The harmonium in my memory

I have seen her in The Housemaid, then, My Dear Enemy. It was the early stage of my encounter with Korean media products, and since her character in The Housemaid was a bit confusing to say the lest, I regarded her one of those fading actresses who conveniently resorted to nude scenes to boost her career. She won me over in the sleeper My Dear Enemy, however. Compared to her many colleagues with immaculate skin and an attractive defined face, she seems 'plain' as a leading lady yet strong enough to carry a film through to success.

It was however her earlier work, The Harmonium in My Memory (1999) that opened my eye to her versatile talents. Here, she was a shy yet headstrong overage village girl who fell for a young trainee teacher from Seoul, and would do anything to turn his head and win his affection. With hindsight, her range and composure reminds me of Isabelle Huppert who is never shy of taking a complicated or even despicable role.

It was not just her natural performance that made this film such a warm and enjoyable experience. Lee Byung-hun, one of the most versatile Korean actors, was in a role similar to his later ones in Once in a Summer (a university student in a remote village), and Bunjee Jumping of Their Own (a school teacher who discovers his hidden self through a student). His underrated performance was just right for the film.