Past Lives: Writing With Unbiased Empathy
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2023
- Past Lives is one of the best films of the year. I was thoroughly impressed by its charitability towards the characters, particularly Arthur played by John Magaro. Also, I recognize that calling it a "romance" film might be a bit reductive all things considered.
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Thanks for watching! There's no way Greta and Teo aren't nominated for this movie right?
There's a chance for Greta only.
the oscars are weird and messed up, but this movie is oscar worthy
well
@classicality4747 😭
It was released in February, too far from award season.. and heavy competition it has to face this year.
Arthur handled everything perfectly, depiction of an emotionally mature person.
A CUCK?
@@urstube6901the other guy didn’t sleep with her so he’s not a cuck…he left it up to her to make the decision and not get overly jealous, that is maturity.
Exactly. He's the most decent character in the film.
@@LoXHumaNI Mean Theye literally flirt on front of Arthur the way of looking the touching The tone of voice that she want to go with the Korea guy but she stuck with Arthur who look very miserable
..,.
...
@@MohammedDjaidGeez, people like you that make me believe that media literacy is dead for most.
I really like that she burst into tears at the end! she's content in her life but I saw it as a release of the tension that had been building for the last however many years. maybe she didn't realise how much it weighed on her until it was gone
Also Nora said that when she cried when she was young, Hae Sung would just stare at her. When she moved to Canada, she cried but stopped because no one cared. In the end, she cried and Arthur was there for her.
@@konghere Great point there
@konghere this comment made me cry 😅
That's exatly how I saw it! She cried because of the life she could have had but she didn't want. She cried because she had to break his heart. But she was not crying because he left or because she regrets her life. I had a friend who even thought that Nora was cheating... and I was like.... huh????
@thefinaloscar9623 Infidelity? I don't think so. Nora acted exactly the way you would seeing an old friend. I did not read her as being flirty at all. That might be how Hae Sung sees it, but Nora was just having fun catching up to an old friend, at least to me.
I was dumbfounded to learn that most of the people I knew who saw this movie.... were rooting for Nora to cheat and for her to end up with Hae Sung. I thought I was going insane. It really shows the kind of brainrot that most people expect from romance movies when a happy, stable relationship is seen as not good enough, and it just has to be this great love between childhood friends, who, let's just remember-- never actualy went out. They had childhood crushes and the distance and time away made Hae Sung build it up into something more, when Nora clearly has assimilated into a different life altogether.
Exactly. Our culture has been programmed to pursue romanticism to an illogical degree and to value grand gestures and conflicted affairs instead of steadfast, constant, humble and genuine love. As a happily married man blessed with a daughter as great as his wife, I was saddened to see so many people wish for this fictional woman to cheat on her caring husband.
Yeah it felt weird to me I didn't even feel like her and Hae Sung had much chemistry
FR i watched this w some friends and i was the only one who empathized with him in the end cause i lowkey hated him but literally most of my friends said they still hated him lmfaooo
Exactly my thought. The whole time all I felt for Nora was the contempt for not valuing such a wonderful husband whom she's spent her lifetime building a meaningful relationship with and also whom she has the audacity to make sit by and watch her flirt with another man. Utterly disgraceful.
@@truongphan9082 Typical comment from those who are not naive, from those who did not understand the movie at all
The film is not a moral story She is not there to judge people, Nora could or can choose any path, just like her husband
They are all genuine human feelings, there is no right or wrong, staying or not is not the right thing to do, it is just a choice,
If she separated she would gain something and lose something else, and vice versa
The film is not a lecture, it is a question where all feelings are valid
"We don't hate him"
Why the hell would we hate him? He ain't done anything wrong. He's an angel. Imagine being in his position... He's sympathetic and understanding. Most wouldn't be.
Yah that's the point
Agree! I felt so conflicted watching the film cause I felt so bad for him, even if they did not do “anything” it was an emotional affair, and that was hurting him too, as it should. I guess it happens in most relationships, but it must really hurt being on the other side of it.
duh?! lmao
He is truly a strong person... Idk if i would be that empathetic 😂 truly a great character
I felt bad for him throughout the film. Celine Song seems like someone who thinks she knows what an emotionally mature man is but she really just wrote an emotionally aware man who struggles to set boundaries and Nora just pushed him around. It’s not really romantic at all and I felt terrible for him after the movie ended. It probably would’ve been better if she just left him for the other guy.
