The Smoke Is Implied: Burning Is A Resounding Cinematic Triumph
Implication and ambiguity are important tools to balance in any work of art, in particular the medium of storytelling. The perspective through which plot details are fed can often have a large impact on how stories are interpreted by the audience, often times the most effectively haunting and impactful pieces allow for our own informed conjecture on what truly transpired and how we should feel about it. To say it is incredibly difficult to pull off, well you don’t need me to tell you that, just use your imagination. Director Lee Chang-dong may have mastered the uses of these tools in his 2018 film Burning which is based on a 12 page short story by novelist and short story writer Haruki Murakami. Jong-su, a young deliveryman, and aspiring writer is greeted emphatically by a raffle worker named Hae-mi whilst walking down the sidewalk. We learn quickly through natural dialogue that they were childhood acquaintances, that Hae-mi is going on a trip to Africa to try and find personal meaning...
