Shades of the Heart (2019) - full transcript

In my dream last night
I was old,

and I was walking somewhere
with an old woman.

I saw the two of us from behind.

Strangely

I could see myself from behind.

We were walking somewhere.

We slid along like snails.

Then the old woman
and I just vanished.

At a very slow speed.

MI YOUNG

Who...?



Who are you?

Hello.

I'm waiting for someone here.

Waiting for who?

You're pretty when you sleep.

Me?

Aren't you leaving?

I'm waiting for someone, too.

There are plenty of other tables.

The person I'm meeting is here.

I'm the one who's
meeting you here, Mi-young.

Ah…!

How embarrassing.

Oh my god.



It's nice to meet you.

You too.

I'm sorry.

Why are those people so busy?

You're right.

It seems like time has sped up.

Aren't you scared of getting old?

You don't look like Won.

Even though she's your sister.

Not my sister, she's a cousin.

That makes sense.

She doesn't like me enough to
set me up with her brother.

She said you're
an oddball like me.

You look normal.

I heard you studied in America?

Yes, I did. Sure.

From your attitude,
I see it didn't change you.

What book were you reading?

Nothing special, just a novel.

You're right about that.

I can't figure out
people who read novels.

It's all made up,
so why believe it?

You think so?

Still, well-made stories
can make people believe.

When you know it's fake?

There's a story I made up.

Want to hear it?

Tell me, then.

It just came to me now.

Near the school
where I studied abroad,

there was a 5-star hotel,
really big and fancy.

Once I went in there
with my professor.

I can't forget the smell there.

It was filled with
the smell of lilies.

So,

a nice hotel has
a nice smell, I thought...

And that old hotel
had an ancient bellboy.

He was an old man,
had worked there for decades.

Then one day,

a tramp came in
like it was his own house.

He was an old man, too.

The tramp...

insisted on staying in the hotel suite,
and wouldn't budge.

A madman.

Well, he was odd.

But the thing is,

years ago that tramp used to
frequent that hotel like home.

He'd been rich enough to use
the suite like his own house.

But for whatever reason,

decades later he turns up
with no money, slightly mad.

In those decades, the only one
who hadn't changed was the bellboy,

so only he remembered that man.

So the bellboy,

very graciously,

treated him with all the respect
of an old customer.

When the man began spouting
nonsense about going to his room,

the bellboy politely
removed his hat,

took hold of the man's
dirty, heavy bags,

opened the door for him,

and went with him to the highest
floor where the suite room is.

So what happened?

The man stood in the hallway
thinking for a moment,

then went down with the bellboy
back to the lobby.

And after fishing around
in his dirty bag,

from inside,

he pulled out some coins.

Two 100-won coins.

It's in America,
how'd he get 100-won coins?

Because I just
made the story up.

What an oddball.

That was boring.

Sure enough, it was lousy.

That boring story of yours...

made me sleepy.

Made me sleepy.

But you know,

you look like my boyfriend.

Really?

Yeah.

I used to meet him
in this place.

The shape of your nose
is just like his.

Really?

Yes.

My friend Won

set me up with her cousin here.

I met him,

and we married two months later.

I see.

He was a good person.

He died.

Smoked too many cigarettes.

Chang-seok?

Yeah?

So now you recognize me.

Don't smoke.

Or you'll die young
like your father.

We both need to
watch our health, Mom.

You're good with words,
like your dad.

Nothing you can do
about getting old.

You die, or break down.

You've sat there a while.
Let's go.

Not much has changed here.

That's a relief.

I had a dream.

I dreamed I met your dad.

SHADES OF THE HEART

When I lived in Seoul before, I
thought it was an uncontrollably fast city.

I was scared
everything would change,

but now that time 7 years ago
feels like yesterday.

It passed in an instant,
but in that time everyone aged.

After returning to Korea, I'm trying
to spend a lot of time with Mom.

We took short walks every day.

Tomorrow Mom enters
a nursing home in Cheonan.

I probably won't see her
for a while.

Today I left her with my brother,
and took a walk by myself.

It's the path
I used to walk with you.

It was so nice in the spring.

Now it looks different.

YOO JIN

Chang-seok.

Yoo-jin.

Long time no see.

I've aged, right?