It pains me that the actor who played Arthur hasn’t received more attention. He was incredible. The emotion he was able to convey without saying anything felt so pure and poignant. He deserved all the awards and his character and performance truly elevated the film
Spot on. All three actors in this film were outstanding, and John Magara had, arguably, the toughest role to pull off, and he nailed it. I loved everything he did with this character.
John's been in a bunch of cool stuff, my favorite of his work are his roles in Kelly Reichardt's films. He is a tremendous screen presence.
You can't help but eye on Arthur as Nora and Hae Sung interact with each other.
Making Arthur like this adds more tension to story because in romantic stories , audiences unconsciously look themselves in the protagonist but in this movie many people relate with Arthur too .His character is pivotal to make a point that how being stuck in past is not something romantic or need to be glorified rather it's just a trap ..one need to let it go in order to live their lives
And I also think that in Hae Sung, one is reminded of the cost of reaching the future, i.e Nora entering a relationship/marriage partly because of pragmatic reasons. I’m not trying to imply that one is better than the other. Arthur and Hae Sung sort of balance each other and, in my opinion, externalize the struggles of Nora, the young ambitious immigrant woman making her way through life
What?? No there was no tension at all. This movie is completely ever rated. It’s a bizarre love story and love triangle except the woman doesn’t care about the guys
We know exactly how Arthur is feeling without the 'angry outburst leads to a fight' trope.
What impressed me mostly was in the part where the 3 of them go out to dinner. You could see Arthur’s feeling of disconnect and alienation through the amazing placement of shots and staging in the scene.
Another example for this is when at a point the shots only move between hae sung and nora having their conversation in Korean. While the dialogue between them is pure and soulful, I constantly had this worry about Arthur and him being sort of neglected showing how much we’ve began to care about Arthur as a person.
This movie excelled in writing extremely matured and grounded characters since they could’ve ended by making Arthur an unlikable character and portray hae sung almost as if he’s a savior but no. The writers made the characters very emotionally mature with how they react and come to terms with their situations which needs a lot of appreciation …
Probably because there needed to be a sense reality that couples who've never seen one another are never going to get back together, as one or the other has moved on. But also to reassure that Nora will be alright without Hae Sung. As most romantic or family drama movies usually see the lead couple getting back together despite being either divorced or haven't seen one another for years, therefore needing to make the new boyfriend/girlfriend a villain to say that the couple was meant for each other all along.
This made me relate to my own sad love story. I met once in university a guy I really liked from the first instant. We both were dating someone else so nothing happened. Years later we met again doing our masters in a different country, Sweden, this time both single. We started a romance and I had never loved and been in love as with him. But I couldnt find a job after two years there when the masters ended, and I really didnt see myself giving up on my family and friends back home. He broke up with me because he liked his job there and didnt mind being an inmigrant, but knew I wasnt feeling the same. The breakup was devastating. We met again by chance on a trip a year later and we confesed we still missed each other, and he told me he was having second thoughts about staying in Sweden. We started a long distance relationship and he started looking for jobs back home, but he changed his mind and he broke up again with me. Ten years later, I still dream once in a while he decides to come back. Last time I was travelling to Sweden I contacted him to meet again, but I cancelled the plans because it was too painful to see him again and maybe repeat the cycle.
sad to hear your story..life is not always perfect and you need to make sacrifices for your partner, your bf at that time did not want to move back and you did not want to leave your family and friends, if both parties do not want to sacrifices then it there relation will not wok.
like in this movie, the guy did not move to new york and leave his career, while the girl didn't want to leave new york and her career, so they broke up
This should be a movie
@@BL4K_B4BIES get the funding i will direct the movie
"unbiased empathy" is a great way to describe this movie. I empathized with literally every single character -- it's not easy for a film to do that!
Right?! I never expected to like all three characters as much as I did. What a spectacular, truly special film.
so real
It is actually insane to me that these videos get so little views but have such high production value
Thanks. Hopefully the all powerful algorithm will bless me 🙏
for sure
Yeah I'm watching it while pooping
Do they have high production value? It's just edited clips and voice over. Not saying it's not great, it is but anyone can produce this at home with a mic and any software.
