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| bclassics is a re-release programme of classic films run by Broadway Cinematheque since its 20th anniversary in 2016. The programme aspires to nurture young cinephiles by allowing them to appreciate the unfaded charm of classic films on silver screen. In April 2019, bclassics will showcase Lee Chang-dong’s masterpiece PEPPERMINT CANDY, a film of deep conviction, passion and rage. |
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| Peppermint Candy is one of the earliest works of Lee Chang-dong. Backtracking from the suicide of a broken and depressed man, the film details his personal history from 1970s to 1990s, and poses questions about the value of life. Regarding his motive, Lee said, ‘At first, I shot the film to reminisce about my beautiful and innocent teenage years. The feelings of Yong-ho are actually what I had experienced. What interests me is not Yong-ho’s suicide, but the background or the reasons behind it. I hope audiences can reflect on the different choices they have, and be touched by the beauty in life.’ |
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| Through the tragedy, Lee examines the tumultuous modern history of South Korea. In a period defined by a series of pivotal national events - the Gwangju Uprising, protests in the 1980s and the fall of Korean economy, social outcasts are defeated and segregated from the society. The sense of helplessness eventually turned into desperation and rage. The film was selected to participate in the 53rd Cannes Film Festival. It won 5 Grand Bell Awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. Sol Kyung-gu, who plays Yong-ho, won Best Actor award in the 21st Blue Dragon Award. |
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| Peppermint Candy |
| Lee Chang-dong | South Korea | 1999 | 129 min | Korean (Chinese and English subtitles) | IIB |
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| A group of middle-aged people are at a reunion picnic on a riverside beneath a railway bridge. A man wanders into them and soon mounts the railroad bridge, where he stands in the middle of the tracks. Ignoring their warmings, he meets an oncoming train with the cry, "I wanna go back!" In this crucial moment, we go back with him in a series of flashbacks, from his tragic demise to his innocent, idealistic youth and unfolds his despair. Dir. Lee Chang-dong takes us backwards, step by step, through the life events of an once innocent and ordinary man, in which we slowly come to understand the connections between human trajectory and national crisis. |
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| About the Director - LEE Chang-dong |
| Born in 1954, Lee Chang-dong was a former high-school teacher and an acclaimed novelist. He has also served as the minister of Culture and Tourism. He spent his formative years working in theater and writing and only turned into a filmmaker when he was 43 years old. His debut film Green Fish gained immediate success and critical acclaim. Like his previous work, Peppermint Candy is centred on the theme of ‘lost innocence'. It shoots fiery criticism against the Korean military dictatorship regime. With a mere six feature films over 22 years, Lee has carved out an immutable place in cinematic history for his brash, beautiful, raw, and often disturbing explorations of the human condition. |
