Melo Movie

Presentation

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Overview

Synopsis

Go Gyeom is a movie critic and dreams of seeing all the movies in the world. One day, he meets Kim Mu Bee. She has a peaceful life in the movie industry but it all changes after her encounter with Go Gyeom. Meanwhile, Hong Si Joon is an unknown songwriter who believes he’s a genius. His ex-girlfriend is Son Joo Ah and works as a screenwriter.

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

First of all, I’m a huge fan of cinema (as you may have guessed), so I really liked the idea of narrating life and relationships, and on a bigger scale the drama, as if it were a movie. The aesthetics of the show, the beauty of raw emotions and the simplicity of the narration really got me immersed in Melo Movie. But the best part is the characters development. Each of them has a background, they have their trauma, their beliefs, their fears, and are trying to move on and heal. Mu Bee spent her life thinking she’s never been loved by anyone, Go Gyeom has always thought that he was a burden to his brother, Si Joon thinks he’s pathetic and miserable and Joo Ah needs to learn how to prioritize herself. From episode 1 to 10, there’s a clear transformation of each character that is endearing and heart-wrenching to witness. Relationships depicted are super credible and relatable as well. Prepare some tissues because you may cry, but life’s not always a fun walk in the park. Anyway, I highly recommend it, just some warning that the pace is slow, so start the drama knowing what you’re getting yourself into.

Analysis

• Character development
  Go Gyeom, the fear of abandonment
  Kim Mu Bee, not being loved
  Hong Si Joon, a pathetic life
  Song Ju Ah, prioritize yourself
  Go Jun, the will to live
• Life is like a movie
  The omniscient narration
  The cinematography
• The bittersweet life
  Relatable relationships
  Grief and loss
  Brotherhood
• The world of cinema
• Ending
• Atmosphere
• Acting performance
  

Character development: The best part of Melo Movie is that it is a character-centric drama. Therefore, characters are human, with flaws and traumas. They have their own relatable struggles and are easy to identify with. One of the main reasons why they are going through life with so many difficulties is because they don’t communicate nor express their feelings. For each and every one of them this is a habit they have to develop, meaning that they change between beginning and end.

Go Gyeom, the fear of abandonment: I often go back to the ‘5 wounds of childhood’ concept because I think it’s pretty accurate when analyzing characters in Dramaland. Amongst these 5 wounds, you have abandonment. Using this lens to understand Go Gyeom (Choi Woo Sik), it’s pretty fair to say that the male lead build his existence on that fear. Indeed, he was separated from his parents pretty early on and was raised by his older brother. Considering that Go Gyeom ended up alone with a young adult, he feared he would become a weight for his brother and thus learned how to behave properly. He never rebelled, never complained and never truly expressed his emotions out of fear of being cast away by his remaining family member. Go Gyeom has constantly put on a bright smile and happy face to conceal his own struggles. He’s also gotten used to acting nonchalantly and indifferently with people. On top of that, he turned into a very sociable individual, getting along with almost everyone, as a way to be loved by others and thus not fearing loneliness. These ways of working have been ingrained in Go Gyeom’s life. He never really tried to change them, as they proved quite effective. However, he had to adapt when his brother got into an accident. Following that event, Go Gyeom reshuffled his existence and focused solely on his brother’s recovery. He forgot himself, his desires, his needs, his acting career in order to support his family. Though this is an admirable sacrifice, this choice goes back to showing that Go Gyeom is not able to let his brother go. He is not ready to say goodbye to him and thus works hard to make him want to live one more day. At the end of the drama, Go Gyeom and Go Jun (Kim Jae Wook) finally have an open heart conversation in which they share their insecurities and also their deeply-buried feelings. This enables both siblings to unload a lot of fears, among which abandonment for Go Gyeom, and to reassure each other that they can move on even if split. This discussion is a pivotal moment in Go Gyeom’s life, as it confronts him with himself, but also reveals that he’s loved and wanted. His brother never intended to abandon him. And even then, Go Gyeom is strong enough to stand on his own and overcome it.