Nora is such a beautifully written character. She knows what she wants and has, and isnt ever tempted to lose it.
She merely chooses to grieve and seeks the closure she needed for 20 years. She basks in the moment of seeing him again, but does not feel like shes tempted to throw it all away.
They very much would not have worked out in a relationship. Hes an idealist and she's a realist. Neither of them are wrong but their romance specifically is just a 'what it could've been' sort of scenario and like they mentioned the multiple possibilities they could've been a couple who cheated on each other.
And don't dare get me started on Arthur. That man is an absolute fucking angel and welcomed her childhood sweetheart with open arms and kindness. That man was the definition of big dick energy and didn't at all get in the way and gave her the full opportunity to prove that she 'chooses him'.
This is one of the single greatest movies I've ever seen.
Yeah, I too was impressed with the writing of the character "Arthur". It would have been easy AND lazy to make him someone the audience dislikes, as is done in most films involving a love triangle. That always makes me question the intelligence of the main object of desire. Why would she be with someone we, the audience, dislike? This film is far more realistic. Love is strange and unpredictable - a mix of great joy and sadness.
We are not allowed to hate him, he literally calls the viewer out by laughing at the fact that in a story, he would be the villain getting in the way of true love. I realized I was definitely adopting that view and immediately after being called out, Arthur offers an incredible amount of vulnerability in regards to his own fears and compassion and acceptance for Nora. Each of these characters is so dependable for me as a viewer and I really appreciated that
I didn't realise that the two male leads hadn't met each other until that scene - that's brilliant info and explains why that moment was so special. I haven't seen another film like this - so much clarity and space in it, yet also an emotional build up which is finally released at the end. It wrecked me, and it'll stay in the mind for a very long time, like the very best films do.
the ‘don’t meet each other until we shoot the scene’ stuff reminds me of Tom Hanks - Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips). they did the same trick
Past Lives did a great job of exploring how change, immigration, life affects you. And the New York meeting provided a catalyst for Nora to learn more about herself, Hae Sung to learn more about himself, and Nora and Arthur to learn more about each other.
I didn’t realize how poorly men have been depicted in recent films until I saw how beautifully they were written in Past Lives.
I couldn't help but to cry at the last 50 or so mins of the film, especially when Arthur interacted with the other characters. Every minute felt very vulnerable and raw and it just tugs at the heart so hard. Doesn't help that the cinematography was so beautiful as well :')
Same here. I sobbed ... and once the flood gates were opened, the tears never stopped. Same thing happened in "All of Us Strangers," two films I saw within days of each other which wiped me out emotionally. And then I watched "NYAD" last night, and had another good cry. LOL What a great year for films.
This dude for me was subjectively the most perfect portrayal of an emotionally mature person. You could visibly tell throughout the movie that he disliked Nora being with Hae Sung from his facial expressions -- in the scene before they went to bed, in the bar, and after Nora came back from her first meeting with Hae Sung; Despite this, he still let her do what she wanted because he knows how much of an impact Hae Sung has made on Nora's life and how much unreleased tension she had about her past relationship with Hae Sung (even though she probably didn't even realize it herself). Great underrated character.
No he wasn’t. A real emotionally intelligent man knows when to set boundaries. You think it was emotionally mature to let his wife turn his back to her and have an hours long conversation with her past love in a different language while he just sat there and moped?
@@bunvag no, you're right. He could've said no to his wife and it would've been a reasonable response. But that's exactly why he's a better man than us. He let his wife talk to him because he wanted her to get closure. She didn't even realize she needed closure till the very end of the film and she started bawling. At the very end, it was still Arthur whom she chose.
