[Here is Cannes] The Elegance and Tension of Decision to Leave, a Feast of Enchanting Metaphors [Review]

75th Cannes Film Festival Scene
Director Park Chan-wook's 'Decision to Leave' Review

[Cannes (France) = Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "Do you know where dignity comes from? Pride."

The unveiled film "Decision to Leave" was a movie that did not lose its dignity, just like the line from Haejun (Park Hae-il). The elegant yet high-tension atmosphere remains unchanged. The metaphors subtly woven throughout may seem ambiguous at first glance, but the more you savor them, the deeper they become, like black tea that becomes sweet when gently rolled around in your mouth.

Director Park's Korean film "Decision to Leave," presented after six years, was invited to the competition section of the 75th Cannes Film Festival and was screened on the 23rd (local time) at the Lumi?re Theater. Following "Oldboy," which won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2004, "Thirst," which won the Jury Prize in 2009, and "The Handmaiden," invited to the competition section in 2016, this is the fourth time entering the competition section.

Detective Haejun suspects Seo-rae (Tang Wei), the wife of a man who fell to his death from a mountain peak, as the culprit. Seo-rae is unusually calm in the face of her husband's death. She neither confirms his last moments with her own eyes nor grieves deeply. Haejun finds Seo-rae suspicious. He leans toward the possibility that she is the murderer and places her under suspicion.

Haejun stakes out in front of Seo-rae's house, observing her through a telescope. He chuckles softly as he watches Seo-rae eating only ice cream instead of meals and unable to take her eyes off TV dramas. Even after returning home, he thinks of Seo-rae. He seems to shed tears alone, skipping meals. He becomes angry at a junior detective who also suspects Seo-rae. From a certain point, he listens to Seo-rae's voice, suspects her, and then feels pity.

Haejun has a wife. They live as a weekend couple due to their distant workplaces. Seo-rae is bothered by the ring on Haejun's fourth finger.

"Decision to Leave" portrays humans captivated by emotions. Fleeting moments and hearts instantly dominated sparkle like stars in the universe. By examining the fragments of soaring emotions under a microscope, it captivates the audience's eyes. The excitement and thrill of love, sadness, and emptiness are all intricately interwoven. It is a mild-flavored Park Chan-wook film that seeps gently.

Love surges like the tide. When love begins, suspicion follows, like inhaling and exhaling. "Decision to Leave" is a film that is completed only when witnessed fully until the last scene.

Director Park Chan-wook's cinematic world fits perfectly with the Cannes Film Festival. The briny sea scent felt on the streets and the elegant, alluring fragrance from luxury brand stores blend to create the unique atmosphere of Cannes. Park's films carry the scent of Cannes?briny yet fragrant, elegant yet straightforward.

Cannes (France) = Reporter Lee Isul