Fan Bingbing with a gaunt face, overwhelming acting… ‘Nokya’ of two women who saved each other [여기,BIFF] : Seoul Economic Daily

2023-10-07 09:00:00

Review of the movie ‘Nokya’
Road movie starring Fan Bingbing and Lee Joo-young
A rough production filled with women’s solidarity
A powerful message: “Women, do not be afraid.”

The 28th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) opened in 2023. We vividly convey to Seokyeong Star readers the passion for movies that does not stop even in an unprecedented situation where the positions of the chairman and executive chairman are vacant.

Still from the movie ‘Nokya’ / Photo = Busan International Film Festival

It is not enough to just call it a ‘queer film’. A film that cannot focus solely on such subjects, even though it contains unconventional subjects such as domestic violence, sex crimes, and drugs, came to the 28th Busan International Film Festival.

‘Green Night’ (directed by Han Shuai) tells the story of Jin Xia (Fan Bingbing), who works at the security checkpoint at Incheon Passenger Port, and feels an inexplicable attraction to a green-haired woman (Lee Joo-young) whom he meets by chance. It received a lot of attention because it was Fan Bingbing’s return following a long hiatus.

Still from the movie ‘Nokya’ / Photo = Busan International Film Festival

Jinsha feels hostility at first when he sees the green-haired woman carrying illegal goods, but he takes a brief break from her temptation without countermeasures. Jinsha, who needs money to escape from her abusive husband, joins the green-haired woman’s group on the condition that she help her with her illegal work, and they leave their normal daily lives and embark on a journey alone.

Their journey, which was precarious at first, gradually becomes filled with elements of happiness. The spontaneous and unknown actions of the green-haired woman give much meaning to Jinsha’s life, where she was unable to feel even the slightest joy. Initially passive, Jinsha gradually finds her own life and feels her love for the green-haired woman.

Still from the movie ‘Nokya’ / Photo = Busan International Film Festival

The two women’s road movie narrative is a story we often see in other movies. It is unfortunate that ‘Nokya’ is also full of settings and lines that seem like cliches, such as a scene where two women ride recklessly on a motorcycle, a scene where they attack the men who destroyed them, and an unconventional bed scene. In addition, in the early part, these cliches cannot stop us from making predictions regarding how the story will unfold.

However, the core of ‘Green Field’ is Fan Bingbing herself. Appearing with a gaunt appearance that was never seen in his previous works, he portrayed the role of a victim of domestic violence and the process of struggling to escape the shadow of violence on the screen through his terrible acting skills. In particular, the scene where he acts out the moment when he chokes on a whole pack of gum and spits it out and reaches the brink of death is so overwhelming that it creates a sense of immersion to the point where you won’t be able to catch your breath while watching.

Still from the movie ‘Nokya’ / Photo = Busan International Film Festival

The final button in the work is sign language. It is a device that explains the ending they are heading towards and at the same time shows director Han Shuai’s support for the two women. “The men in the movie live in a social network and play the role of sinking the two women from behind. I thought that the pain and fear caused by things that are invisible in the dark, that are actually invisible, might be expressed through sign language.” As director Han Shuai expressed, the sign language that conveys the pain of the sinking women, and the green night scenery in which the process is recorded in detail, are truly bitter and desolate.

1696670762
#Fan #Bingbing #gaunt #face #overwhelming #acting.. #Nokya #women #saved #여기BIFF #Seoul #Economic #Daily