@@felmonmadronio6730 Arthur was a very sweet and loving character yes, but (and I say this very objectively) he let Nora walk all over him throughout the movie. It’s not ok to let your partner have an emotional affair, that is not being secure within yourself. That is letting your partner take advantage of you. Watch the movie again and imagine if Nora and Arthur switched positions and he was the one hanging out with his old flame and expecting his wife to be chill about it. People would hate this movie. And for good reason because Nora was extremely selfish in this movie. Can you imagine spilling your heart out to your partner and they give you the blankest face and say “this is where I ended up, this is where my life took me.” Wow, what a romantic. Love it when my wife settles for me. Even at the end when she “chooses” him, she’s bawling in HIS arms, while HE tells her it’s ok. She does not hug back, she doesn’t kiss him, or give him any words of affirmation. She doesn’t seem happy to choose him. She just cries as he helps her back into his apartment, how am I to interpret that other than she settled for the life she already had?
@@bunvag That's the point of the movie. She SETTLED for him and he knows it deep down. Despite that, she still CHOSE him. The two can coexist because that's what happens to most people in real life. We're not always going to get what we truly want because that's just how life is; whether it's unrequited love, long distance relationships, different ambitions in life, etc. In a perfect world, yes, Nora and Hae Sung would probably be together, but both of them know that it's not going to work out because their lives just went on such different trajectories. Arthur may not be the person she wants, but he's the one she (subjectively) deserves.
@@felmonmadronio6730 I’m sorry but I disagree that she deserves Arthur. The fact that she’s choosing him out of guilt or convenience does not make her a hero. It makes her selfish. I choose my wife because I love her undoubtedly and don’t want to be with anyone else. My wife hopefully chooses me for the same reasons and is not having mental tabs open for anyone else. That’s not love, that’s bondage. And then it makes me ask, who is this movie made for? Selfish people? People who aren’t happy but staying out of convenience? I just don’t understand the hype of this movie.
I am not going to deny the strangeness I felt when identifying with Arthur, when normally one understands the protagonist. This phrase of his killed me in the cine:
"You have been transcendental in my life... I wondered if I am the same for you."
The way he is written. He is really anperfect husband. He clearly dislikes the guy, supports his wife and supports her when she cries at the end. He is so Supportive but also worried he might be left alone at the end of the movie.
When she started crying i burst into tears aswell. This is one of my favourite movies this year.
I wouldn't say he dislikes Hae Sung thats a pretty poor way of looking at the film lol
He does not dislike him
Wouldn’t say he disliked Hae Sung, more like he was cautiously curious about the man his wife once knew and, if her life hadn’t turned out the way it had, might’ve been with for at least some period of time, considering how their “break from each other” video call had weighed so heavily on both of them back when. And Hae Sung wasn’t even with them for so long for the man to assess everything of him. They had about two proper conversations (iirc), the first of which was introductory, and the second being “You seem like a good guy. I can see you both still have some chemistry,” to which Hae Sung basically cleared any doubts that could’ve developed with “But you two have the In-Yun, like we two do right now.” and with a warm smile at that.
He liked Hae Sung so much, even more than himself as an ideal character/romance for his wife, that's why he was sad by this whole situation.
@@sebaba001 He never saw him as a threat frankly because he wasn't. This film weirded me out the way it wanted to be a love triangle, but the romance between Hae Sung and Na Young was clearly one sided. They were close, but it was never a clear two way romantic/passionate relationship, so the movie came off as trying to pretend there were high stakes when there really weren't any.
It's so interesting that the majority of people I've spoken too talk about crying at the end scene, and don't get me wrong I did too but the one scene that always gets me is the scene in the bedroom where Arthur tells Nora that she makes his life so much bigger, something about that line just devastated me in a way I still can't explain.
As someone married to a wonderful person, I can understand the feelings of Arthur. My wife makes my life so much bigger with joy and adventure. I hope that I can do the same.
SAME, that was the heaviest scene for me
I had chills when Arthur and Hae Sung met for the first time. It's fascinating that the scene was the first time the actors ever met.
I thought Arthur was the glue that held this beautiful story together. He's a beautifully written character, and John Magaro does a fantastic job in this supporting role. What a spectacular film. I sobbed such cathartic tears that were building up all film.
How can we hate Arthur? We love em'.
Such an amazing analysis for one of my favourite drama/romance movies!! I’m so glad you were able to make Arthur the focal point for this video. I found his intertwined empathy and human insecurity to be so thoughtful and relatable. Great work
Thank You!
It's the best film of the year, and worthy of all the screenplay awards out there. It's an incredibly grounded and mature story, beautifully melancholic and cathartic.
