The Meaning Behind the Fire

          The film A Single Spark was initially broadcasted in 1995.  It is a biographical film regarding Jeon Tae-Il, who fought for worker’s rights until his self-immolation.  The film follows two stories progressing simultaneously, albeit in a different timeline.  Kim Yong-Su, an intellect in hiding, and his wife, Shin Yong-su, both follow the path of Jeon-Tae-Il in their attempt to organize a union to protect the workers from being abused under unbearable working conditions.  Kim Yong-Su is in the process of finishing Jeon’s diary, meeting people who were close to him to gain an understanding of what kind of person he was.  As he progresses with his writing, the film switches to the second narrative, a sort of flashback that is retold in a third person perspective, following the life of Jeon-Tae-Il until the event of his self-immolation.   Kim Yong-Su holds an evident obsession over his climatic death, which acts as the driving force of the film, as he tries hard to not let the spark fade.
          There is a strong focus on the symbolism of fire throughout the film, including the title that basically describes the significance of Jeon Tae-Il’s death.  Fire is usually used to symbolize chaos and destruction which are heavily implied at the start of the film when Jeon is seen with a lighter burning the law book, signifying its destruction while at the same time foreboding the ensuing chaos it will cause.  Fire can also be used to symbolize hope and determination as seen in a particular scene where Jeon and his friends are gathered around a bonfire, burning wildly as all are listening to his thoughts and decision to act to improve their working conditions.   After many attempts that are just worsening their situation, Jeon-Tae Il decides to have a public display of him burning the law book, which he feels is worthless since none of the laws are enforced.  But on the day he decides to burn the book, he also goes through a phase of a ritual cleansing with gasoline, that can visually be mistaken as water in the black and white visual, and burns himself along with the law book in the middle of the public.  This scene expresses his anger and frustration over the injustice that is being overseen, and possess a strong symbolism of duality of destruction and reconstruction.  This symbolism is what awoke many into action, being a metaphorical spark to a growing movement towards what Jeon hoped to gain.  The element of fire is used to provide an imagery to the invisible movements going through the characters’ intrapersonal emotions and the general interpersonal social movement.    

Lenin Amaya