You look exactly the same.
What are you talking about?

As always, you're too nice.
Let's have coffee.

Well, I arrived early,
so I drank a cup already.

It's nice here,
so I was walking around.

You already had coffee?

I went to bed late,
so I needed one to wake up.

But I'll have another,
let's go in.

Yes, I'd like that.

I brought the company card,
so let's spend it.

Do they have beer here?

Beer?

Tastes good during the day.

You're right.

- I brought the contract.
- Okay.

Luckily all our
editorial team liked it.

And the CEO followed
our opinions.

He didn't read it?

I don't know.

Our boss rarely reads
books by other people.

Especially books that
everyone likes.

Novelists are different, I guess.

Here is your contract.

Had you ever read
our CEO's novels?

Well, I...

I started a few.

They're hardly worth it.

He's a famous novelist
who's never written a decent book.

He got his reputation
from doing other things.

But he's published good books,
we should give him credit.

You're pretty harsh.

Do you say that to his face?

Well, it's not that I couldn't.

I don't think he hired me
because he likes me.

If things get bad,
I'll just leave.

You're so cold.

Do you want my cold opinion
of your book?

Walking makes me
feel more drunk.

What should I do?

What will you write next?

I don't know if I'll
write anymore.

I wrote this one,

but I'm not sure
I have anything more.

I never once thought
of myself as a novelist.

A lot of people liked your novel.

Who?

Father, father...

Learning editing under you
was really helpful for me.

From me?

If you took a lot from me,
that's not good.

You must have fought a lot.

How did you know?

I don't think of
your new novel as fiction.

Just that I learned something
new about your life.

Since it's obviously your story.

You could say that
nothing was made up.

It's just as
I experienced it, but...

it has a point of view.

So that makes it a novel.

If there's a point of view,
it's the same as making it up.

You're still living.
The man in the novel dies.

I understand it as a story.

Made-up stories are
often more honest.

I'm glad that you enjoyed it.

I never said I enjoyed it.

But don't worry.

I like your novel, too.

Was it bitten by a dog or cat?

What should we do?

I don't think it will live.

Is it dead?

Not sure yet.

Let's walk.
Sorry for making you see that.

I see hope!

Let's change direction.

Here. Here, here.

Hurry up.

We should follow the wind.

Let's hold hands.

That way you won't get lost.

Father... father...

Is smoking allowed here?

I don't know.

Do you smoke, too?

I quit.

Take your time, it's fine.

There are no streetlamps here.
We should go down.

- It makes a noise.
- Yeah.

Wow, they have
cigarettes like that?

Indonesian cigarettes.

It smells nice,
like burning leaves.

Yes, my boyfriend smoked them.

I dated an Indonesian man.

I can't help but try one.

A while back, I got pregnant.

I didn't feel confident
enough to have it.

My boyfriend was
an exchange student.

He understood about the abortion.

He went back
when it was getting cold.

He had trouble with winter,
it's for the best.

If he was a student,
he was younger than you?

His eyes were beautiful.

With his eyes all wet,
he looked more wistful.

- When he left?
- Yes.

And when I told him
about the abortion,

he cried a long time,

then he said he
named the baby "Rintik."

It means the sound a raindrop
makes falling off a leaf.

He named our child that.

Crazy fool.

Naming a baby that
won't even be born,

does he even know
what that means?

On my way back to Korea,
I read a magazine on the plane.

An interview with someone
who walked on the moon twice.

When he picked a title
for the book he wrote,

it wasn't "Voyage to the Moon,"
it was "Return to Earth."

He said returning from the moon
is much harder than getting there.

I'm not sure
what you're getting at.

These are great.
They don't smell like cigarettes.

This is my last pack.

You must feel sad.

It's all right.

We agreed to publish the book,
and now I'm looking for work.

But I don't think I can keep
my promise to quit smoking.

- How about resort in Southern Asia?
- Sounds good.

- Why don't you guys go together?
- Only us, together?

No way! Let's go three of us.

SUNG HA

It's you, right?

Oh, sir?

How have you been?

Good. And you?
It's been so long.

Yes, it really has.

I heard you were
abroad somewhere.

I was in England a few years.
Please, have a seat.

Shall I?