Nora had to leave Hae Sung when she was a child, and again chose to disconnect after 12 years because that would be too much sacrifice for both considering their lives. So she disappointed him again. I understand why they met again another 12 years, but reality is different from love stories in books. This story is very realistic, unsatisfactory, and a lot of conflicted feelings.
I feel we don't Arthur because he says things outloud which we, as viewers are thinking. He does says he might be villain between two child hood lovers. His insecurity is just enough to Make Nora realise Arthur is too good of a man and she cannot, at any cost break his heart. Nora also does a good job of reassuring Arthur she isn't gonna go with Hae sung no matter what. Im still not sure what Nora feels, why she agreed to meet Hae sung in New York, knowing clearly he's stuck up on her. I believe it's because she wanted Hae sung to face the reality that Nora isn't her "In yun". He also says that "She is the kind of person who leaves" in his case and is "In yun" for Arthur. But if that's the case it's a bit harsh, maybe bittersweet at best. Well anyway, Hae sung may have had the longest flight (not literally) of his life ,knowing she isn't his inyun
Director said it herself that hae sung was happy after getting closure, not stuck up, he just came to say goodbye to the friend one last time.
Nora crying was her goodbye to the 12 year old her she thought she left behind but really didn't.
This movie really made me think of my story with my ex from South Korea. Back in March last year I had to leave Korea after 4 years and half (and unable to come back for next 5 years) because of a mistake I made. She came with me to the airport. On the line where they check your passport before the security check you aren't allowed to walk with people who don't take the plane so I entered the double-sided queue but I could still see her behind me when turning around. Deeper in the queue she went to the other side so I could see her in the distance without having to turn my head. I arrived at the passport check and after it was checked I waived at her one last time. That was the last time I saw her. Tears came up to my eyes as I entered the other queue for security. I still feel pain to this day but I'm healing. She is getting married this year she told me.
I was the one who went to see the movie and found the relationships in the movie very touching. Each character has their own extremely simple and honest stories. Nora and Hae Sung represent the end of "Past lives", she has completely ended her past worries and found peace in her present life. And with Arthur, we also see a husband who is extremely open and loves his wife. He listened to her and understood her deeply, which then served as a stepping stone to help the film settle down and become more realistic through his concerns. "Everything will fade away" is what describes Hae Sung, now that he has realized that time never waits for anyone. And his relationship with Nora only existed when she was still Na young. He got in the car and returned to his hometown to continue living the life he had chosen. Through a very meaningful film about growing up and how adults face their lives, there are still people who think they will hate one of the characters here, like wtf! how? . Why don't you learn about interesting things in this world and keep looking for nonsense and meaningless things?
Arthur was my favorite character in the film. He's so open and vulnerable. I loved how they depicted the relationship between the two. When they're in the bathroom, getting ready for bed, he pours two cups of water, one for himself, and then one for her, and we only see her pick it up towards the end of that scene, when he's already gone to bed. It was such a mundane detail, but I felt it really demoed how supportive he was.
Arthur is one of my favourite movie characters of all time. He is such a mature man, and didn't at all get in the way and let the chips fall where they may.
He sort of gave his wife a chance to prove that he's her one and only
Thanks for the video! Continue to do more
I held back the tears several times as I watched Past Lives. But by that ending, the dam broke and I was finished. Great films can do that and you’re grateful when they do.
I couldn't explain why this film stuck with me the way it did. Now I can. Such a fantastic and concise breakdown of what makes Past Lives so special. Fantastic work!
To me , her relationship with Hae is mostly her relationship with her past self, childhood and country of origin. She integrates that, accepts what she lost after moving and growing up, lets go of an ideal love story. It's a story of loss and acceptance.
Omg I’m so happy to see an analysis appreciating this film! The quality of its story and cinematography really surprised me when watching it, and I really got super attached to Arthur, Nora, and Hae Sung. It was so relieving to see just emotional bonding and deep characterization rather than dramatic love triangles and misunderstandings. The idea of In-Yun was so heartfelt and romantic, she and Hae Sung really were just a few layers of In-Yun apart (although their relationship in her current life is more about tying loose ends). It’s heartwrenching to see her crying after facing an alternate future she can’t have, but heartwarming seeing that she still has love and a home to go back to and a future to pursue for her current life. And Arthur’s definitely my favorite character for handling this painful situation so well despite his understandable insecurities.
