Our Movie

Presentation

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Overview

Synopsis

Lee Je Ha is a famous movie director. But he’s been going through a slump for the past 5 years. Determined to start on his second movie, he meets Lee Da Eum, an aspiring actress who suffers from a rare incurable disease. While working together, they develop a romantic relationship.

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

First of all, Our Movie is a melodrama. So, if that’s not your thing, I really recommend you don’t watch it because you will cry every step of the way. But if like me, you’re willing to endure, you will surely love this drama. The world of cinema is everywhere, from characters’ job to the way the intrigue is woven. We’re watching a drama displaying people making a movie and even sometimes imagining scenes of themselves as actors of the movie they are creating. Even the title gives it away. The good part is that this peculiar universe is not glamorized. On the contrary, you also get to see the downsides of that field. On top of that, the romance is slow-burn and beautiful. Lee Je Ha learns what love is, while Lee Da Eum gets to experience true love before she passes away. Some characters were annoying at times by getting in the way, but they quickly gave in. All in all, Our Movie is definitely worth your time and tears!

Analysis

• A movie within a movie
  The setting – A clever ‘mise en abime’
  The script – Love in White, the origins
  The direction – Rewriting Love in White
  The cast – Real-life actors
  The titles – Our Movie vs. Love in White
  The funding – A movie made by and for the people
  The screening – Keeping a record
• The world of cinema
  Lonely people
  The downsides of this world
  Investment
  Scandals
  All for art?
  Intellectual property
  The hidden faces behind the camera
• The meaning of love
  True love exists
  Do I deserve to be loved?
• The meaning of life
  Live to the fullest
  Saying goodbye
  Having a positive impact on others
• The ending

A movie within a movie: As the title suggests, Our Movie is a ‘mise en abime’. Real-life actors plays characters who are themselves actors. Together, they are playing in a drama that depicts the realization of a movie deeply intertwined with their own personal lives and stories. This is what makes the drama compelling.

The setting – A clever ‘mise en abime’: Lee Je Ha’s (Namgoong Min) father was a famous director. One of his biggest hit is the melodrama named Love in White which related his wife’s love for him through the characters she’d written. In present days, Lee Je Ha is working on a remake of that film. Interestingly, the new version also displays his love story with Lee Da Eum (Jeon Yeo Bin). On a greater scale, we can see that all the elements of the plot are intricately linked. Lee Da Eum and Lee Je Ha and the female lead and director of Love in White. But they also imagine themselves as the characters of this fictitious story, as it is connected to theirs. Meanwhile, there is an entire cast and crew working on the movie. Other actors, sound engineers, cameramen, light engineers, the producer, the make-up artists are all involved in that project. But the ‘mise en abime’ doesn’t stop there. All of these people are characters, but also real-life actors working on the set of Our Movie. I would count 3 levels of narration: First, the romance in Love in White; second, the romance between Lee Je Ha and Lee Da Eum; and third Namgoong Min and Jeon Yeo Bin insufflating life and feelings to Lee Je Ha and Lee Da Eum. That particular setting, especially the first two levels, gives room for the romance to bloom.

The script – Love in White, the origins: Love in White is a movie written and directed by Lee Du Young (Kim Jae Chul), Lee Je Ha’s father. But it’s a stolen work. Lee Du Young used his wife, Yu Eun Ae (Lee Sang Hee), as ghostwriter for his scenarios. Eun Ae is the original writer of Love in White which is her last masterpiece before she passed away due to sickness. In the original story, the male lead, Hyun Sang, is involved with two women. One of them, Gyu Won, is terminally ill, just like Eun Ae when she writes her scenario. Gyu Won dies at the end and Hyun Sang then goes to the other woman. When Lee Je Ha is asked to remake this movie, he wants to change it all out of resentment towards his father and because he doesn’t truly understand love and the script itself. For him, Love in White is a cheesy and old melodrama. He struggles to read between the lines and see the underlying meaning of the plot. Thankfully, his encounter with Lee Da Eum changes his perspective on the scenario.

