Good communication makes for healthy relationships!

     There were many moments where I was wondering if a scene was highly critical in its seriousness or if I was supposed to laugh or feel sad. The experience of watching the movie was a very awkward one for me and I don’t know if it is because of the cultural differences or if it was meant to be that way. In any case, I like to think that the director made this movie to show awkwardness and ridiculousness. I also like to think that these aspects of the movie made it more real. It’s not all dark and depressing but it’s not always funny, it’s weird most of the time. But hey, what is life if it isn’t weird; being awkward or witnessing something awkward is part of everyone’s everyday life.

     The climax of the ridicule is obviously towards the end, when Chilsu and Mansu are on top of the building wondering why they’ve become such a big deal. I mean... all they were doing was say what was on their mind. What’s the big deal? It doesn’t hurt anyone. I feel like that’s exactly what Park was trying to make the audience feel, look how ridiculous this situation is, look how weirdly the events are unfolding all because some painters are screaming from the top of a building. The first question that popped in my mind was, the people who initially noticed Chilsu and Mansu up there, could they even hear them? When there were hundreds of people on the roof of the building, they still could barely hear anything. All they could do was watch them, and the most the duo was doing was to sit down, lie down or stand up. For us, to hear what both parties were saying only added to the comedic aspect of the scene when nothing they were saying actually worked towards a functional dialog, it was just two parties assuming things based on their individual position/situation.

One side is asking a question, the other side is just like “whaaat?”

And it just goes exponentially wrong from then on, and on, and on.

Where’s Jules when you need him.

     Personally, if I didn’t have my glasses and I was on the street level, I wouldn’t be able to see anything up there. I’d probably just see this crowd of people looking up, look up myself and wonder what the big deal is. Park uses the bystander effect and stretches it out until everyone in audience realizes how stupid and ridiculous the situation actually is. It makes us think “well ok.. if we make such a big deal every time some random people are expressing their opinion, we will be going nowhere fast.” The laughs coming from us while watching the movie is proof of the idiocy. 

It never ends well when communication is obstructed.

Side note: Bob Marley track! Most confusing "bar" fight ever. Chilsu's classic dreamy sequences.