Kim Mu Bee, not being loved: Kim Mu Bee’s (Park Bo Young) main life issue revolves around her father. He was an aspiring director, passionate about cinema, who was not counting the hours for his job. He would go on sets anytime, do any menial work to please the crew, and spend hours watching movies. Though he conveyed his love for cinema to his daughter, to the point that he called her Mu Bee (like ‘movie’ in English), he also gave her the impression that she would never be able to compete against this rival. Over the years, Kim Mu Bee felt neglected by her father and resented him when he prioritized his work over his family. She couldn’t stand that behavior and shared her anger to him during one last call before her father died in a car accident. Following that day, Kim Mu Bee has been torn between her desire to accomplish what her father never did (becoming a director) and her ill feelings towards her eternal rival that took her father’s life. Moreover, Kim Mu Bee spent her life thinking that she’s was not loved. Her father was in love with cinema and didn’t leave space for her. This vision impacted her life and work, as she dreamed of directing a romance. This would be a way for her to display love and achieve her long-lasting dream. Finally, Kim Mu Bee has a tendency to jinx herself. She’s so sure she’s not worthy of love that everyone she cares about ends up leaving her. That was the case for her father, but also Go Gyeom’s at some point. He indeed disappeared without a trace after his brother’s accident and left Kim Mu Bee behind. By the end of the drama, Kim Mu Bee has an awakening. She realizes 3 main things: 1/ That her father loved her and that the moments he spent watching movies with her were precious to him; 2/ That Go Gyeom had his reasons to vanish, and that it was not because of her cold and distant personality, but rather because of personal problems. His love for her has never wavered in years; 3/ That she’s always been loved. Her mother has been standing by her side all her life. She assisted her big school events, was here on graduation day and has been a shoulder to rely on ever since she’s been born. Kim Mu Bee had been so focused on her grief that she forgot her mother had also lost a husband. Despite all that, she stood strong for her daughter because she loves her. These eye-openers are life changing to Kim Mu Bee. She can heal and move on towards a better future.

Hong Si Joon, a pathetic life: Hong Si Joon (Lee Jun Young) is convinced that his life is pathetic. Why? Because his dream has always been to become a musician and to live from his music, but he’s never succeeded until now. On top of that, his wealthy parents and brother look down on him for choosing to live a precarious life for the sake of music instead of enjoying their help and money. Among the scenes confronting Si Joon and his family, it’s clear that there’s a disconnect between both worlds. Hong Si Joon is misunderstood and criticized for his life choices. The constant humiliation and disdain, topped with the despair of never reaching his goal, could’ve been reasons to give up. Yet, Hong Si Joon holds on. For over a decade, he pursues his objective. While working at a bar, he makes time to work in his studio and make songs. Still, opportunities are scarce. When Hong Si Joon is about to give up, his former high school girlfriend, Song Ju Ah (Jeon So Nee) reappears in front of him with an offer. The latter has always believed in his talent and encouraged him whilst together. She loves his music and is deeply convinced that he will make it big. Although the dialogue is broken between both parts due to their tough break up, Hong Si Joon seizes that chance. He sees in this offer a final occasion to try out before retiring with style. Interestingly, we tackle 2 main subjects through this character. The first one is that it is never too late to succeed and to fulfill your dreams. As proven at the end of the drama, Si Joon’s music used in Mu Bee’s film becomes a hit and propels him at the top. His resilience, hard work and relentlessness paid off. The second subject is that fighting for what you want (for a long time) doesn’t make your life pathetic at all. No one is on the same timeline. Some will make it before others, but this doesn’t discredit others’ work and success. So yes, Hong Si Joon took longer and chose a difficult path. He decided to fend for himself instead of using his family’s money. His girlfriend left him and it took him years to get a good music deal. But all of that doesn’t make his life pathetic. On the contrary, it gives flavor to it and forges respect.

