Obsessed - Im Feuer der Lust

It's rare to find a top-billed South Korean actor like Song Seung Hoon in an erotic romance, which probably explains why 'Obsessed' shot up to the top of the box-office charts when it opened in its home territory earlier this year. But lest you think this is some softcore porn masquerading as artsy drama, let us caution you that it isn't quite as lurid as you think it is, notwithstanding the fact that much of the early buzz has been of the explicit lovemaking scenes between Song and his newcomer co-star Im Ji-Yeon.

In case you need a number, we counted a grand total of three such intimate sequences, each of which is depicted with just the right amount of passion to convey the intensity of the love between Song and Im's characters, but doesn't go on too long to veer into exploitation. But though we recognise why they are the movie's selling point, there is much more to this tale of forbidden love than just these three sequences; indeed, we can safely say that those looking only for such lurid pleasures will probably go away quite disappointed, which says a lot about what the movie is not about.

Co-written and directed by Kim Dae-woo, the sumptuously mounted period drama sees Song play the decorated Vietnam War Colonel Kim Jin-pyeong, who spends his restless days in charge of training at an army camp in the countryside. Still reeling from the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder following his Vietnam stint, he is also caught in a loveless marriage with Suk-jin (Jo Yeo-jeong), the latter of which wants nothing more than to be pregnant with his child. Jin-pyeong of course has no such ambition, so their sex is more obligatory than anything else.

That changes with the arrival of Jong Ga-heun (Im), the wife of Captain Gyeong U-jin (On Ju-wan), whom had recently sought a transfer to Jin- pyeong's unit just so he can be closer to his idol. Jin-pyeong's encounter with Ga-heun begins when he springs to her rescue after she is held hostage by a mentally unsound soldier while visiting the camp hospital with the rest of the wives' club. The chemistry between them is mutual - both are equally taken at first sight by the other and through subsequent gatherings between their families find their attraction growing for each other - but the titular obsession unfortunately is his alone.

Throwing caution to the wind, Jin-pyeong stops not only at learning the waltz to impress her but goes as far as to arrange assignments for her husband and his wife just so they can spend more alone time together. Needless to say, it all goes downhill for Jin-pyeong very quickly, especially when in a drunken stupor, he loses control and flies into a rage at both Ga-heun and her husband U-jin in front of all the other men and women - including his wife Suk-jin - in his very own home. It is as much of a climax as you're going to get, as if the restraint of the rest of the movie were ultimately building up to that moment of his outburst.

And yet even though it is a slow burn, you'll find the romance surprisingly engaging from start to finish. Kim is no stranger to such tales of love that defies social boundaries - he was the scriptwriter of a similarly racy period romance 'Untold Scandal' in 2003, and wrote and directed 'Forbidden Quest' in 2006 and 'The Servant' in 2010 - and with sensitivity and nuance observes how a carefully controlled character like Jin-pyeong would unravel by the mere act of falling in love with a woman that he loves but cannot own. Right from the start, one recognises how his attraction for Ga-heun would ultimately end in tragedy, no matter of course the moral implications of their extra-marital affair.

The fact that their love story is so engrossing is also a testament to the chemistry between Song and Im. There is hardly any doubt at any point that their attraction is mutual, or that the sex between them is really an act of love on both their parts - as opposed to just being borne out of lust. Kim carefully details every glance, stare and smile that passes between the two actors, and his astute choice of close-ups at every turn brings his audience closer to his two lead characters.

What is also worthy to note is how Kim fleshes out the artificial world in which his characters play out their dalliance. In particular, the strict social hierarchy that exists as an unspoken rule among the army wives (what with Suk-jin being the camp commandant's daughter) and their subsequent disdain towards Ga-heun who is not just prettier but refuses to stoop to their level of engaging in gossip is especially engrossing - and on that same note, it is admirable that Kim doesn't make Suk-jin out to be some spiteful lady but rather the only one among the rest of the ladies to actually behave friendly towards Ga-heun.

Yes, 'Obsessed' may have caught your attention for being the rare Korean drama that has a major star engage in explicit sex scenes on screen, but that should remain an inadvertent selling point rather than its only one. It's not often that you get a classy period romance from Korea, especially one that chooses as its setting the Vietnam War of the late 1960s and 1970s, and 'Obsessed' will have you in its rapture about how love can both consume and destroy at the same time.

The movie will grab your attention and the romantic scenes are passionate. The couple is good looking but the end is not worth watching.

This movie is predictable but from a romance movie perspective, it did touched my heart. Personally I think both actings are great. Especially the 'can't live without you' kinda feeling of SSH towards LJY. SSH brought the title of 'obsessed' to live. As an audience, I can feel the bitter and sweet of love in a couple. At the same time, the guilt, struggles and confusion in love affair. Initially I decided to watch this because of SSH hence, not much expectation as the rating in IMDB is rather low. However, after watching it, I would recommend this! And if you are a sentimental person, you would probably appreciate this even more. ^^

A soldier who has a bright future, has a beautiful wife and son-in-law of an influential general, what else is lacking?

This film shows that love sometimes comes at the most unexpected times, with unexpected people and in unexpected places. And sometimes love is so strong that we become obsessed with it.

If you don't have a problem with adult scenes, or to rule out such scenes, then this film will really impress you. Song Seung Heun and Lim Ji Yeon's appearance was stunning with their eyes falling in love. And kudos to the director and screenwriter of this film, who managed to capture the Korean atmosphere in the late 1960s.

hope i could write a short review but that does not how things work in IMDb so lets have a kick off word, great! the movie was great though not excellent, only those people who falls in love like crazy can super relate to this.

you could say this movie was bland if you didn't sincerely watch the movie, probably skipping/missing the essential parts.

sometimes movies isn't just about trying hard to get an applaud from an audience, sometimes it just have to target the feelings of the viewer so this movie is more like it. i could say this movie have caught me off guard of the struggling feelings of getting crazy over a woman. because basically i know that kind of feeling, the uneasy and always out of your mind, always thinking.

anyways, this movie isn't your typical interesting movie because this is more like a drama with conflict, the movie plainly revolves in two person, inspite of the fact that this movie lacks character build up and predictable and obviously plotted scenario. its still able to surprise you somehow at the end.

as for me, i love this movie, not because of the sensual scenes but because of how passionate and daring you become when you fall crazy in love at the wrong time. the temptation of self dictating heart that drives you crazy.

Oh by the way, this review is purely out of my personal feelings based on experience, this may seem bias but its not because i just felt the movie so im just telling what i felt about it.

So go ahead, watch this movie, its not like you will waste time for this, just think of it that your in the middle of traffic and stuck there for over two hours, you will enjoy this somehow and you will enjoy this even more if you experienced to be in love. i had to tell that i must be weird because i laugh out loud on how the guy have gone miserable because of a woman, i felt like i might end up like that too if i were on his shoe, I've done crazy stuff once when i fall in love.

So far the ending thoughts, may the temptation of thinking twice on whether to decide on watching this movie lead you on actually watching this,hehehe