#박하사탕

[inapat17]

Traditions in transition: cinematic perspectives on the modernization of post-war societies (4/4)

Before concluding this four-part series, I want to examine how Lee Chang-dong’s "Peppermint Candy" (1999) portrays post-war South Korea’s transition from a military dictatorship to democracy. The film not only encapsulates the essence of societal transformation but also serves as a poignant reminder of history's lasting impact on individual lives.

As usual, you can find my previous articles HERE. 

Part 3. Peppermint Candy (박하사탕, Lee Chang-dong, 1999)

Peppermint Candy's Trailer

Directed by Lee Chang-dong, an influential auteur of Korea’s New Wave of cinema, Peppermint Candy (1999) reflects on South Korea’s turbulent journey to democratization and modernity in the decades after the Korean War. Through its non-linear structure and powerful performances, Lee Chang-dong's film delves deep into themes of lost innocence, the impact of political and social change, and the haunting effects of guilt and regret. By revealing Yong-ho’s life in reverse, Lee Chang-dong juxtaposes personal memories with historical events, emphasizing the interplay between individual trauma and collective memory. In this way, he also effectively highlights how past experiences shape present identities. 

The film begins with the suicide of the protagonist, Kim Yong-ho, who throws himself in front of an oncoming train. This haunting act serves as the catalyst for a reflective journey into the events that led to his untimely death. We see him in the 1990s as a broken middle-aged man, jobless due to the economic crisis and struggling with the consequences of his actions. His relationships deteriorate, including his failed marriage. Further back, he is depicted as a corrupt police officer and a disillusioned soldier witnessing the violent suppression of the “Gwangju Uprising”, also known as the “Gwangju Democratization Movement”. A tragic and pivotal incident in South Korean history that took place from May 18 to 27, 1980. 

Peppermint Candy, Lee Chang-dong, 1999

Triggered by widespread discontent with the authoritarian regime of Chun Doo-Hwan, thousands of students and civilians in the city of Gwangju protested against martial law and demanded democratic reforms. The military’s brutal response led to the death of hundreds of protesters and left a deep scar on the national consciousness. To this day, the Gwangju uprising remains a significant historical event, reflecting the nation’s turbulent journey towards democratization and the enduring impact of state violence on collective memory. 

Peppermint Candy, Lee Chang-dong, 1999

Peppermint Candy critiques political oppression and the abuse of power by depicting this military and police brutality. Its protagonist, Kim Yong-ho, is profoundly affected by the 1980 events. In a heart-wrenching scene, he accidently kills a high school girl during the chaos of the uprising, a moment that haunts him throughout the film. The title “Peppermint Candy” serves as a powerful symbol of innocence and nostalgia, contrasting sharply with Yong-ho’s despair. Initially, we see him as an idealistic young man with dreams and aspirations. However, as he becomes embroiled in the corrupt and violent system, his innocence is gradually stripped away, leaving him a hollow shell of his former self. Ultimately, Lee Chang-dong paints a harrowing portrait of a man haunted by his actions and struggling to reconcile the past with the present. Yong-ho’s identity crisis mirrors the broader societal identity crisis during South Korea’s transition. 

Thank you for accompanying me on this journey. Your support has been truly invaluable.

Ruth Sarfati

[la-grenouilles-posts]

just some fancams of junhan who deserve more view~

[yaoi-life2021]

‼️NEW UPCOMING BL MANHWA ON <MR. BLUE>‼️

A new BL ManHwa will be release on Mr. Blue platform entitled <개와 새> by 박하사탕 (author) and 정각 (artist) this upcoming August 31st at 10PM KST/9PM PST!

📌 SAME ARTIST of the BL ManHwa <SUBSCRIBERS ONLY> and <먹이를 주세요!>

📌 This Manhwa was based on the NOVEL with the same title!

🧩 INTRODUCTION OF WORK🧩

Seo Kyuha (bottom) was born as a male omega after breaking the 0.1% probability. Since he grown up as a beta, he has no awareness that he became as an omega. As always, he hold on to his dog, Lee Chayoung (top), and enjoy as a one-night partners, but the place that shouldn't hurt the next day hurts?!

What did he do to him?

