Review: Lee Chang-Dong is truly a master of dramatic Korean cinema. After amassing only three films in his directorial repertoire this Korean National University of Arts professor has since gone in to political office as the official minister of culture and tourism, but before departing from the world of film he left a cinematic legacy that shall not be forgotten.

In Peppermint Candy, his second approach to the craft of film making, Lee delivers a work of art that comes across as anything but sophomoric. Capturing the true essence of a tortured soul, Peppermint Candy provides a meticulously revealing window into the present and past of a man whose natural ability to cope with life’s difficulties has all but failed him, and the path he took to get there. It is somewhat difficult to go into detail about the plot of the film and not have the description come across as a simple run down of random events, but essentially it breaks down like this; an exceptionally sensitive soul is tainted by the hate and fear of the world to the point where it gradually overcomes his being and slowly takes over his life. One bad decision after another and a few uncontrollable disasters take place, and we end up with a man exhausted, delusional, and suicidal. Now flip that structure around and instead of beginning with a clean slate and a sensitive soul, we have a hollow, broken man who hates himself and the world around him. What follows is a case study of sorts, retracing a life back to the single point in time where the downward spiral began.

A film of this nature would not be possible without a lead actor capable of bearing his soul to the camera. Kyung-gu Sol manages to do so to such a degree that one can not help but feel as though they are enduring his experiences as their very own. Fear, anger, empathy, contempt, and perhaps confusion, are all emotions in store for anyone willing to devote themselves to understanding Yong-ho. At times a mindless animal, at others, a frightened child in search of love, never has a dramatically inclined actor had such an opportunity to shine. Kyung-gu Sol acts as the malleable medium with which Lee Chang-Dong can express his philosophies on life, love, and his views on the world around him. While there are plenty of solid performances throughout, many of the characters seem dulled by the explosion of emotion and onscreen charisma of Kyung-gu Sol. Outstanding performances aside, a particularly important presence in the film comes in the form of Yong-ho’s first love Sunim (So-ri Moon). Without the addition of the relationship between these two, and their separation, Yong-ho would not have been nearly as empathetic or despicable. The charisma between these two would prove special as both So-ri Moon and Kyung-go Sol would go on to act again in Lee’s follow up film Oasis.