The animation industry in Korea has been making some significant steps forward during the last few years, with titles like “Beauty Water” having a significant festival run. Kim Min-ji-II, who gave us another notable title, “Scarecrow Island” a couple of years ago, comes back with a film that lingers somewhere between “Beauty Water” and “Black Swan”.
“Climbing” is screening at the London Korean Film Festival
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Professional climber Choi Se-hyeon, who has just recovered from a car accident recently, discovers that she is pregnant, just before the Climbing World Championship. Despite her husband’s wish to have a child, she is not particularly keen on having one, since it would jeopardise her career. At the same time, the antagonism from another athlete from the same gym becomes more intense and Se-hyeon’s nerves are on the border of breaking. Furthermore, eventually she starts receiving text messages from another version of ‘herself’, who seems to have taken another path after the accident, having a ruined leg, staying with her mother in law, but still being pregnant.
Kim Min-ji-II creates a narrative that implements a sense of disorientation about what is true and what figments of her protagonist’s imagination, a sense that never actually leaves the viewer, since after a point, the two axes, one for each Se-hyeon, unfold simultaneously, occasionally even bordering on merging. This approach works excellently for the movie, allowing for a constant tension while intensifying the thriller element, as Kim builds up a story that is obvious early on, that it will lead in violence. Also of note is a subtle erotic element, which derives mostly from the sound, before it materializes briefly, which also adds to the overall excellent atmosphere.
The social comments here are also eloquent. Combining a career with motherhood, particularly when the latter involves competing at the highest level, is presented as something almost impossible here, although the need for the first for women is also highlighted, particularly through the second axis. At the same time, however, Kim also shows that women are expected to become mothers, with her husband and mother-in-law being the main “tools” for this approach. The way sports at the highest level work is another comment present here, with the combination of all the aforementioned resulting in yet another aspect, regarding how people can crumble due to pressure.
Granted, occasionally Kim seems to lose control of her narrative somewhat, particularly in the finale, but, in general, the movie works quite well both in terms of entertainment and context.
The animation on the other hand, could use a bit more work, since the CGI approach is not exactly ideal, particularly in the movement of the characters, their excessive or unnoticeable facial expressions, and the scenes involving people outside of the protagonists, as the one showing the audience in the stadium, which feel more suited to a video game. The drawing on the other hand is interesting, especially in the way the faces and even more so the noses are sketched. Kim’s own editing is quite accomplished, adding to the overall sense of disorientation through frequent, abrupt cuts and an overall rather fast pace.
“Climbing” is another testament to the fact that Korean animation has great prospects, particularly if the filmmakers dealing with the genre manage to work a bit more on the technical aspect of their movies.
Review by Panos Kotzathanasis
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“Climbing” is directed by Kim Hye-mi, and voiced by Kim Min-ji-II, Park Song-yi, Goo Ji-won-I, Park Joo-gwang. Release date in Korea: 2021/06/16.
[HanCinema’s Film Review] “Climbing” (2021/11/05)
Source: Laban Lang Philippines
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