It's take-out coffee.
A minute should be fine, right?

Wow, it's been ages.

I think I heard
you got married there?

Yes, that's right.

It didn't work out, I came back.

Together?

No, by myself.
My wife is still in England.

We've separated.

Are you doing well?

You're still doing
interesting work?

As you know,
we photographers are struggling.

No good work,
I'm just on a downward slide.

Bit by bit, as I get older.

Do you come here often?

No, it's my first time.

I was just walking by.

It's amazing, really.
And here I meet you.

Because I wanted a hot drink.

It was sunny so I took a walk,
but it's still cold.

- Winter's not done yet.
- That's right.

When did you return to Korea?

Last week.

What will you do?
Publishing, again?

I've been away from Korean
for too long,

but I'm looking for something.

Sure. I'll see
if I can help somehow.

Oh my, thank you.

Chang-seok.

To be honest,

something amazing
happened to me.

Did you meet my wife?

No, but I knew you were married.

That was a long time ago.

You know what this is?

It's cyanide.

Really hard to find.

I see.

If you mix this in water,
it's painful but you die fast.

About half a gram?

This much...

A few years ago, my wife
was diagnosed with breast cancer.

They operated right away,

and the result was good,
but it had spread already.

From then on, things were hard.

Around the end of last year,
we lost all hope.

I thought

that we were like an island.

I bought this in order to go
when my wife does.

Foolish, isn't it?

Yes, I don't think
it's a good idea.

You're right.

I'm loyal, you know.

There's no longer any
point in surgery,

and my wife's body
is wasting away.

Still, speaking openly
with my wife who's still alive,

it's hard for people
to give up hope.

They start hanging on
to a different hope.

You spend so much
on the silliest things.

But one day,

my wife held my hand
and said she was scared.

She got so scared
before going to sleep.

We tried a shamanic ceremony,
having her take lye,

we tried everything,

but nothing works.

My wife got worse,

and at last she was breathing,
but fell into a coma.

But you know,

I met a Buddhist monk yesterday.
This might sound crazy to you.

Instead of logic I tried mysticism,
and found a man with mystical power.

I met him in a café
in Insa-dong,

and as soon as he saw me,
he pulled up my shirt,

took a bamboo rod and
whipped my back about 100 times.

It felt like my back
was on fire.

After he was done,

he gave me a bottle this big
with yellow liquid in it.

It was water that came up through
dead trees behind the temple,

He spread it on my back,

He spread it on my back,

and said to spread it
on my wife's wounds, too.

I don't believe all that,
but people...

they need to hang
their hope on something.

I went to the hospital,

and was spreading it
on my wife's body,

when she opened her eyes
and looked at me.

She regained consciousness,
just last night!

Isn't it amazing?

Yes, it is.

In the morning my wife said

she dreamed a small bird
flew into her embrace.

I held her hand and
looked out the window,

and a sparrow came
and chirped at us.

Seeing her smile,
I made up my mind.

So I met the monk again, and
he whipped my back, spread ointment...

But he told me
something else today.

He said to go north.

If I go north from where my wife is,
I'll meet a person with luck.

I'll meet someone I once knew,
and that person will become my luck.

Isn't it amazing?

Yes, it is.

He said after we talk,

I'll go back and my wife will
greet me with a peaceful face.

Isn't that amazing?

Yes…

I don't believe
in miracles, either.

But they come in the depths
of despair, miracles...

Excuse me a second.

I need to go to the hospital.

My wife died.

JU EUN

Want anything else?

This drink here...

One highball, please.

Yes.

It's good.

It's a simple drink,
but it tastes good.

If you like it strong,
I can add more whiskey.

Really?

Did you come in
to drink on your own?

No, I was meeting someone here.

Guess that person's late.

I came early.

This is on the house.

What?

It's my last day working here.

What are you writing?

Just writing some notes.

Am I staying too long?

It's a long time before closing.
No problem.

Take your time.

I'm not the owner,
so stay as long as you like.

Anyway you're waiting for someone,
aren't you?

It's kind of amazing.

It's rare to write things
in notebooks these days.

Not many people do it.

It's good to see.

I like writing things down, too.

I write poetry.

Poetry?

I often write it in
the iPhone voice memo,

but then I copy it all into this.

