Virgin Snow (Korean+Japanese)
Friday, April 12, 2013
This is actually a nice movie with a good feel to it. An actually worth to watch kind of film. We may remember it even after finishing watching it. I enjoyed watching it anyway.
The thing about this film is that this gives you a two in one effect. The feel of Korean films and Japanese films are different. This film gives the good things of both in one packet. We are watching both Japanese Film and Korean film at the same time. I really like hearing both Korean and Japanese. But both these languages has their own special feel when we hear the sounds. In this film Virgin Snow, I can hear both the languages. So that is kind of a nice thing.
The Japanese title of this film is Hatsuyuki no koi, and the Korean title is Cheotu nun. Both these translate literally to English as Virgin Snow or 'The first snow'.(Japanese title translates to 'love of virgin snow', where as Korean title is just 'virgin snow').
The title indicates to the story, where Min and Nanae makes a promise to see the First Snow of the season together.
The simple romantic story is expressed in a nice way that it will be taken to heart at once. The actors are kind of really lovable too. Especially the actress. Her character is something that we will feel like taking to heart. Miyazaki Aoi, who plays Nanae is actually a nice actress. Plus her face radiates an innocence But I loved her more in the Japanese movie Heavenly Forest. I will write about Heavenly Forest too, after I finish this one, coz that is also a nice movie.Moreover the film looks too beautiful. The frames are like paintings. Especially the ones with the rain and the snow.
Story line : Min, a Korean boy comes to live in Japan with his father who is a potter. He doesn't know one word in Japanese, but he is happy that that will be an excuse by which he can slack off from studies.
On his venture out by himself, one day, soon after coming to Japan, he see a girl in a temple. She notices his wound from when he had fallen from his bicycle and nurses him. And also walks with him for a while and explain to him about 'omikkoji' (Japanese written fortune telling method). Min just hears the girl being called 'Nanae' by someone and learns her name.
Even after coming home, he can't get Nanae out of his mind. And he falls for this girl.
At school next day, he gets to know that Nanae is in his school as well. He is too happy.
He tries to befriend her, and soon they become a couple.
But one time, Min has to go back to Korea since his grandmother falls ill. When he returns Nanae is nowhere to be found...
Well the film ends as a happy ending though.... So don't fret for a sad ending.
I liked the way Min and Nanae communicates with their limited word powers, and even with the language barrier. Really liked the parts where they discover that the word for 'promise' is the same in both Korean and Japanese languages.
But the part that leaves a mark most in this film is the part where they both stand in rain, and Nanae says 'Aame' for rain in Japanese, and Min says 'Bhi' in Korean for it and teaches each other the word for rain; and after they are separated and when rains, Nanae says 'Bhi' looking at rain and Min says 'Aame' looking at rain. That is a point that stays in mind.
On the whole it is still a lovable film.
My Rating of this Movie : 9.5/10