1996 | 115 MIN | Drama

DIRECTOR HONG Sang-soo

CAST KIM Eui-sung, LEE Eung-kyung, JO Eun-sook, PARK Jin-song

RELEASE DATE May 15, 1996

CONTACT Korean Film Archive

Tel +82 2 3153 2001

Fax +82 2 3153 2080

Email kofa@koreafilm.or.kr

Thirty years ago, one of contemporary cinema's most prolific filmmakers, HONG Sang-soo, got his directorial career off to a flying start, as "The Day a Pig Fell into the Well" was awarded by the Korean Association of Film Critics for Best New Director and Best Music, and received three Blue Dragon Award nominations (earning JO Eun-sook the award for Best Supporting Actress). It was also screened at major international festivals, including the Berlin International Film Festival and the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where it won the Tiger Award. Given the success of his debut, it is hardly surprising that HONG stuck to the themes and stylistic choices introduced here throughout his later movies.

The film follows four characters: Hyo-seop (KIM Eui-sung), an unsuccessful novelist; Bo-kyung (LEE Eung-kyung), a married woman having an affair; Dong-woo (PARK Jin-song), a businessman; and Min-jae (JO Eun-sook), a young ticket seller. At first, "The Day a Pig Fell into the Well" resembles an anthology, with seemingly separate stories, but as the narrative progresses, the connections between the protagonists become clearer, revealing a shared landscape of loneliness.

Like the short story by John CHEEVER published in 1954 from which it takes its title, the film focuses on a few different characters. HONG presents their experiences in a simple, realistic manner, refusing to thoroughly explain the past or motivation of each individual, leaving space for interpretation. Portraying the middle-class world shaped by insincerity, alienation, and desperation, the four narrative threads unfold slowly, and require concentration as well as patience from the viewer. "The Day a Pig Fell into the Well" is often bleak, sometimes sexually explicit, and occasionally violent with sporadic energetic scenes, such as the one in which a drunken Hyo-seop attempts to provoke everyone around him into a fight. In spite of that, the movie relies more on atmosphere and subtle observations than on plot twists or distinct acting creations.

Although the performances are strong, the characters can feel either one-dimensional or underdeveloped, making them rather unmemorable. Despite their differences, they all share the same sense of existential unease, with their hopes and desires repeatedly ending in disappointment. However, this lack of psychological depth may be intentional, suggesting that these people could be anyone around us, or perhaps even ourselves. Among this group of jaded figures, a young SONG Kang-ho stands out in his first role, bringing a welcome sense of vitality and leaving a lasting impression.

CHO Dong-kwan's restrained and coherent cinematography allows the viewer to focus on the characters and their interactions. Without the zooms, a trademark for later HONG, or prominently pretty compositions, the static visual style effectively conveys the emptiness of the characters' world, emphasising their isolation and lack of genuine connection. This visual style is supplemented by the soundtrack by OK Kil-sung, which is more prominent than in HONG's later films. Music appears naturally in cafés, shops, and other public spaces, seamlessly integrating itself into everyday life.

In the context of Korean cinema in 1990s, dominated by comedies and gangster movies, with his understated, raw style HONG Sang-soo stands as an outlier. Many of the recurring elements of his cinema are already present here: excessive drinking, awkward romances, alienation, selfish people trapped in cycles of longing and regret. However, what is notably absent is the effortless sense of humour that would make the narrative more bearable. Without the ironic lightness found in his more recent films, "The Day a Pig Fell into the Well" can be difficult to enjoy, making its almost two-hour runtime somewhat demanding. HONG's debut is rough around the edges, but demonstrates that his artistic concerns were firmly established from the very beginning and became more refined over time.

Written by Tobiasz Dunin
Edited by kofic