[Jeon Chan-il's Cultural Talk] Controversial Erotic Work 'Serve the People'

In the previous two installments of ‘Suda,’ we did not delve into individual films. This was primarily because we wanted to approach cinema as a comprehensive entertainment and art form within the context of cultural content. As a result, I sometimes wonder if I neglected to highlight a series of domestic films that I would have liked to recommend watching in theaters?a kind of dereliction of duty. Documentaries of great significance, such as the politically charged expos? 'My Candlelight,' co-directed by actor Kim Eui-sung and journalist Joo Jin-woo, or 'Battle King,' the fifth directorial work by investigative journalist Lee Sang-ho, which fiercely captures two decades of life struggles, will be discussed on another occasion. The human and family drama of grief and healing 'Maemiso-ri,' directed by Lee Chung-ryul, who made a landmark in Korean documentary film history with 'Old Partner' (2009) and released this film after 13 years, as well as the director’s cut 'Gwangdae: Soriggun,' a reworked version of 'Soriggun' (2020) with over 60% new footage, are similarly reserved. What I want to introduce with some focus is 'Serve the People' (hereafter 'Inmin').

'Inmin' is a provocative erotic film that will surely catch the eye of readers interested in contemporary Chinese literature. It is the new work by Jang Cheol-soo, who made a remarkable (feature) debut with 'The Truth of Kim Bok-nam’s Murder Case' (2010), invited to the Critics’ Week at Cannes Film Festival, and directed 'Secretly, Greatly' (2013), which cast Kim Soo-hyun and others to achieve a blockbuster hit nearing 7 million admissions. The film freely yet faithfully adapts the 2005 novel of the same name by Yan Lianke (閻連科), a novelist highly regarded as ‘the most explosive writer’ by both Chinese critics and the public. With the director’s characteristic meticulous and subtle directing style...

The novel '爲人民服務' (Serve the People) caused explosive controversy upon publication and was banned, becoming an unofficial bestseller. Set during the Cultural Revolution (1966?1976) against the backdrop of a military unit, it centers on a fierce erotic relationship between the young wife of a division commander and a soldier responsible for cooking and cleaning. Having read the 10th printing of the novel’s first edition over a decade ago, I have cherished Yan Lianke as one of the authors of my lifetime. After more than ten years of gestation, this masterpiece has been adapted into a film by a Korean director, naturally attracting special attention. I took the opportunity to reread the novel, and the film exceeded expectations when compared to the original work.

The film’s freedom is effectively expressed in terms of time and space. The setting is a fictional country in the mid-1970s, unmistakably North Korea. The narrative connects to the 1976 axe murder incident in North Korea, delivering an unexpected twist. This vividly expresses the reality that the private sphere and public sphere of human beings cannot be separated as is often demanded. This is likely the director’s intended message. The expanded scope of the film also succeeds in adding allegorical universality to a very special love story that could be repeated at any time.

This success owes more than anything else to the ‘devoted, exceedingly devoted’ performances of the two lead actors: Jian, 32, playing Sul-ryeon, and Yeon Woo-jin, 28, playing Mu-gwang. The two actors deliver performances so convincing that they create the illusion of being the incarnations of the novel’s two protagonists. They surpass Jeon Do-yeon and Joo Jin-mo in 'Happy End' (1999, directed by Jung Ji-woo), and Kim Go-eun and Kim Mu-yeol in 'A Muse' (2012, directed by Jung Ji-woo). While Yeon Woo-jin’s performance is nearly flawless, Jian’s vocalization and line delivery have sparked considerable debate. However, considering the insurmountable social status differences faced by the protagonists, the slight awkwardness in Jian’s acting might well be an intentional effect.

The advertising phrase on the novel’s dust jacket, “More dangerous than 'Lust, Caution' and more enchanting than 'In the Mood for Love'!” is certainly an exaggeration, even for me, who was deeply captivated by the film. Both films are truly masterpieces of all time. Regardless of agreement, for example, 'In the Mood for Love' ranks fourth jointly with Akira Kurosawa’s 'Rashomon' (1950) on the ‘100 Asian Films’ list selected and posted by the Busan International Film Festival. Only Hou Hsiao-hsien’s 'A City of Sadness' (1989), Yasujir? Ozu’s 'Tokyo Story' (1953), and Edward Yang’s 'A Brighter Summer Day' (1991) rank higher. What about 'Lust, Caution'? It is not just because it won the Golden Lion at the 2007 Venice Film Festival. It is undoubtedly a ‘historical erotic film’ boasting the highest level across all dimensions.

However, my diagnosis is half right and half wrong. The moment you focus beyond exposure on character or dramatic setting, 'Inmin' soars as a far more dangerous love story than 'Lust, Caution.' Even if one assumes obedience to the state’s order to “Serve the People,” the audacity of a mere soldier committing adultery with the division commander’s wife is a brazen provocation. The film is extremely provocative in that the physical eroticism ultimately sublimates into an unchanging spiritual love. This is also true of the original work. Therefore, the film remains faithful to the novel. This fidelity is undoubtedly a sincere homage (respect) the director pays to the original author.

In the Korean edition’s preface, “Love, Dignity, Literature?A Letter to Korean Readers,” Yan Lianke states that “the text itself is a kind of beauty,” and says that although the book ‘Serve the People,’ a “very small book,” should not have occupied such a prominent position in his creative work, “due to fate (omitted), it ended up in the most conspicuous place.” The book “talks about the two most fundamental elements in the development of humans and human society as a whole: ‘love and dignity.’” It is “not a story told to everyone, but only to readers who have a great interest in the fate and history of humanity,” and “a letter sent to those who have eternal respect and love for human dignity.”

Perhaps it is a meeting of minds. Watching the film 'Inmin,' I savored the original author’s ‘blood, sweat, and tears.’ That is why I truly support this controversial work. Whether viewers choose to see only the tree of eroticism in the film or to take some distance and also observe the forest surrounding that tree is, of course, up to each individual audience member.

Jeon Chan-il, Film Critic · Adjunct Professor, Department of Global Arts, Chung-Ang University