Film Review #77: PAST LIVES

There’s an art in capturing intimacy, be it in the softest of touches or the quickest of glances. A gaze held in quietness is suggestive, an indication of possibilities. There’s a flood of emotions hidden behind each gesture, and love comes in many forms. In Past Lives, these emotions ebb and flow with the passage of time, drawing out the subtle intricacies in each interaction.

Two childhood friends, Hae Sung and Nora, reunite in New York after many years living in different countries. A co-production between South Korea and America, Past Lives is Celine Song’s debut directorial feature. Song, who was born in South Korea but moved to Canada at a young age, experiences the cultural pot of flavours blending the East and West like many immigrants do. It’s a common thread among filmmakers coming from diaspora backgrounds, that their stories involve a tinge of identity crisis stemming from mixed cultures. In Past Lives, Nora has adopted English as her lingua franca, but still dreams in Korean. Trivial as it may seem, these small details are what give Past Lives an authenticity.

As the title suggests, Past Lives ruminates over the idea of reincarnation. A tenet of Buddhist influenced beliefs in Asian countries, it’s common to infer present relationships based on how people knew each other in a previous life. The threads of fate are seen as immutable truths, and the people meant for each other would eventually meet no matter the circumstances. The film holds this belief up for scrutiny, letting viewers decide if these fairytale-like endings do exist. At some moments in the film, one might just be compelled to believe it, if only just because we want to see that happy ending.



Film still from Past Lives

Due to Song’s own upbringing, the film also draws the distinction between Korean and American cultures. Hae Sung carries himself with a rigid formality while Nora, despite her Korean background has been attuned to the liberty of the West. The difference in how they think and express themselves sees the rift between them widen over the years. It’s poignant and bittersweet, but also a testament to their friendship.



Film still from Past Lives

Song is deliberate in how she chooses to frame intimacy in Past Lives. In some ways I feel that she taps into her Korean upbringing which might feel more reserved. There’s no outlandish declaration of love or fiery scenes of passion. She takes an extremely grounded approach to the portrayal of relationships and friendships, distilling it into a blend of conversations on what it means to love someone. Despite its simpler narrative, Past Lives is brimming with emotion.



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About the Author:  Ivan Chin has a penchant for Hong Kong cinema and science-fiction films, but enjoys anything from blockbusters to the avant-garde. His favourite directors include Johnnie To, Denis Villeneuve and Stanley Kubrick. He also fervently hopes to see local films blossom. In his free time, he can usually be found wandering around cinemas.

This review was written for SFS Preview: PAST LIVES on 21 August 2023.

Tickets are available here: https://singaporefilmsociety.eber.co/