Time
dir. Kim Ki-duk · 2006
The search for identity can lead to drastic choices that challenge the nature of love and connection.
"Time" delves into the haunting intricacies of love and identity, as a woman's quest for transformation reveals the fragile threads that bind relationships. With its stark imagery and exploration of jealousy, this film challenges viewers to confront the deeper meanings of attachment and self-perception.
Consumed by jealousy, a woman takes an extreme step and undergoes surgery for a new face. Although her lover of 2 years misses her, he falls in love with the new face, not knowing it's the same woman.
Full synopsisspoilers
Seh-hee and Ji-woo have dated for two years; jealousy consumes her. She worries he will tire of her face. Then, she disappears. Telling no one, she goes to a plastic surgeon for a new face.
Ji-woo has no idea where she is, although when he does respond to other women, someone unseen intervenes. Then, he meets See-hee, and although he tells her he misses Seh-hee, this new relationship blossoms into love. They talk at the same coffee house, visit the same sculpture park, and pose for the same photographs he did with Seh-hee. We know they are the same woman.
Has this new face and renewed love made her happy? And what will Ji-woo do when he learns the truth? Is losing face losing self?
Talking points
- the nature of love and attraction
- the ethics of identity alteration
- the psychological effects of jealousy
- societal pressures on beauty
