Forgotten in storage for 37 years, following a clash between the creators and the censors, with the latter demanding that the ending line changes and the former denying, “A Day Off” was discovered in 2005 in the Korean Film Archive, and was eventually restored, adding even more to the legend of one of the most influencing directors of the 60s.
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The story takes place on a Sunday in late winter, where we are introduced to Heo-wook, a man who tries to fight his poorness by turning tricks on people. Eventually, he meets Ji-yeon, his secret lover, whom he only meets on Sundays. The girl talks about their life together and a future with kids and a beautiful house, but Heo-wook remains bleak, knowing their financial situation will not allow this. As they roam the streets in the cold, she eventually reveals that he is pregnant. Desperate to find money for an abortion, he leaves her in a park and starts visiting his friends, asking for help. The womanizer and the drunk bring no success, which turns Heo-wook to his rich spoiled friend. Crime eventually ensues, but punishment is following close behind.
Lee Man-hee-I directs a film that implements a very interesting combination, with images of utter beauty and artistry juxtaposed with the bleakness of the main theme. In that fashion, the cold of the air, the snow, and the overall tour-guide aspect of the movie is excellently portrayed by Lee Suk-kee’s lens, with the exterior scenes featuring very few dialogues, essentially allowing the viewer to appreciate the beauty. As soon as the narrative moves indoors and dialogues ensues, a terrible pessimism starts to permeate the movie, particularly directed towards men. That Heo-wook’s friends are a womanizer, a drunk and a spoiled seems like a direct accusation towards the particular sex, as all the men in the story appear filled with faults. The women here are portrayed as stronger, in different ways, as Ji-yeon fights against all odds, the womanizer’s friend leaves him breaking the window as soon as she overhears him badmouthing him, while even the rich man’s maid eventually mocks his manhood. At the same time, Lee seems to state that despite the fact, women end up hurt by men in a society that is deeply patriarchal The maid continues to be in service in the end, the “breaker” is exploited sexually, while Ji-yeon has the worst fate of all, with her arc cementing the comment and the overall bleakness and pessimism of the movie. At the same time, Heo-wook is proven the worst of all essentially, with his attitude being particularly despicable from beginning to end, with the finale, both the brutal one and the relatively calm and actually optimistic one, also adding to the idea that “this is a man’s world”.
Lastly, the fact that Sunday, a day off when most people are off work and free to relax, actually presents more of a problem than a relief for the majority of the protagonists, seems to be a comment about how the then society was lost in its money-making, self-indulgent paths.
Kang-Shin Sung-il gives a great performance in the protagonist role in that regard, with his unapologetic, self-centered ways being portrayed with gusto, resulting in the creation of a character who only causes problems but still manages to be rather liked. Ji Yun-seong as Jee-yoon is also rather convincing in her naive cheerfulness and resolve, with her presenting the victim in the best fashion.
Hyeon Dong-chun’s editing implements a pace that is slower on the exterior shots and faster in the interior ones, thus fitting the overall aesthetics excellently. Furthermore, at just 73 minutes, the movie does not overextend its welcome in any way, even if the melodrama becomes a bit too much on occasion, particularly when the music that accompanies the movie gets too sentimental
“A Day Off” is an excellent film, another testament to Lee Man-hee-I‘s prowess and his ability of presenting deep, meaningful comments within a narrative that also focuses on beauty.
Review by Panos Kotzathanasis
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“A Day Off” is directed by Lee Man-hee-I, and features Kang-Shin Sung-il, Ji Yun-seong, Kim Sung-ok, Kim Sun-cheol, An Eun-suk, Kim Kyung-ran. Release date in Korea: 1968.
[HanCinema’s Film Review] “A Day Off” + Full Movie (2022/02/11)
Source: Laban Lang Philippines
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