The direction – Rewriting Love in White: By taking on the project of rewriting Love in White, Lee Je Ha explores his parents’ love, characters’ love in the movie, but also his own love with Lee Da Eum. All of them become intricately entangled with one another. For example, Lee Je Ha and Lee Da Eum sometimes imagine themselves as Hyun Sang and Gyu Won, the leads of their movie. In a way, their story is also the characters’ story and vice versa. Considering that the movie is a work in progress, many changes are done to the script by Lee Ja Ha. At first, he intends on describing Hyun Sang as a bad guy incapable of love. The ending is thus devoid of romantic feelings. But the more he falls for Lee Da Eum, the more his own feelings impact the direction and script of the film. The whole movie transpires their own feelings. It is the main medium used by the leads to convey their emotions, but it also shows that their love evolves throughout the drama. At the end of the show, Lee Je Ha renounces his ‘unhappy ending’. Instead, he opts for one where both Hyun Sang and Gyu Won love each other and promise to reunite someday. In a way, that’s also Lee Je Ha’s promise to Da Eum. He’ll stay with her until the end and remember her forever.

The cast – Real-life actors: In the drama, actors are not just actors. They are characters of the movie as if it had taken life. Chae Seo Yeong (Lee Seol) is the second lead in the movie, aka Hyun Sang’s second love interest, but she also turns out to be Lee Je Ha’s ex in the drama. She fell in love with him five years ago, while working on the director’s first movie Lonely People. At the time, Seo Young was a rookie actress. So her agency recommended against the relationship to protect her reputation. Chae Seo Young didn’t care about the scandal, but Lee Je Ha left, unsure of his own feelings. Still, the actress never got over him and now wants to get him back. Her own life is thus deeply intertwined with her character’s life on screen. She wants Hyun Sang/Lee Je Ha and has to fight against Lee Da Eum/Gyu Won. Talking about Gyu Won, she’s terminally ill in Love in White. Same as Lee Da Eum who is a real-life patient whose end is near. This similarity is one of the reasons why she was cast in the first place. She can portray sickness like no one else. But that’s also Lee Da Eum’s last chance to become an actress and fulfill her dream. As for Hyun Sang, he is played by actor Kim Jung Woo (Seo Yi Seo). The latter’s romantic situation mirrors Chae Seo Young’s. Jung Woo is in love with her, but his feelings are not reciprocated – just like the actress towards Je Ha. Seo Young accepts to date him and uses him to get over Je Ha, but also to try to make him jealous. As a character, Hyun Sang is torn between two women. However, Jung Woo only plays the official scenes in which Hyun Sang appears. The more profound scenes portray Lee Je Ha as Hyun Sang, while he’s reflecting on his feelings for Da Eum. The line between the characters and the actors becomes blurry. Hyun Sang addresses himself to Gyu Won. In parallel, Lee Je Ha is talking to Lee Da Eum. Even side actors, like Nam Jae In (Park Eun Woo), have that two-sided role. Jae In is Da Eum’s friend from school. But she’s also Gyu Won’s friendly nurse in Love in White. Not only is the cast playing a role in the movie Love in White, but they are also protagonists of their own life and the scenario that comes with it.

The titles – Our Movie vs. Love In White: At the end of the drama, we truly understand why the show is called Our Movie. After everything they’ve been through and the emotions they’ve poured into that film, Lee Je Ha and Lee Da Eum have finally managed to create the story of a lifetime. That’s where the line between reality and fiction is blurred, as we don’t really know which part of the movie is real and which one is made up. All elements are intertwined together and it’s almost impossible to separate the movie from the couple. Lee Da Eum promised she would finish that film before she dies and Lee Je Ha vowed to help her do so. In the end, Love In White was released in cinemas and related their true love. Even the fictitious movie has a meaningful title here and can refer to characters. White is associated with purity, innocence. That’s exactly what there was between Lee Je Ha and Lee Da Eum. Their love was true and pure, too beautiful and sincere for this world. White is also the color of sickness which can relate to Lee Da Eum’s pale face and can thus give away the fact that she doesn’t have a lot of time left. These two loved each other through sickness in the purest possible way.

The funding – A movie made by and for people: By the end of the drama, the truth about Lee Da Eum’s condition is revealed which causes the main investor to pull out. People are shocked to discover that Lee Je Ha used her condition, or so it seems, and played the entire staff. The main cameraman and Lee Je Ha’s friend, Ji Chul Min (Heo Jung Do) feels manipulated and doesn’t agree with their methods. So, everybody starts pulling out of the project as well. They all believe the movie will come to an end, nipped in the bud. But Lee Je Ha has made a promise. He and Da Eum decide to announce the news to the public. They gather a huge audience, of haters first, but then start receiving many supporting comments of people who want to make Lee Da Eum’s dream come true. While a crowdfunding page is created to finance the movie (they get about 500 million won), producer Bu Seung Won (Seo Hyun Woo) sells his building, Seo Young’s manager invests, and Lee Je Ha convinces all the staff members to come back to finish their project. This movie depicts true love and is finished thanks to the love of the people who believed it had to be completed for Lee Da Eum’s sake. In the end, Love in White is a movie about love, made with love, supported by loving people who want to make the public believe in love.