Song Ju Ah, prioritize yourself: Song Ju Ah used to be Si Joon’s girlfriend in high school. They stayed together for quite a long time, before she suddenly announced that she wanted to break up. Without giving clearer explanations as to why she had made that choice, the young woman disappeared from her lover’s life. Later on, she comes back in his life with the will to work with him and make his music known to the public. Indeed, Ju Ah has always been a fan of Si Joon’s and thus supported him. Her return is also synonymous with change, as Song Ju Ah is another woman years later. She pursued her dream of becoming a screenwriter and succeeded. Her scenario has been selected by Mu Bee for her next film. The re-encounter between the exes highlights a series of dysfunctional dynamics in their past relationship. The more time they spend together, the more honest they become. Turns out Song Ju Ah was actually repressing her real feelings with Si Joon. Out of love, she tried to please him by suppressing her individuality. She adapted to his taste of food, his desires to be a musician, his passion, his lifestyle, without ever mentioning what she wanted even once. Song Ju Ah prioritized the other and forgot herself. This situation became suffocating and she felt the need to flee in order to survive. Nonetheless, she didn’t want to hurt Hong Si Joon because he was not the root cause of her discomfort. On the contrary, he would’ve probably been a good listener if she had talked. But she chose not to and left him hanging with a million unanswered questions. Years passed and Ju Ah has learned to care for herself. She’s become strong enough to express what she wants and that’s exactly why she goes back to Si Joon. She’s not there to renew their relationship, but to pull him out of the hole she threw him into when they broke up. She’s come to make amends and turn his life around. I believe Song Ju Ah’s development is a perfect example of what it means to love yourself. She had trapped herself in a behavior that didn’t give her space to exist and decided to escape from it on her own. She asserts herself and prioritized her needs. The interesting part in all that is that no one is to blame but herself. Si Joon didn’t force her into that position, that’s why she bears no resentment towards him. She never communicated her insecurities – contrary to him. He never could’ve fathomed that the reason at the heart of their break up was not him and his ‘pathetic life’, but Ju Ah’s desire to emancipate herself. The scene at the restaurant is a turning point in their story, as they finally confess what they have buried in their hearts. They even find out that they are actually not compatible. This break up is the best thing that could’ve happened to both of them. Song Ju Ah understood it sooner than Si Joon.

Go Jun, the will to live: Go Jun is a mysterious character whose intentions and thoughts are hard to decipher. He’s always so passive and taciturn that it’s hard to decrypt his emotions. He doesn’t talk much and has never done so. Like Go Gyeom, he ended up all alone in the world with his sibling. As a young adult, he had to support his brother and thus worked tirelessly. No matter how harsh or unfair he was treated, Go Jun never complained about his situation. Mid-drama, Go Jun succumbs to the after-effects of his car accident, but he doesn’t leave this world without caring for Go Gyeom one last time. Indeed, the latter comes across his brother’s journal in which he’s written down his most inner thoughts and feelings. As he confesses in his diary, Go Jun thought he had no will of his own. But after his parents’ accident, his brother’s presence helped him see that he actually had a will of his own: the will to live. His younger brother is the only reason why held on. The responsibility to take care of him, raise him, shelter him and provide for him are the one things that kept him going in life. The moments he spent with his brother were precious to him. They were his joy and happiness. His existence would’ve been gloomy without Go Gyeom, but the latter brought him light. In his notes, Go Jun reassures his brother that he’s loved a lot of things and enjoyed so much. He was not a prisoner of his life. It’s the opposite. He enjoyed it to the fullest. The accident that almost cost him his life was a stupid mistake. But Go Jun has always desired to live and have a second chance at life. Unfortunately for him, his physical condition didn’t allow him to survive much longer, but he left free and happy. In my opinion, I think Go Jun is the most moving character of the drama. His story is beautiful and sad at the same time. He’s been such a pillar to Go Gyeom and defended him against the world the best he could. This makes him admirable. Moreover, I loved how we got to see some cracks of emotions in his indifferent personality throughout the drama. His reactions to protect his brother, his swift side smiles, the light in his eyes and his tears while watching movies. Episode 7 also revealed his true feelings to Go Gyeom, but also the viewers which allowed me to understand the complexity of the character even more.

Life is like a movie: As the title suggests, Melo Movie is a drama told like a movie. As if you were watching a 10+-hour film, the show relates the struggles and joys of ordinary people, simply trying to survive.

The omniscient narration: The first reason why the drama gives the impression that it’s literally a movie is the omniscient narration. Each episode focuses on one, sometimes several, characters and their entangled story. This allows viewers to deep dive into their most intimate thoughts, to understand why they behave like they do and how they ended up the way they are. You get to see their life as if you were watching an accelerated video of all the moments they went through. You follow their childhood, then their adolescence and finally how they entered adulthood. You witness their happiest (love at first sight, success) and most desperate moments (grief, break-up). This gives an impression of continuity of the narration, but also an understanding of each individual’s back story.

