After watching the movie, do you have more questions than answers? Let me help you find the hidden meaning of the movie “Burning” and also explain what the movie’s ending means.
The South Korean film “Burning” is based on the work of Haruki Murakami. In the center of the story is the novice author Jeongsu. A writer of great promise meets a girl from his own village. The hero of the film realizes that he has fallen in love. But unexpected obstacles appear in the way of young people. Will they be able to overcome all the hardships of fate and find the strength in themselves to cope with the danger hanging over them? Further events of the thriller show that not everything is so simple in this story.
What is the movie “Burning” about?
The aspiring writer was originally quiet. He avoided noisy companies, preferring to remain in the shadows. But meeting a girl turned his life upside down. Their houses were in the same village. Therefore, the hero of the film did not have any questions when the charming Hae-mi asked Jeongsoo to look after her cat. The girl went on a short trip to Africa. After a while, the heroine returned. But she didn’t come alone. She was accompanied by a spectacular rich man named Ben. One day the young people decided to visit Jeongsu. During this visit, Ben told the shy writer about his strange infatuation. Until that moment, the young man kept his hobby a secret.
Jeongsoo immediately realized that Ben was hiding something important. The hero of the film begins to visit unhappy thoughts. He understands that something terrible can happen. And his bad premonition did not deceive him. After a short time, He-mi disappeared without a trace. Jeongsu tried to contact her, but all his attempts were unsuccessful. The hero of the film realized that Ben’s secret hobby is not burning greenhouses. In fact, a wealthy man leading a luxurious lifestyle preys on young girls. Jeongsoo wants to prove Ben’s involvement in the disappearance of Hae-mi, but there is no evidence against the rich man. Then the young writer goes to the extreme step.
The meaning of the movie “Burning”
The initial episodes of the thriller “Burning” may seem romantic to the audience, filled with tender feelings, bright pleasant moments. However, the film directed by Lee Chang Dong is not a love story. On the contrary, in their creative work, the creators touched on opposite feelings and emotions. Hatred, envy, malice come to the fore. It is with such emotions that the authors associate modern youth.
The hero of the film dreamed of becoming a writer. He even escaped from his native village to a big city. But his plans were not destined to come true. After a while, Jongsu was forced to return back. His father attacked the official, for which he was taken into custody. The guy understood that in this difficult situation he must support his parent. The hero of the film returns to the village, because he needs to look after the house. The dwelling is old and rickety. Cattle, which in fact no one needs, also requires care. A lot of additional problems piled up on the guy. He barely makes ends meet. But he is not alone in poverty. His neighbor is also forced to exist on credit. Only the girl is not going to give up. To break out of this vicious circle, He-mi meets a spectacular rich man. She doesn’t love him at all. The girl just needs money. The meaning of the story “Burning” is that the characters of the film do not attach much importance to real, sincere, bright feelings. They strive to succeed in this life. They are not very concerned about the moral side of this issue. Characters want to gain material wealth. Sometimes they go over their heads. They don’t think about the consequences of their actions.
Jeongsu is sure that fate is not fair to him. He sees with his own eyes that someone will learn everything, while others are left with nothing. But he can’t share his feelings with anyone. Anger, rage, malice he carries within himself. All these negative feelings accumulate in him like a snowball. Over time, Jeongsoo realizes that he can no longer contain negative emotions. His soul is torn apart, because he endured too long.
Explanation of the ending of the film “Burning”
An ambiguous story is riddled with uncertainty, mental anguish. It is difficult to sympathize with the characters if you do not understand the motives of their actions. If in the original Haruki Murakami symbolized the “burning of sheds” with getting rid of the unbearable burden of the past, then in the work “Burning” the creators went further. Life is not plans for the future and not worries about missed opportunities. It is important to be here and now. It is important to enjoy the moment, to see beauty even in small things, and not to get hung up on problems and difficulties. But people can’t stop thinking about the past. They are not let go by the thought that everything could have happened differently, it was possible to choose a different scenario. These feelings pull a person down.
“Shed, greenhouse” is not a specific object. People build these buildings in their heads. To fill your life with meaning, to be happy and successful, it is important to regularly get rid of the burden of the past. Otherwise, it’s a road to nowhere. Regretting what you can’t change is not an option. It is foolish to knock on a long-closed door and realize that it will never be opened again. You need to turn your attention to something else.
Jeongsu is a person who does not understand how to live today. He simply does not know how to exist in the present. The hero of the film does not enjoy his life. The young man seemed to have fallen into a dead end, from which he could not find a way out. He could not find his own “I”, could not adapt to the ever-changing outside world. And most importantly, he never came to spiritual harmony, peace, which would help him move on.