The screening – Keeping a record: Throughout her life, Lee Da Eum has kept an old camcorder in order to remember everything she’s done, experienced, but also to train as an actress and review her performance. It’s an item filled with life, joy, love, and memories. She even recorded Lee Je Ha during their meetings, imprinting their love forever in images. But she also went around to film her family, friends and one last message to her lover where she tells him to live his life to the fullest. She doesn’t want him to remove himself from the rest of the world because she’s not here anymore. On the contrary, Lee Da Eum wants Lee Je Ha to enjoy life as long as he can. That way, the part of her that he carries with him can also enjoy it. This last video on the camcorder is the equivalent of the screening of their movie for me. As if he were sitting in a cinema, Lee Je Ha watches the final scene of his movie with Lee Da Eum. That video allows her to deliver her final take away on life and help Lee Je Ha move on from his grief. As long as he remembers her, she will stay alive somewhere.

The world of cinema: What I loved about the drama is that it depicts the world of cinema from every angle. Movies play a crucial role in the delivery of characters’ emotions and the world that surrounds them gives more insights on the good, but also bad aspects.

Lonely People: Lonely People is the first movie that was directed by Lee Je Ha. It propelled his career as a famous director, while bringing actress Chae Seo Young under the spotlight. Lee Je Ha decided to cast her as female lead, despite everyone’s disapproval. No one believed that she would be able to carry the movie as a rookie. But they proved everyone wrong. Just like Love in White reflects characters’ state of mind and situations, Lonely People did the same five years ago. Both Lee Je Ha and Chae Seo Young were lonely at the time. They were isolated and unsure of themselves. Chae Seo Young had no previous experience and felt the pressure of failure. Meanwhile, Lee Je Ha feared that people would compare him to his father and/or attribute his success to his father’s reputation. Their loneliness and doubts made it impossible for them to have a concrete relationship. Neither understood love at the time. They just didn’t share the same vision. That’s why, both were disappointed despite the success of the movie. For me, Lonely People is the absolute reverse of Love in White. One kept people apart, was cold and uncertain, while the other is the epitome of warmth, affection and devotion.

The downsides of this world: In a more realistic way, Our Movie showcases the negative aspects of the cinema industry.

Investment: You have for example the pressure of investments to make a movie. If you don’t have funds, you don’t have a movie. As far as Love in White is concerned, Producer Bu had found a good investor to promote the show. That same person had a hidden agenda and wished to use the movie as a way to restore his company’s reputation that took a blow with a scandal. These personal interests clashed with the movie’s. This led to the investor trying to have a say in the cast and crew, the direction and making of it. His intervention put at risk the movie and its story. This shows how money can drive the making of a movie. It can destroy it and change its purpose if or when investors end up having the upper hand. Thankfully, Seung Won refused to associate with the investor and freed everyone from his control. Instead, he sold his building and everyone pitched in to finance the film. If the crew had not willingly accepted to finish that movie, Love in White never would’ve been completed. It takes a village to make a film. So, we’re not just talking about financial investment here, but also about hard work invested in a collective effort to make a movie succeed.

Scandals: When it comes to money in the entertainment industry, we can’t overlook paparazzi. These are willing to do everyone in order to sell stories – even lies – to the public. That’s why, Lee Da Eum’s condition is weaponized at some time. Producer Bu wants to use her sickness as a leverage to foster interest and noise around the movie. Then, one reporter photographs Lee Je Ha and Lee Da Eum together. He then threatens the producer to reveal the pictures if he is not given a bigger bone to chew. Chae Seo Young also suffered from the fear of being involved in a scandal with Lee Je Ha five years ago. This put an end to their fragile relationship. This shows how cautious one needs to be in that world. Your private life can be exposed anytime and ruin your career. That fear is constant for actors, agencies and can be extremely devastating for a movie.