Past Lives is the first film that really drew me in with the chill, personal atmosphere and beautiful, meaningful shots (although I’m not a very avid movie watcher so my opinion on that probably means less lol, maybe I’ll recommend it to my film nerd friends)
So glad I found your channel - this was a thoughtful and complex exploration of a thoughtful, complex movie. You added some info I did not know about the behind the scenes that has made me like this movie even more.
This is my first video of yours I have watched. Wow! You nailed it. This video is beautifully edited and at the same time so insightful. Thank you.
Excellent analysis and video. Thank you for making it! All the best in 2024!
This was a really good analysis. Great video!
Great video! one of my favorite films of the year.
Just watched 5 video essays/reviews on this movie. Yours was the best
oh man. this chanel is so incredible! loved your video and I think you said everything I was thinking. Thank you!! :)
Just watched past lives, what an amazing video talking about that movie, thank you!!
I love this analysis! My favourite part of this film is how it captures the raw emotions of the 2 sides of Nora battling out their very strong connections to Hae Sung/Arthur - this video shows how they did such an amazing job with Arthur where it allows this battle to actually be felt by us as the audience. This is one of the best films I've seen in a while
love the film and the video - subscribed! we will watch your career with great interest
It's a precious movie for all the reasons you cite. Although the movie is methodical and understated, it packs a surprising emotional punch at the climax that frankly astonished me. Nice review!
This is such a good video! You clarify so many things I felt watching this, by putting them in a concise manner. Like yes exactly, the reason this feels fresh is because Song took care to not antagonize Arthur by showing that one little etended scene, she drived her desired conflict home. Really hope this video gets more views. Subcribed for more!
I love this analysis!!
Love your analysis!
It's a beautiful film that has so much depth and emotion. It brought up past memories for me and made me cry after I saw it.
It's unbelievable as to how few good American films there are these days, but this one was absolutely brilliant.
Thanks for helping me feel this movie more deeply :’)
As a white dude, and one who has a weakness for identifying with the "other guy" in love triangle movies, I was afraid I'd over-identify with Arthur, but they do a great job of centering Nora, but still seeing clearly the two guys, so we can empathize with all three. The scene in the bar at the end is nearly perfect, with us feeling empathy for all three in a fluid way.
An excellent review. Makes me want to watch it more. God, the cinematography is so gorgeous, too.
What an insightful analysis. Thank you for sharing this. This film really resonated with me on so many levels. Even now, watching these clips, I'm crying again. I can't recall a film in recent history that has had this deep of an effect on me. And I think precisely because of the way Arthur's character is written and portrayed I was able to fully enjoy this film. I'd like to think that I'd react the same way if my husband told me he was back in touch with a close friend of his from his childhood. The character of Arthur is a cinematic role model for someone who loves his mate so much he would never deny her the ability to see through a relationship that had pre-dated him. He's really quite a remarkable, likeable character, which, as you say, isn't what you'd expect in a unique love triangle like this.
This video deserves so much more views!!!!
Your videos are brilliantly scripted and smoothly edited, I’m enjoying them quite a bit.
Commenting so the algorithm picks your video up
I thought i would dislike Arthur because that's what normally happens. Childhood sweethearts reuniting and the third person standing between them, the usual drama. But this movie was totally different. Arthur is the one that made this movie this interesting. He is likeable, a good husband and i could totally see myself in him. John Magaro's minute expressions and mannerisms gave the character so much life
Merci pour ce point de vue. Lanecdote de la premiere rencontre entre les deux hommes explique tellement de choses !!!
Key insights
💔 Great romance films are often oversaturated with fictitious and unrealistic depictions of relationships, but Past Lives stands out as emotionally honest and raw in its portrayal of human connection.
💔 The complexities of love and relationships can lead to difficult decisions and unexpected outcomes.
🎬 The film's grounded protagonist with ambition and clear desires makes her decisions impactful, showing that leaving something behind can also lead to gaining something.
