If you have watched a Korean romantic drama from between 2002 and 2012, chances are, you have seen the base narrative of Innocent Steps; boy meets girl; at first, they do not get along, but chemistry builds, resulting in a budding relationship, which is then melodramatically tested. This is not a criticism; as the saying goes, 'if it ain't broke...' Despite a similar progression ark to other genre titles, Innocent Steps has a unique-enough premise, charming characters, over-the-top cuteness, intense emotions, and a laugh or two, managing to shoehorn in plenty of sub-genres and feelings into what amounts to a 100-minute movie.
Na Young-Sae (Park Gun-Hyung) was once an acclaimed national dance champion, until he was assaulted, on stage, by antagonistic rival Jung Hyun-Soo (Yun Chang). With this in mind, as the viewer, you do occasionally have to take moments with a grain of salt, the filmmakers adding scenes that heighten emotion, at the expense of logic. Not only was Young-Sae injured, his dance partner, Oh Mi-Soo (Jung Yoo-Mi) left him, a plot thread that is kept alive throughout the film, but never actually goes anywhere.
Bitter, but hoping for a comeback, Young-Sae is given an opportunity by dance manager Ma Sang-Doo (Park Won-Sang), who may or may not have the former champion's best interests at heart. Jang Chae-Rin (Moon Geun-Young), is a professional dancer from China, travelling to Korea, who could not only become Young-Sae's new partner, but give him a shot at the title he once lost. The addendum Chae-Rin only ever speaks Korean, even with family back home, does make her heritage a little less believable.
From the moment she is introduced, Chae-Rin is indescribably adorable, filling the movie with a genuine loveliness. Gullible, with strong, almost fairy-tale like views on life and love, she has a great passion for dance; if only she knew how to do it. Therein lies the problem; she's not the dancer Young-Sae was promised. Rather than give up on her, Young-Sae chooses to train Chae-Rin, their shared love of dance bringing them together.
Chae-Rin's naivety is occasionally good for a laugh, and juxtaposes well with Young-Sae's unflinching determination and serious attitude. To guarantee Chae-Rin can stay in Korea legally, she and Young-Sae conspire to have a fake marriage. This introduces us to two investigators (portrayed by Kim Ji-Young and Lee Dae-Yeon), who do not believe the validity of the couple. This particular sub-plot was included just for laughs, and honestly could have been removed from the film entirely, without affecting the overall narrative.
However, Chae-Rin's immigrant status is an issue that permeates the film, with those who want to hurt Young-Sae's chances at success threatening her, resulting in themes of race and class. These are merely used as window-dressing to tug at our heartstrings and make Chae-Rin more vulnerable. Hyun-Soo's arrogant desire to beat Young-Sae further results in powerful melodrama that threatens the pair, though the film's 'villain' is barely afforded any back-story, and is just a typical one-dimensional bad guy.
Nevertheless, Innocent Steps is unafraid of including moments that are heart-wrenching, made more so by the chemistry between the two leads. Without this poignancy, the film would not be as powerful as it can be, the film's final quarter been filled with great melancholy.
As with many romantic dramas, the music, especially the gentle piano tracks, are used to let the audience know how to feel, though at times, no score is included during powerful scenes, really drawing attention to the actors and their emotions, which is a good inclusion. On another note, kudos ought to be given to the film's dance choreography, which adds an even greater sense of flare to the visual magic between the characters.
For all of its cliché melodrama, Innocent Steps does stand out from the pack. Its story of redemption, loyalty, sacrifice and love, strikes a balance between powerful and basic; lovely and sorrowful, the believability of its two leads making the otherwise simple film enjoyable. Warning: fans of Korean dramas may be reduced to a blubbering mess by the end.