All for art? This theme was briefly tackled, but I think it’s necessary to mention it. In the drama, Lee Je Ha meets several times other directors. They are mostly jealous of his talent and success. Despite their venomous comments, Lee Je Ha tolerates them. However, he doesn’t appreciate the way they treat actors for their so-called art. One of these directors in particular has a bad habit of asking his actors to film nude scenes in order to arouse the public’s attention. That’s what happened with Chae Seo Young in her last movie. Since then, she categorically rejects any scenario coming from that director. I think this is an interesting debate that we have here. How far are you willing to go for a movie as an actor? Is showcasing naked people really supporting the narrative of the movie or is it just for the director’s personal pleasure? Where do you draw the line?

Intellectual property: The story of Lee Je Ha’s parents sheds light on a terrible plague of the industry: ghostwriting and stolen work. Lee Du Young got married to Yu Eun Ae. She was a talented writer, but also a woman. He saw his potential and thus credited her scenarios as his own. He built his career thanks to his ghostwriter. At some point, Yu Eun Ae desired to have her name in the movies, but Lee Du Young always refused. He pretended that she was unknown in the industry and that his name was the reason why her stories were successes. Until the end, Yu Eun Ae lived in the shadow of her husband. After her passing, Eun Ae’s best friend and muse, Kim Jin Yeo, wanted to reveal the truth to the public. She wanted to honor her friend’s memory. Out of fear of seeing his reputation destroyed, Lee Du Young nurtured a scandalous rumor. He made everyone believe that Kim Jin Yeo was his mistress and ruined her reputation. The promising actress was silenced for good. When Lee Je Ha uncovers the truth, he wants to reveal it. He never got along with his father, this is the final blow to their relationship. Though Lee Du Young is dead, his son wants people to know that his mother was the real talent.

The hidden faces behind the camera: Our Movie is excellent when it comes to putting the spotlight on the hidden faces behind the camera. Just like for the drama itself, the story shows that the staff and crew are the ones making movies (and on a broader scale the drama) possible. In the show, everyone has his importance and is a crucial gear to make a movie successful and to help Da Eum finish her movie. Actors and director are often talked about. They are obviously the leading gears in the machine. But we can’t overlook cameramen, make-up artists, light engineers, assisting director, the production team and producer, actors’ managers, etc… In Lee Da Eum’s case, she even has her own supporting crew on top of the movie crew. They are the people who make sure that she can accomplish her dream before she dies: her main doctor, her father who both review her exams, give her medication and closely follow the evolution of her condition; her best friend and mother for emotional support, and even her a former patient’s mother who encourages her father to let her live her life. It takes a village to raise a kid and a very special crew to make the impossible possible.

The meaning of love: Our Movie is a melodrama whose entire plot revolves around love.

True love exists: The purpose of the drama is to show that there are loves that just can’t be stopped. True love exists even when the protagonists don’t believe in it or are not ready for it. That’s the case between Lee Da Eum and Lee Je Ha. Lee Je Ha doesn’t believe love exists. He’s seen his mother die and be neglected by her so-called beloved husband. To him, this was not true love, as it was not mutual. That’s also his main reason to accept taking on the project of Love in White. He wants to destroy his father’s work and end the movie with Hyun Sang leaving Gyu Won behind as proof that love is not grand. But he eventually comes around when he meets Lee Da Eum. She pops up in his existence and brings light to his dark world. Everywhere she goes, she’s like a sun shining on people. She brings positivity, smiles and good humor. All of that, despite being terminally ill and knowing that her life will end in about a year. Her perspective on life and love is so different from that of Lee Je Ha that he eventually becomes curious. What is it that makes her believe that love can win it all? That love is worth it? That he deserves to receive her love, when he may be just like his father? Lee Da Eum proves him that love can be selfless, pure and good. That it can save you and take you out of the cave you shut yourself in. The rookie actress brought the director back to life with her unconditional love. She showed him life’s worth living and love is worth experiencing. That’s why Lee Je Ha doesn’t go into hiding for 5 years like before after her death. She’s pushed him out of his dark world, and he intends on remaining in the world of the living. Even the make-up artist was not convinced that such a love could exist and yet both leads proved otherwise.

Do I deserve to be loved? Not only Lee Da Eum, but also Lee Je Ha shows unconditional love for the other. He proves to Lee Da Eum that her sickness is not a reason for her not to receive love. She deserves to be loved as much as anyone else. Being sick doesn’t mean you stop existing. But only true love can overcome the fear of losing the person, the pain, and the grief that all come with the loss of your soulmate. Like the poster of the movie Love in White suggests at the end, Lee Da Eum experienced love before she died. Though she thought she’d never get her chance, Lee Je Ha fulfilled her dream.