🔖 TAGS : #Omegaverse #Modern #FriendsToLovers #NovelOriginal #BattleDating #Misunderstanding_Delusional #Multiprocess #Attachment #Celebration #OmegaBottom #AlphaTop #Conglomerate #HandsomeMen #AgeGap #Pregnancy

📖 WHERE YOU CAN READ <개와 새> ? HERE! ⤵️

🌐 KOR (🇰🇷) ─ ManHwa (Webtoon) : https://m.mrblue.com/webtoon/detail/wt_000058633

🌐 KOR (🇰🇷) ─ Novel : https://ridibooks.com/books/3864000704

[marisol91]

「무대를 뜯었다…!」 잘생 좀비 최진혁이 부른 스윗한 박하사탕♡ 2020.09.05

[everyfilmisaw]

박하사탕 (peppermint candy) by Lee Chang-dong, 1999

[aljxnd]

토렌트아이씨유서로 친하게 지내던 사람과 다른 사람한테 연락하기 어려워.

토렌트아이씨유 (네이버 검색창에 ‘박하사탕’ 이라고 쳐보세요!) 토랜트는 오른쪽 마우스 클릭 후 다른이름으로 대상 저장 가능합니다!! [펌] 이 가을…가을맞이 오랜만에 찾은 시골마을에는 어느새 단풍이 아름답게 물들고 있었습니다… 그 가운데 가장 예쁜 색감의 잎들을 보여주는 것은 아마도 나무일 것입니다. 토렌트아이씨유 바로가기 링크: https://bit.ly/45a1MDq 그래서 저는 나무가 있는 곳을 좋아합니다….. * 그리고 제 마음도 그렇습니다… 늘 같은 자리에 있고 싶어하고 항상 새로운 것만을 보고 싶어하는 마음이 있습니다…. 언제부턴가 전처럼 쉽게 갈 수 없는 곳에 가게되면 그곳의 풍경과 사람들, 계절에 대한 그리움이 커집니다….. 하지만 그렇게 다녀온 곳에서도 또다시 찾고 싶은 곳이 있으니,…

[becrux00]

박하사탕（2000）

[somegirlsfromk]

YG (YOON DO-HYUN BAND -(Choi JUng-hoon's Night Park - SPECIAL ROCK!) 🎸🤟

Choi Jung-hoon reçoit le Yoon Do-hyun Band (Do-hyun étant le chanteur), qui va enflammer le studio.Inutile de vous dire que vous pouvez faire péter le son!! YB & YUNMIN “박하사탕” (Peppermint candy) “머리 아파” (My Head Hurts) YG & Choi Jung-hoon “담배가게 아가씨” (Tobaco shop girl) YG & Choi Jung-hoon “나는 나비” (Flying butterfly) BONUS: “머리 아파” (My Head Hurts) (FULLCAM et INTEGRAL) See you.

[qteepants]

Peppermint Candy (박하사탕), dir. Lee Chang-dong (1999)

[pierppasolini]

Peppermint Candy (1999) // dir. Lee Chang-dong

[shihlun]

Lee Chang-dong

- Peppermint Candy

1999

[msvhs]

Peppermint Candy (박하사탕), dir. Lee Chang-dong (1999)

[cheercut]

《薄荷糖》韓國男人文青活屍化的關鍵20年｜影評

  若要討論李滄東電影最具體的魔力，那麼提及《薄荷糖》박하사탕（2000）便成為必須。倒敘電影何其多，在諾蘭神作《記憶拼圖》（2002）問世之前《薄荷糖》就已經存在，電影中男主角薛耿求以變換不同氣場差異來演戲，全片身材雖沒有大變化，然而其面貌表情卻有著橫跨20年從純真如稚子到世故、到潦倒猙獰如鬼的截然不同階段狀態示現。20年前的電影，哪有什麼回春 CG 技術？從 1979 年到 1999 年的韓國男子故事，電影倒敘回放，可以做到真正時光倒流感的地步，足見李滄東的魔幻寫實功力不俗。 Continue reading

[shaijie]

FRAMING | 构图

Peppermint Candy / 박하사탕 | 1999 dir. Lee Chang-dong

[kdram-chjh]

최진혁 - 박하사탕 [불후의 명곡2 전설을 노래하다 / Immortal Songs 2] 20200905

[nikitasbt]

