A man and a woman travel in India for three months and the reason why nothing happened

A man and a woman travel in India for three months and the reason why nothing happened

After watching the movie, I sent a message to a friend with whom I share more than ten years of friendship. I asked: “Have you seen “Love in the Big City”? It reminds me of my college days.After graduation she returned to her hometown to work and is now preparing for marriage. I asked her directly: “What does having a gay friend mean to you?His response was reminiscent of a line from the film: “Well, I guess he’s an unchanging friend who allows me to be myself.

He continued: “I discuss topics like in-laws and parenting with my same-sex friends who lead similar lives. But when I’m with my gay friend, I realize that I’m talking about myself. I really like it.” She said that when she started dating her current boyfriend, the fact that he could understand her gay friend was a significant factor in her decision. He introduced me, his gay friend, as soon as they started dating and invited me to their matrimonial home to meet.

Memories only possible with a gay man and a friend

Our friendship really shone in 2014 when we went backpacking together. Our destination was India, a country known for its difficult travel conditions. We spent more than three months together, sharing a room and using the money we had saved to enjoy an extra beer, allowing us to focus entirely on the trip without any awkwardness or discomfort. Instead of seeing each other through a romantic lens, we could open up about our individual struggles as human beings. She wanted a safe and fun trip, while I tried to capture beautiful landscapes in photos. In this sense, our combination of a gay man and a woman made us the best partners, achieving our goals while respecting each other’s boundaries.

After leaving Seoul, I routinely asked her: “Do you miss Seoul?“I was curious to know if he was really happy living outside of a big city. I expected an answer like “I want to go back to Seoul“, similar to what singer Lee Hyori said during her time on Jeju Island on a variety show. However, without hesitation, she replied: “I’m much happier than when I lived in Seoul.”

The reason I asked these questions was my fear of leaving the city. There was a common belief that gay people should live in Seoul, because that’s where people like us can hide well. This theme is also evident in “Love in the Big City.”

We live in the big city

The film is based on the short story “Jae-hee” from the collection “Love in the Big City” by Park Sang-young, published in 2019. The female protagonist, Jae-hee, is characterized as a “free-spirited woman”. ” who doesn’t care much about the opinions of others and seeks liberation in his romantic pursuits.

love in the big city

On the other hand, the gay character, Heung-soo, struggles to integrate into male groups and considers himself an outsider. One day, Jae-hee catches Heung-soo kissing a man in Itaewon, and they gradually accept each other’s weaknesses and become closer friends. The story begins in earnest when they start living together due to practical circumstances.

The film adapted many aspects of the original story. The most notable difference is that it presents the lives of the two protagonists more uniformly. While the novel focuses on Heung-soo’s perspective, the film alternates events in both protagonists’ lives from their twenties to their early thirties. The relatable events experienced by both a woman in her twenties and a gay man lend credibility to their solidarity, engaging the audience.

The reason they could get closer was not only their youthful exuberance, but also their shared experience of being minorities in society. In this harsh metropolis, they instinctively understood that they needed each other to survive. Even when Jae-hee was exposed to dating violence or faced an unintended pregnancy and decided to have an abortion, it was Heung-soo who stood by her side.

Heung-soo also faced challenges such as coming out to his mother, joining the army, and pursuing his dreams. The two willingly supported each other through all these trials. This alone consolidates their friendship. “Love in the Big City” creates the narrative of two outsiders, respecting the conventions of female and queer cinema.

Why Marketing?

Another protagonist of the film is, in fact, the metropolis itself: Seoul. The stories of those who were not the main characters take place against the backdrop of Itaewon’s gay clubs and squalid multi-unit residences near universities. The emotional landscape of the protagonists contrasts with the glamor and loneliness of city life, demonstrating that living in a big city can seem elusive, just like the men you meet in the clubs. The performances of the lead actors Kim Go-eun and Noh Sang-hyun were impressive, especially Noh Sang-hyun, who created a unique character without forcing a “gay” performance.

love in the big city

The film’s biggest flaw is the marketing. Despite achieving considerable success as a commercial queer film, efforts to erase all traces of queerness from trailers or posters before its release disappointed fans of the original novel.

In the film, Jae-hee tells Heung-soo “How can oneself be a weakness?“, but outside the film we see the irony that this is indeed a weakness. This reflects the era where many people don’t realize that not labeling queer content as queer is also a form of discrimination. A queer film can never be a weakness; instead, unlike typical commercial films, word of mouth from audiences who recognize its true value can become a constant factor in its success at the box office.

Despite marketing that might break immersion, the film’s message seems to resonate well with audiences. I asked a friend with whom I saw the film: “What did you like most?” His response was: “I was proud to live in the same era as the protagonists.”

The comfort the film offers is this: it reassures Jae-hee and Heung-soo, living in this time, that they have lived well so far and will continue to do so in the future. This was the case when the novel was released, and through the film, what we encounter on screen is likely the result of those seeking a new way to love in the big city.

Source: Daum

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