Starring: Su Ae, Jung Jin-Young, Eum Tae-Woong
Director: Lee Jun-Ik
Studio: KD Media (Korea)
Rating: 12 up
Genre: Drama
| Important! Please read before you order! |
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>>>This DVD is encoded for Region
3
(See
below to make sure which region code is designated to your area).
This DVD will NOT be viewable on regular DVD players made for
other regions unless they are code-(region-)free DVD players.
* Region 1 - US, US Territories, Canada, Bermuda * Region 2 - Japan, Europe, S Africa, ME incl. Egypt * Region 3 - SE Asia, E Asia incl. S Korea and Hog Kong * Region 4 - Australia, New Zealand, C & S America, Pacific Islands, The Caribbean * Region 5 - Former Soviet Union, Indian Subcontinent, Africa, N Korea, Mongolia * Region 6 - China |
About This DVD
"Sunny", a love story set amid the Vietnam War, epitomizes South Korean director
Lee Joon-ik's cinematic endeavors by bringing together the period detail of "The
King and the Clown" (2005) and musical inspirations of "The Happy Life" (2007).
This is the country's first movie directly depicting the sweat of some 320,000
Korean soldiers that fought with American forces. At the time, veteran singers
like Patty Kim and Hyun Mi, who were pin-up girls back then, traveled to the
war-torn land to cheer up soldiers. According to the director, a black and white
photograph of a beautiful "consolatory band" singer gave birth to the film. Lee
brings a tale that seeps into the heart with the wistful tunes of Kim Chu-ja's
"My Love Is Faraway", the Korean title of the movie. The story is basically
about an average rural housewife who, with the sole aim of tracking down her
husband, becomes a singer. But the film grazes upon a broader sense of love and
humanitarian concern as it depicts a long voyage of self-discovery.
It's 1971 Confucian Korea. Actress Soo-ae is Sun-heui, a quiet young woman stuck
in an arranged marriage with a man who's still in love with his college
sweetheart. She has no choice but to submit to her stern mother-in-law's futile
campaign for a grandson, and regularly visits her soldier husband Sang-gil (Eom
Tae-woong). Yet, all he returns is a cold glance and a poignant question: "Do
you even know what love is?"
She is speechless.
One day, Sun-heui discovers that Sang-gil has left for Vietnam. When her
distraught mother-in-law packs bags to find the family's sole male heir, Sun-heui
decides to make the trip. While civilians are unable to travel to the warstruck
country, she finds out that so-called consolatory singers can go. She finally
finds a way to make use of her latent vocal talent. This incredulous turn of
events is made possible with another desperate character. Jung-man (Jeong Jin-yeong),
a con artist, cannot miss out on the lucrative business, and happily recruits
Sun-heui and other band members. Thus our protagonist trades in her outmoded
name Sun-heui for Sunny.
But of course, stripping down from floral blouses buttoned all the way to the
top and ankle-length skirts into cleavage-bearing mini dresses and risque high
heels isn't easy. However, a sense of fortitude grapples our protagonist as she
watches innocent civilians, young soldiers and Vietcong perish. While this type
of character development is all rather formulaic to war dramas, the film depicts
it with tasteful restraint. Our laconic Sunny says it all with a flicker of pain
in her eyes and by crooning lyrics like "I should have told you I loved you but
it's too late". A question seems to linger in her mind. "Do you love me?" her
husband had asked her.
The movie offers a sense of liberation, as Sun-heui truly becomes Sunny, dancing
and singing her heart out. Her strength of will boosts the morale of soldiers
and transforms shady men like our greasy, velvet bellbottoms-wearing Jung-man,
who was keen on exploiting the star singer. The film takes on a dash of "Saving
Private Ryan" (1998) as Sunny's "fans" (high-ranking military men) help search
for her missing husband. Will her heart reach his?
"Sunny" may at first remind you of "Cold Mountain" (2003), where a man embarks
on a cross-country trek during the American Civil War to find the love of his
life. But the movie is more a kindred spirit of "The Painted Veil" (2006) ?
"sometimes the greatest journey is the distance between two people".
| Audio Format: | DD 5.1 |
| Video Format: | Widescreen 1.85: 1 (Anamorphic) |
| Languages: | Korean |
| Subtitles: | English, Korean |
| Country Made: | Korea |
| Region Code: | 3 |
| Year Made: | 2008 |
| Running Time: | 126 |
| Special Features: |
-Making of features on the Korea and Thailand locations -The time period -The visual effects -NG footage -Trailers -Music video and more |
Availability: Usually ships in 5~10 business days.
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