The cinematography: On top of the omniscient narration, the cinematography of the drama plays a big role in representing life as if it were a movie. Indeed, some ‘ordinary’ life scenes turn out to be real pieces of arts. For example, Mu Bee and Gyeom go on a ride in a red vintage car at one point in the drama. Unfortunately for them, it breaks down and they end up stranded in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by fields of sunflowers. There, they share a kiss. Though it may sound like a common story to tell, the visuals glamorize the moment. The light heightens the bright colors around, creating a natural protective bubble for the couple. The isolated location gives more intimacy to the leads, making their kiss even purer and more symbolic. But that’s not the only scene worth mentioning. Indeed, Go Gyeom and Kim Mu Bee had already shared another kiss 5 years before but in totally different circumstances. At the time, it was under the snow (not the sun). Standing in an empty alley, their loneliness emphasized the thrill of the occasion. Not to mention that first snow is also highly symbolic. In general, snow represents cold and solitude. Coincidentally, both leads’ hearts were frozen at that period of their lives, especially Mu Bee’s. However, Go Gyeom’s love melted it. Under the snow, their love story started and continued through seasons until the hot summer where their love finally blossomed. In a nutshell, there are plenty of scenes as these in the drama that use aesthetics and cinematography to convey strong messages (Go Gyeom watching TV along as a kid – he’s sitting in front of a big screen in the dark which highlights his solitude). This clever technique makes the plot more beautiful and transforms basic ordinary life moments into epic movie scenes. That’s a wonder for the eyes and for the heart!

The bittersweet life: Melo Movie is definitely a melodramatic drama. Characters go through the numerous ups and downs of life. They navigate between happy and tragic moments that either leave a sweet or bittersweet taste. The way life is depicted in the show is quite realistic, making situations and relationships 100% relatable.

Relatable relationships: Relationships are not always happy. They don’t always end well with protagonists getting married, having children and living happily ever after. And that’s definitely not the vision of relationships displayed in the drama. Sometimes – if not most of the time – we argue, we fight, we cry, we are in pain, frustrated or angry. We struggle to make it work, we succeed in staying together, or we decide to give up for our own selves. That’s exactly what happened for Ju Ah and Si Joon. Though they seemed happy and unbreakable on the surface, they had many differences that got the best out of their relationship. On top of that, they were not able to communicate their struggles, thus creating pent-up frustration in their couple. The impossibility to truly be herself or to express openly and safely her desires pushed Song Ju Ah to break up. At first, her reaction seems irrational and selfish, as it seemed she left in order to pursue her career. However, you have a lot more empathy for her once she finally explains her point of view. She emphasizes that she was suffocating, unable to prioritize herself over her desire to please Si Joon. He was not at fault, but she wasn’t really either. Although this relationship came to an end, I think it was a great display of how two individuals who love each other can drift apart due to personal reasons. Both sides are understandable in this case. No one cheated, no one made a mistake, our two lovers were just at a crossroads and took different paths. Contrary to them, Mu Bee and Gyeom managed to find happiness with each other. However, it was not without challenges. And here again, the ups and downs of their relationship are relatable. As a person who’s been hurt by people in the past, Mu Bee is afraid of being vulnerable and suffering again. Meanwhile, Go Gyeom encounters a dilemma: whether to focus on his brother wholly after his accident or to continue life as it’s been. Considering his love for his brother, his choice was inevitable. The good part with that couple is that they succeeded in overcoming their own traumas by opening up to each other. They have a positive influence on the other and heal together. This is also the beauty of finding your second half, as they bring out the best in your life. Kim Mu Bee and Go Gyeom seem to have found it.

Grief and loss: Not only relationships, but true traumatic events are relatable in that drama. Kim Mu Bee lost her father and never really finished her grief, because she had unsolved issues with him and herself. As for Go Gyeom, he has to learn how to live without his brother. Both characters go through grief at different times of their existence and deal with it in different ways. But they have each other’s back. And that’s pretty accurate. Life will also put you through terrible moments. You will lose those you love at some point. That’s not something that the drama tries to hide or glamorize. On the contrary, it sheds light on the fact that life goes on, despite all that. You will learn how to make it with your scars, as they become part of who you are. I’ll admit that episode 7 of the drama destroyed me. Yet, I think it’s good that a drama doesn’t sugarcoat the emotional turmoil that goes with grief. As a viewer, you experience the pain of losing Go Jun the same way Go Gyeom does. From that point of view, this shows how well the drama portrays emotions and how relatable and credible it is.

