Spring Waltz

Have you ever seen a movie that was so beautiful that you watched it so eagerly, so excited to see the ending but when it finally comes to an end you become so sad? Not because you did not like the ending but because you became so much part of it that it's just so hard to let go and go back to reality. It's been such a long time since i felt this way for a movie. Just over the weekend, i watched and totally fell in love with the 20-hour koreanovela "Spring Waltz". The film is a bittersweet love story about two childhood friends in a small island in Korea who got separated by an accident. But through the test of time and space they get reunited. After 15 years, in Austria they meet again but they did not recognize each other yet. As the plot thickens they begin to discover each other as flashbacks of old memories start to haunt them when they reunite again at Korea. The plot was made spicier by a dash of love triangle and "you-and-me-against-the-world" sequences.

I just couldn't stop thinking of the movie all day. It was truly so beautiful yet so poignant that it actually made me cry (you can ask my friends, i rarely cry at movies). I just had to blog about this film because mushy as it may sound, it made young love so fresh again. I got so empathic with the characters I could actually feel the love and thrill... and even the pain and bitterness they were going through --- as if i'm actually in the movie!

The movie is not perfect though. But I only have 2 superficial complaints about it: 1. the actors were not such good dressers (maybe that's fashion statement for them in their country but it doesn't work for me much) 2. the movie could sometimes drag --- i had to fast forward some parts because i just get so excited to see how it would go.

But I truly have to commend the cinematography. The film was shot so beautifully in such scenic places both in Austria and South Korea --- truly legendary. The soundtrack is also awesome. I dont know how but even they did justice to revivals such as "Lost without your Love" of Bread and "Clementine" ... and the carrier single "One Love" just keeps playing on and on my head.

The director, Yun Suk-ho, really did a fine work with this one. Spring waltz is actually the fourth and final installment of his Endless Love season drama series: Autumn Fairy tale, Winter Sonata and Summer Scent---all of which i am yet to see. When koreanovelas became a hit in the country, I wasn't one of the people who rushed home after work just to catch on to the korean series in tv. I could still remember that time, because my mom was one of those who religiously watched them on tv. My interest only came about after I watched Sassy Girl. Since then i became quite interested and when i saw the music video of Spring waltz by Youtube at one of the pages of friendster, I knew that I just had to watch the film.

Here's an excerpt from the movie:

"If you truly love him….if you genuinely miss him, someday you can meet and love him again…. Just like us playing a hide and seek during our childhood days,…. no matter how deep he hides himself from the world, and disappear from my sight, he who hides shall be somewhere out there…..always be waiting for me, the tagger. Regardless of how often failing to catch or missing each other’s ways, at the end of the day, your most earnest desire and pray shall lead you to him……only to meet and love again."