lcmpark

In an era where AI and robots are replacing labor, the value of human existence is rapidly diminishing, even threatening the very survival of craftsmanship and intangible heritage. This film captures, with both bitterness and irony, the unease that comes with the march of civilization. Park Chan-wook's signature mise-en-scène and artificial allure shine once again here, as he stages the inevitable dilemma of humans forced to point their guns at one another with a kind of chaotic humor. Among his filmography, this is arguably his most maximalist work, with a raucous ensemble of performances and sound design that gives palpable weight to the spaces they inhabit.

A portrait of our lives in a rapidly changing age, the film also quietly weaves in reflections on family.

Sometimes in thought, in action, or in values, it may be this way, or it may be that way. Whether it is me, you, or any gathering of people, no single perspective can ever claim absolute certainty. So, as far as possible, let us refrain from drawing firm conclusions. To conclude too quickly is to close the door on the many possibilities that life continues to unfold before us. Yet, at the same time, let us not conclude too firmly that conclusions must never be drawn, for even the refusal to conclude can become another rigid conclusion in disguise. True openness lives in the tension between knowing and not knowing, in walking the line where meaning is never finally fixed.