🎭 Song's approach to storytelling in the film "Past Lives" provides a human connection that doesn't infantilize or antagonize the characters, creating a candid authenticity.
Brilliant review !
Thank you for this. My heart was with Arthur throughout this film. He had to be scared spitless, yet he held it together. I wonder if Celine's husband (in real life) had that same composure?
I never hated the husband once. He was very mature and handled that really well. 95% of men wouldn't have been able to do what he did. I was routing fro the husband and her to be together but also I wanted the old friends to be happy while seeing each other and find closer. And I think in the end they did
As an immigrant myself who left everything behind for new life, this movie hits hard. It made me question every decision I ever made and gave me answers too. This is a once in a decade kind of film making
I feel like this movie was very Korean in a way in that the characters are not black and white, as they often are in American films, but subtly nuanced in a very realistic way like I’ve often seen in some of the better Korean films. I loved how Arthur accepted Nora’s feelings for Hae Sung. It’s a very contemporary film in that way. I think many of us could relate to this story. I know I did.
🙄 What a ridiculous comment. American cinema long pioneered amoral protagonists and endearing antagonists before Korean cinema has even been established. Tell me you only watch modern mainstream western blockbusters without telling me.
@@ManSeekingMeaningDid I say “always are in American films?” No, I said “often are in American films” which is clearly the case as they often are. I’ll give you that in indie films characters are often a lot more nuanced than in mainstream films and in spite of your snide and condescending comment I’ll ask you to please enlighten me with some examples.
@@ManSeekingMeaning Let's not pretend that the vast majority of American films nowadays isn't complete tell & show crap trying very hard to create a bad guy to give him his karma right away, only because there are a few really good directors. Picking an average korean film vs american I'd rather watch the k one, honestly overall they seem to be a bit ahead for now, of course every country has really good artists sparsely.
Past Lives is an American film
@@grrtt9113it’s probably more of a joint Korean/American film.
Great analysis video. Wish you blow up soon.
I watched it last night, and Boy I cried with the character of Arthur!!!! it's so well-acted! When he talks about how much she improved his life and wants him to be as important as she is in return! I hope the best for this film at the Oscars!
Commenting for the algorithm. Great essay!
The very presumption that anyone would hate Arthur - the most considerate, rational, kindhearted, understanding, and genuinely emotionally-mature adult in this problematic film- is beyond ludicrous and more an indictment of the validation for poor, immature behaviors certain audiences of this film seem to be responding positively to. If anything, it's indicative of the selfish, self-deluded, aimlessly-seeking-purpose meander that is 'Past Lives' - and that modern love and dating have begun to allow in the casual, disposable ways we treat genuine commitment.
In a movie as woefully thin on ethics and even thinner on storytelling, John Magaro's performance as Arthur is perhaps the only example of sincerity in the entire piece. In some respects, he's probably also the only character (and performance) that express actual unconditional love. The fact he's so disrespected and discarded the entire time, and just takes it because he truly, unconditionally loves his wife and wants her to be happy- and few audience or critic accounts even notice or mention this? Truly the most alarming part of it all.
I’m generally not into movies, moreso into tv, but this one really touched me
I love how Arthur wrote a book simply called... "Boner". I wanna read that book.
i watched this video assuming you had what, 100k followers? only to check and see you don’t even have 1k! you are so unbelievably underrated.
Just finished the movie and stumbled upon your channel. Loved the analysis, subscribing!!!
Idk if you'll read it or not but Hey, I've read your comments on some thread and absolutely loved how you expressed words that's hidden in most of us. If you have insta or FB page, I'd love to give you a follow.
@@himesh5869 Oh hi, that's so sweet, glad you liked my "analysis" hahaha. Thank you! About the page, i have nothing of the sort, im sorry. I just pour my thoughts on comments sometimes because some people make me riled up lol.
@@himesh5869 Btw you just made me check out that thread again and just as i suspected that Django guy went completely mask off with another person after the initial veneer of a "civil" argument with me. Oh and you also reminded me that i had another response to a person that commented the "if the genders where reversed" type of thing but for no apparent reason youtube wouldn't let me post it at the time so i gave up. In honor of your reply here, I'll try to post it again ^^
Edit: It's not going through and i can't figure out what words yt is not happy about lol
@@grmgt appologies to be selfish but I'm glad someone riled you and we got to see our hidden emotion in words by someone. But yeah, I'd have appreciated if I could read more of your works, unfortunately you don't have page. Maybe, someday you make your mind in future we could reminisce these comments as past lives . But yeah, I insist you write reviews in imdb atleast. They're gold.
