIRECTOR LEE Jeong-hyangCAST SONG Hye-kyo, NAM Ji-hyun, SONG Chang-euiRELEASE DATE Oct 27, 2011CONTACT Lotte EntertainmentTel 82 2 3470 3540Fax 82 2 3470 3549Email international@lotte.netSang-woo (KI Tae-young) and Da-hae (SONG Hye-kyo) are about to get married. On the day of her birthday, Sang-woo receives a call from his friend, whose heart is broken, so he leaves in a hurry to comfort him. However, on the way, Sang-woo is killed in a hit and run accident by a 17 year-old boy. Even though Da-hae’s birthday has now become her lover’s death day, she forgives the criminal.A year later, Da-hae is making a documentary film about people like her, who were victims, but had forgiven their assailants. Ji-min (NAM Ji-hyun), her friend’s younger sister who is living with her, can’t understand Da-hae’s mindset, and asks what if the killer boy hasn’t learned a lesson or changed from the situation. Curious, Da-hae decides to track the boy down. She imagines he regrets what he did and has returned to school, however she is shocked to discover he is actually in juvenile reform for murder.Director LEE Jeong-hyang has portrayed reconciliations through embracement of the feminine world in his previous films. Chul-soo (LEE Sung-jae) representing the “zoo”, assimilates to Choon-hee symbolizing the “museum” in Art Museum By The Zoo (1998). In addition, spoiled city boy Sang-woo (YOO Seung-ho) finally succumbs to his grandmother’s embracement in the countryside in The Way Home (2002).A Reason to Live begins with death. Moreover, reconciliation from the death is unstable; embracement of the feminine world clashes with the harsh world. Themes of crime, punishment and forgiveness are shown through ideological lines which become heavy questions to audiences.Actress SONG Hye-kyo became a Korean wave star through several hit TV series but for the silver screen she has chosen small roles or arthouse films. A Reason to Live is an extension of this. Director LEE picked KI Tae-young and SONG Chang-eui, both known more for their careers on TV than screens, for the male leading roles, while NAM Ji-hyun of Tunnel (2016) and Hwayi: A Monster Boy (2013) performs an antithesis to ask about Da-hae’s forgiveness from a secular view.
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