‘Burning’ praised by NYT film critic

Director Lee Chang-dong’s film “Burning” has once again received praise from the film critics at the New York Times. The movie, released in May, was chosen as the No. 2 most inspiring movie of the year by film critic Manohla Dargis in the article “The Best Movies of 2018” released on Wednesday, local time.

According to the critic, the film was “breath-catchingly lovely, terrifying.” She wrote, “a South Korean woman dances in the fading light as two unworthy men sit, watch and slowly burn down their world.”

The film - which stars actors Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun and Jeon Jong-seo - based on Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami’s short story “Barn Burning,” revolves around the story of three mysterious people - Jong-su (Yoo), a delivery man who dreams of becoming a novelist, Hae-mi (Jeon), an old friend of Jong-su and Ben (Yeun), a rich, mysterious man whom Hae-mi meets during her trip in Africa.

The film has received attention abroad, including being awarded the Fipresci Prize and the Vulcan Award of the Technical Artist at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival from May 8 to 19 in Cannes, France.

The film was also selected to contend in the foreign-language category of the Oscars, which is set to take place in February.

By Yeo Ye-rim