@@himesh5869 Oh, thanks again, you are too sweet 😊. That's such a nice incentive, i mean i kinda review lots of things i watch since i enjoy analyzing my feelings on a piece of media, but i mostly keep the notes to myself. I can't promise anything but i do have a good memory so if i create like Letterboxd acc, I'll be sure to comeback here and let you know. Thank you again for the kind words. Hope you have a great day ❤️
the first thing I said to my husband when the credits appeared was "I just love that everyone in this movie is awesome and there's no villain, her mother is amazing, her husband, hae sung they are all amazing people." just love this.
Maybe the beauty youre seeing in Past Lives isnt because of them being amazing people, but because of them being people making terrible choices
She doesn't moralize her character and she doesn't shy away from reality. Best word to describe
Beautiful.
The writing and visual storytelling made this one of my top ten movies of 2023.
truly magnificent film by Celine Song!
describing the movie as voyeuristic and like a documentary is so accurate, i think the reason i cried so much at the end is i just felt like i really watched these very real people just go through such a beautiful yet emotionally devastating relationship. i think the “maybe this is the past life” at the end too from hae sung and then nora running and crying into arthur’s arms, overwhelmed by it all but knowing he completely had her back and understood her and loved her was just the rawest way to convey everything in the movie. in one final punch. so disappointed it didn’t win best original screenplay (although anatomy of a fall was incredible too and i think if it went to anything else it should have been that)
This movie is an institution. It reminded me of before sunset movie ❤
Thank you for this analysis! It’s given me an even deeper appreciation for this film I love so much. The way we connect with these characters and become invested in them yet remain detached in a sense and don’t end up rooting for one outcome or the other, it’s so impressive. It’s an emotionally affecting film and simultaneously calming and beautiful and you just want to stay in it and revisit it.
My issue with the husband is that he does not want to sell me his strongest potions
The potion seller husband plays to many games fr, i just want his strongest potions.
Fuck Arthur. Nah, jk, he's all right. That's how I was feeling watching Past Lives.
Indie movies are becoming the best movies of the current era because they explore the human condition, which is existential in nature and the very reason why people assimilate with them, rather than a 200 million dollars superhero movie depicting a superhero who never exists in reality
This movie does such an amazing job at presenting a grounded childhood romance story while talking about the immigrant experience. I haven’t personally connected with film like this in a while…what an incredible film. 👏
This is probably the most beautiful romance movie I have watched, everything about it is just flawless.
Before looking at your subscriber count, I honestly thought you had over 300K subscribers. The video quality and editing are excellent. You definitely deserve more subscribers and views. Keep up the fantastic work and great review!
My favourite character in the movie tbh.
Why don't we hate Arthur? Because Arthur is a good person. I know, mindblowing
Arthur was my favourite character!~
It’s very similar to one of my other favorite films, Brief Encounter. We’re totally caught up in the fling between Celia Johnson & Trevor Howard, but when she goes back to her husband at the end, we realize: he’s actually a good guy!
This film remids me of Hi Bye Mama. Even tho it's an unrealistic drama bit the ending was very realistic, they can't be together again because of faith
The algorithm is messing with you. banger after banger
i felt really sad for Arthur at Bar scene, while i was crying also for Nora and Hae sung destiny, it was so confusing but refreshing to actually like the third part of the triangle
I loved the scene at the bar. Without Arthur there would have been this will they won't they kiss tension but having him there takes that away allowing them to just have a really honest conversation with one another.
How Arthur was written is the reason I 1) want A24 to release the hardbound screenplay book and 2) this screenplay to win the Oscar. It was an absolute masterclass because I was just thinking about Arthur at the end and cried even harder when I thought about how wonderful of a person he was. What a freaking movie man.
Ha i am also leaving comment so your video gets algo. Thabk you for thoughtful analysis!