The meaning of life: The drama is punctuated by a series of good and positive messages that are clearly worth keeping close to heart.

Live to the fullest: What would you prefer between living in a hospital bed for a year and living outside for 6 months before you die? It’s an easy question to answer if you’re sick since childhood, but an immense dilemma if you’re the family of the patient. That’s where Lee Da Eum and her father’s path diverge at first. After losing his wife of the same sickness, he’s terrified of saying goodbye to his dear daughter and thus wants to keep her sheltered in the hospital as long as he can. But he gradually realizes that this is not a life. Lee Da Eum doesn’t want to spend her time in a hospital. She wants to go out, enjoy life and live to the fullest the time she’s got left, even if it’s shorter. She wants to pursue her dream and leave a mark, a memory in the world. Contrary to her hospital friend (Gong Min Jung) whose mother’s greediness to keep her alive as long as possible resulted in her daughter’s unhappiness until the very end. That’s a lesson the mother learned and that she feels the need to convey to Lee Da Eum’s father before he’s full of regrets. On top of that, he’s had enough time to prepare his goodbye, so he can let his daughter go peacefully and happy.

Saying goodbye: Lee Da Eum had to say goodbye to her mother very early on, but kept a part of her in her heart and her memories in her camcorder. Now, she wants to do the same with the ones she loves. She leaves a straw for Lee Je Ha to hold onto. She makes a final video to help him overcome his immense grief and to fill the hole she leaves behind. She also makes sure that she has a chance to say goodbye to everyone she holds dear before it’s too late like her best friend, Jae In, her manager and even members of the staff. Even after her death, she’s still here somewhere through the cherry blossoms that scatter across the world and wind up near her loved ones. Lee Da Eum’s spirit has not really departed, she lives in people’s heart and memories.

Having a positive impact on others: The most beautiful part in the drama is that it took one person to change everybody’s life. Lee Da Eum had a tremendous impact on everybody’s existence, at least the people she was surrounded with, even if she stayed with them for a small amount of time. She made everyone understand that life is short and fragile, so you need to enjoy it and do/say what you want when need be. For instance, she positively influenced the make-up artist’s view on love thanks to her romance with Lee Je Ha. The make-up artist didn’t believe in true love but was proved otherwise. Lee Da Eum forced Chae Seo Young to recognize the priorities in her life. She made her grow more mature by admitting that she mistreated her boyfriend Jung Woo and used him out of fear of being lonely. She impacted Jae In by opening her eyes. Being envious and jealous can boomerang in your face, so you need to be kind and humble. Her sickness forced the producer to fight back against an investor and choose his movie over money. Obviously she’s changed Lee Jae Ha. She even facilitated relationships, especially the one between her manager and the assisting director who would’ve never met had she not been sick. She was like an angel in disguise whose presence transformed people’s existence.

The ending: At the end, Lee Je Ha starts another movie after a year of writing. This new film is entitled Return. He’s not shut himself from the world and continued to live his life after Da Eum’s passing. That’s what she desired the most. Lee Je Ha is now working with new actors and giving them insights on love. As they’ve not experienced what he’s gone through, he gives advice and helps them navigate his script. He also pays homage to his mother. He goes to the columbarium and gives his mother her scenario back. Lee Da Eum is gone, but life continues. Her manager and Lee Je Ha’s assisting director are now dating. The latter has been so profoundly touched by her previous movie that she’s decided to make her own. She copies her mentor’s style, using his staff and crew, but she’s determined to make him proud. Chae Seo Young and her manager reconciled. The dialogue between these two had been broken for a very long time throughout the drama. But they are now on the same wavelength. Nam Jae In has learned her lesson after trying to hurt Lee Da Eum out of jealousy. Now, she’s frequently meeting with Da Eum’s best friend Kwak Kyo Young (Oh Gyeong Hwa). Lee Da Eum’s father goes to the cinema on a regular basis with Lee Je Ha and can now cope with his daughter’s passing. He’s not afraid of doing things on his own anymore. Despite the sadness related to Lee Da Eum’s passing, most characters have a happy ending and keep on with their life. That’s the best way to honor her memory.