Brotherhood: Go Gyeom and Go Jun have such a strong relationship. It’s difficult to know if it’s because they only have each other left in this world, or if it was already the case before their parents’ accident. Nevertheless, they have an unbreakable bond that transcends time. Though their personalities are polar opposites, both find comfort and love with each other. Go Jun has been taking care of Go Gyeom since his younger days, earning money to feed him, defending him unbeknownst to him against his school bullies, sharing his passion for movies, etc… But the reverse is also true. When Go Jun has a grave accident that sends him to the hospital, Go Gyeom abandons everything to take care of him. He makes it his duty to help his paralyzed brother walk again, accompanies him to all of his doctor’s appointments, and keeps a smiling face to encourage Jun in his hardships. By doing so, not only does Go Gyeom prove his love for his brother, but he also sort of pays his debt towards him. Go Jun sacrificed his youth for Go Gyeom, so it’s only right that the latter gets even. Finally, that accident enables both brothers to come to terms with their feelings of guilt and fear. Both brothers have the impression that they’ve been a weight for the other, when in reality they are each other’s main supporter. It was truly heartwarming and endearing to see the complicity and love that transpire through the screen. Both siblings have their own way of demonstrating their love, though rarely with words. Yet, they have their own language, understand each other’s intentions and don’t need to speak to be moved by the other’s gestures. They are a pair that has vanquished all hardships against the world. They stood strong together and have taught the other that they are strong enough to stand on their own two feet. Brotherhood is by far one of the best themes tackled in the drama, and it’s beautifully portrayed by both characters. They really brought me to tears!

The world of cinema: I can’t talk about this drama without mentioning the world of cinema that is deeply embedded in the plot. First, characters all have a job related to cinema: Mu Bee is a director, Ju Ah a screenwriter, Gyeom a movie critic, and Si Joon composes music for movies. Second, they have an obvious connection in the field as they are all part of the project “Melody” in which almost each of them poured a little bit of himself (personal story for Ju Ah, aesthetics and cinematography for Mu Bee and music for Si Joon). Third, cinema is considered a refuge for all of these characters. It holds a dear place in their heart, as it’s linked with either people or important moments of their lives. Kim Mu Bee associates cinema with her lost father, Go Gyeom is reminded of his happy childhood while watching films with his brother, Song Ju Ah uses her scripts as a catharsis of her personal life, and Hong Si Joon uses it as a way to make it big in the music industry and make the world hear his compositions. All of that together create a sort of bubble in which characters evolve. Like in the Truman Show, we viewers are spectators of their story, as if we were at the cinema watching a movie on a big screen and eating popcorn.

Ending: There couldn’t have been a more perfect ending to this drama. At last, characters have healed, moved on, reconciled. Hong Si Joon knows success thanks to Song Ju Ah’s determination to have his song in her movie. She still listens to his music as his number one fan. Both have cut ties, but in good terms. They are no longer a bittersweet memory to each other. Instead, they have become a trigger and driver of a new life. Kim Mu Bee is still a movie director who’s succeeded in making the movie she wanted: a romance. Meanwhile Go Gyeom has stopped watching movies and reviewing them. Instead, he prefers to focus on the one true movie of his life: Kim Mu Bee. He sometimes comes on set which revives the memories of how their love story began. All in all, the end of the drama cycles back to how it all started for our leads: kissing in an alley, alone on the filming set. But this time, they have a long journey behind that opened the door to happiness. These scenes mixed with the heartwarming atmosphere creates a cozy feeling. It’s like everyone and everything has found its rightful place. Just for that, no other ending could’ve been better.

Atmosphere: If I had to choose one word to describe the drama, it would be raw. Melo Movie is a roller coaster of emotions that will make you go from laughter to tears. It conveys very raw emotions that give depth to the plot. All emotions are palpable, even through the screen. I was totally engaged in the story and overwhelmed by everything that was happening. But at the same time, the drama also spreads positivity, love and hope. These are healing vibes to counterbalance the tragic of life.

Acting performance: Not going to lie but the drama would’ve been sour if actors had not delivered their best performance. Melo Movie is credible because of the story it tells, but also the acting performance displayed. I think Lee Jun Young is especially worthy, as he embodied perfectly the struggles of a young man who dreams big, but is full of uncertainties and scars. Well done to everyone!