Program Note
As a counterbalance to his self-righteously violent characters with anti-social images, Choi Min Sik sought alternatives to the destructive aspect of the outlaw hero’s narcissistic claims. Springtime is a prime example of this. In the film, Choi Min Sik portrays a gentle and patient man, making efforts to diversify his roles. With its intertwined melodramatic structure, the film weaves the clumsy love life of Hyun-woo, a washed-up trumpet player, into two storylines: one is a romance with his long-time lover, Yeon-hee, and the other is a maternal melodrama with his mother. While the former envelops the broader context of the story, the latter serves as a tributary that supports and enriches the narrative. One scene that lingers in mind is when pent-up emotions explode, in which Hyun-woo, who becomes a band instructor at a mining village school, calls his mother in Seoul and expresses his desire to start anew. The vulnerability of a proud man is revealed when his phone call with his mother, which begins as a simple greeting, gradually turns into a tearful and choked voice. (JANG Byungwon)