That's cool.

Writing poems doesn't
make you a poet.

But still, you need to
let out your emotions.

And I write poems
about the customers here.

Not that they'd know.

I feel a bit sorry sometimes.

Now I know.

If I write a poem about you,
I'll apologize to you then.

How do you write the poems?

The poems?

First I hear their stories.

I work here because
I'm curious about people.

All kinds of people come in
and want to talk to me.

Did you hear
a lot of good stories?

You think that's likely?
Most aren't interesting.

If someone's boring, I make up
a story about why they're boring.

If someone's boring, I make up
a story about why they're boring.

Still, you're really
interested in people.

Actually, I kind of need
other people's memories.

I don't have many myself.

Have you ever been
in a car accident?

No.

I was in an accident
5 years ago.

Riding on my friend's motorcycle,

we hit a van and
I was hurt badly.

That's what happened
to this eye.

See this tattoo?

The tear in my skin goes down
below my navel.

You see it?

Yes, I see.

I woke up about a month later,

and I guess because my head
hit the road, my memories were gone.

Well, not everything.

Like in a cheesy movie.

What I remembered was like
the whiskey in this bottle.

It was all empty.

So I play a game sometimes.

Buying memories.

Since I just have to
believe what I hear.

Tell me an interesting memory,
and I'll buy you a drink.

My memory?

Yeah, just for customers
who I like.

Any memory you want
to sell for a drink?

You laugh a lot.

Well, if I sell it,
it's no longer mine?

It doesn't seem right
to give you a sad memory.

When I was in university,
I lived in Imun-dong.

Once on my way home from class,

I saw a rabbit in the alley.

It was squatting
near a streetlamp.

A rabbit? In Seoul?

Yeah.

So I squatted down too
and looked at the rabbit,

but it didn't run away.

A lady from a grocery store

squatted down next to me
and we both watched the rabbit.

Someone must have abandoned it.

That's what we thought, too.

The lady brought some
cabbage from the store,

and the rabbit munched it up happily.

There are lots of stray cats there,
and we worried it might get hurt.

So the lady and I debated over
who would take it home.

She said her husband
would never allow it.

And I was living at my friend's place,
so it wasn't easy.

Finally we played
paper, scissors, stone.

I won.

So she put the rabbit
in a box and took it.

So bye-bye to the rabbit?

I saw it sometimes.

She brought it to the store,
and walked it sometimes.

They say rabbits live
about 6 years.

This one lived 4 years
after we found it,

so I guess it died
a natural death.

That's nice.
A happy ending.

Then it's a deal?

A deal!

Do you smoke?

I do,

but I have no cigarettes.

That glass is nice.

Isn't it?

It's my favorite glass.

It's amazing.

Amazing?

This is a useful place.

You get memories,
write poetry...

Still, it's my last day.

But the person you're
waiting for is really late.

He waits.

Slowly emptying his glass.

Amidst silence and conversation,

and his white lies, he waits.

In fact, when he said he is waiting,
he became someone who waits.

No one is coming,

but he's someone who waits.

CHANG SEOK

- Hello?
- It's me.

It's me.

Yeah.

Have you been well?

So-so.

Yeah.

Spring is late here.

Really?

Yeah.

Did you finish your writing?

Yeah.

I'm curious.

It'll be out soon.

Will you read it?

No. I'm not ready.

Later I'll try reading it.

Sure.

I'm still okay.

Huh?

I'm still okay.
I can try more.

If you agree,
I think we can try again.

I think we tried a lot.

I thought so...

But can't we try again?

It's still cold here.

Here, too.

Can I go back there?

Can I?

If we try again...

might it work this time?

Okay, come.

I miss you.

Okay.

I'll buy a ticket,
the soonest I can.

Come quickly.

I miss you.

Me too.

I miss you, too.

Soo-yeon wants
her dad back, too.

But Soo-yeon died...

What do you mean?

She's sleeping tight
right next to me.

You need to follow the wind!

Wow!

I see hope!
Move the ship's sails.

Move the ship's sails!

Come here, hold my hand!

This way you won't get lost.

The mother held the child's
small hand tight.

They vanished at
the end of the alley.

I walked the empty alleys,

and dreamed that night.