Burning

An endlessly complex and elusive mood piece. Burning continues Lee Chang-dong’s focus on marginalised characters and the social and political troubles of South Korea, replacing his typical naturalism with a hazy, dreamlike quality that effortlessly shifts between a quiet meditation on desire, voyeurism and jealousy, and a hypnotic thriller that leaves as many questions as it answers. Following a young, impoverished, aspiring writer who reconnects with a childhood friend, tensions arise as an enigmatic, wealthy man (played by Steven Yeun in arguably his best performance) enters, with a troubling hobby. The film is astounding in how it constructs a singularly precise atmosphere whilst remaining supremely rich in its layers upon layers of subtext that continue to reveal themselves. Despite an exact meaning being near impossible to determine, it is a film that is sure to remain in your head for long after viewing, as its mysteries reverberate and new layers emerge for viewers to obsess over, much like the protagonist himself.

Harvey Lister