For most of the film one may be left with an impression it is yet another “teen romance” movie with puppy love oozing ubiquitously over the screen.
Yes, there is a strong puerile streak to the film but it contains a message that the world today is not what it was yesterday. But is that message deep or somewhat transparent and shallow?
Seventeen-year-old Jin (Sim-Su-bin) lives in a small South Korean island fishing village with her parents and younger sister. It is a strong closely knit family and Jin is the perfect teen daughter.
Dujae (Kim Eo-jin) returns from Seoul to the village for the funeral of his grandmother where he reconnects with Jin not having seen her for five years. Dujae’s mother, Sunhee, has not been seen for years rumoured to have absconded with some of the villager’s money. Not from a strong family indeed.
You guessed it; a “romance” develops between Jin and Dujae with the romance solely in Jin’s mind. Jin gradually becomes “hot to trot” and a bit belligerent in her pursuit of Dujae. Clearly he is not interested. With her sexual interest steamed up tinged with jealously of a best friend “rival” her world is rapidly changing.
That is not the only facet of life in the village changing. There are now “foreigners” living in the village. South Korea is a changing. It’s a new world!
Even late grannies’ diary speaks of a time of arranged marriages with her husband never once saying he loved her. Love marriages are the norm in South Korea now. Granny was from a world before.
Jin’s love is not returned by Dujae and the poor girl is shattered but not before showing true compassion for poor Dujae whose embezzler mother, Sunhee, has suddenly reappeared in the village. Sunhee reminisces with her sister briefly about the good old days of their youth in a previous world.
There is nothing remarkable about the plot and the soundtrack is ruinously sugary. What shines is the performance of Sim-Su-bin displaying remarkable range of innocence, poutiness, jealousy, grief and bullying.
“The World Before” is directed by Yoon Dun-bi and premiered at September’s Toronto International Film Festival and most recently at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
RKS Korean Film Rating 61/100.