Peppermint Candy (박하사탕, Bakha Satang, 2000) by Lee Chang-dong

An established Korean novelist Lee Chang-dong came to the world of filmmaking quite late surprisingly shifting his career from writing plays and fiction. He released his debut film Green Fish in 1997 when he was 43 years old. This film has received wide acclaim and granted Lee Chang-dong a reputation of new influential Korean director. Peppermint Candy (2000) became the second feature-length film of Lee Chang-dong. A piercing tragedy in Peppermint Candy starts with the protagonist Yong-ho (portrayed by Sol Kyung-gu) committing suicide. The rest of the story is told in a reverse chronology disclosing the events of the character's past leading him to climb up the track and face the train in his suicide. The train track appears every time after new flashback of Yong-ho illustrating his way back in time. In his last moments of life, he couldn't stand it anymore. His traumatized mind was reluctant to deal with either present or future, as Yong-ho was now completely devastated. He gets a final release looking into the past as the train goes back in time, in order to revive the background of this emotional breakdown.

The story of Yong-ho is told in connection with two main characters of his life. Sun-im (Moon So-ri) is the first love of Yong-ho he met 30 years ago. They met during a college trip, and she gave him a peppermint candy he really liked. She symbolizes the character’s innocence and pure dreams of having a good future, becoming a photographer, loving a woman. Sun-im enters comatose in the first flashback prior to Yong-ho's suicide. Her last wish was to see him and to hand him a photo camera she has bought him many years ago. Encounter with Sun-im becomes the last drop in Yong-ho's breakdown. But in the other flashbacks, we see how their relationships developed, and how he has lost an emotional link with Sun-im and his innocence she symbolized.

The second character employed to depict the character's tragedy is his wife Hong-ja (Kim Yeon-jin). In flashbacks, we see their marriage not working, and he never used to love Hong-ja or care about her. A flashback shows the time they met when Yong-ho's personality was already corrupted. Many years back he was pulling Hong-ja in front of loving Sun-im just to show the first love he has changed, and there is no way to be together. He marries Hong-ja just for the sake of marrying someone. It comes as no surprise, he ruins the life of Hong-ja traumatizing Sun-im earlier and himself.

Flashbacks connect the tragedy and breakdown of Yong-ho with political events and social problems of South Korea. He's got drafted to the army in 1980 to perform mandatory military services for several years. Before that, he was just a teenager who had no intent to fight. He met Sun-im, and they fell in love. She's been sending him the peppermint candies to the military parts for months while he was dreaming to reunite with his love. However, it was just a dream. The army appeared to be very cruel, and Yong-ho was treated awfully there. Moreover, his unit was sent to quell The Gwangju Uprising in 1980. This day resulted in massacre and Yong-ho accidentally shot the innocent young girl dead. The country and military service have traumatized him this day giving a strat to the destruction of his personality.

Later, we see Yong-ho becoming a police officer. He has a short temper, we see his personality becoming more violent as he tortures the student in the police office. He is not able to get over that day he killed a girl, and now he plots revenge to the world with his cruel methods of work. As time goes by, he becomes even more violent. He refuses to be kind and loving with Sun-im when they meet. Later, he would make one shy attempt to reunite with her, but it won't work. The next time he meets her is the time a few days prior to his own death. He brings peppermint candies to the hospital and talks to Sun-im who is unconscious in a coma. Few hours later, in anger, he sells the camera she left him. She has bought this camera many years ago knowing he wanted to be a photographer, but he refused to take it. Now he destroys from this camera the tape as he wants to have no memories of the past. He cannot get back his innocence as he can't be with Sun-im anymore. The photo camera, peppermint candies and train appear as the symbols of the protagonist's past several times. These symbols are very simple, as well as the whole story. Yet this clarity doesn't make it boring. The director shows this tragedy in a very simple way, but the film is very thought-provoking and deep. Lee Chang-dong demonstrates in this film both social issues of his country and violent political events of the Korean history. We see how dangerous and harmful these things could be on an example of Yong-ho. The breakdown has started when he simply went to the army, but then he would kill a girl, loose his love, torture people, destroy the life of his wife, scammed by the business partner. In the end of this tragedy, he would have nothing left but the memories of the photo camera and peppermint candy. The traumatic events of his past embed the character in the present he is not able to deal with.

Peppermint Candy is certainly a really good and emotionally charged story. Lee Chang-dong created another masterpiece matching the level of his Green Fish. Peppermint Candy was well received both in South Korea and the western world winning quite a few international rewards at different film festivals.