A Bitterly Warm, Strange Cohabitation Story - Movie
'Why Did You Come to My House'
Hello everyone! Today, I'd like to introduce you to a slightly unique and heartwarming Korean film that left a lingering feeling in my heart .It is a movie that I participated in as a Director of Photography.
It's the movie 'Why Did You Come to My House', released in 2009. This film didn't achieve huge box office success, but it later garnered some positive reviews among viewers who discovered it. Let me share my honest thoughts after watching this movie.
The story starts off incredibly bizarre. A man, Kim Byeong-hee (Park Hee-soon), who is preparing to end his life, suddenly has a mysterious woman break into his house. And she does it so casually, saying, "I'm home!". It's someone he's never seen before, yet she stops him from killing himself, tying up his hands and feet, insisting he shouldn't die. Then, as if it were her own living room, she makes herself comfortable, completely flipping the situation. It makes you want to ask, 'Why did you come to my house?'.
This woman is a character named Lee Su-kang (Kang Hye-jung), who is said to be pointed at as the "crazy bitch" by the neighborhood people. However, despite being set up as a homeless person, she doesn't look dirty or unkempt, and her eyebrows are even neatly trimmed, which is a bit unusual. Su-kang's reason for coming to Byeong-hee's house is also quite absurd: it's because his house offers the best view of the house belonging to her first love, Ji-min (Seungri), whom she's been obsessing over for 10 years. She even shows an intense, almost murderous look, saying she'll bury her first love alive, the one who made her this way, showing the unique "crazy bitch's spirit".
Byeong-hee is utterly baffled and feels wronged by this incomprehensible, unacceptable situation. He even forgets his firm resolve to commit suicide and trembles with frustration. The narration often reveals Byeong-hee's inner thoughts about how unfairly he's being treated. His unspoken anger and silent endurance, often shown through his blank expression, are paradoxically conveyed with a kind of dark humor.
As time passes, Byeong-hee gradually gets used to Su-kang. Even though he's tied up like a dog, he gets "tamed". Asking for water, needing to go to the bathroom... it's actually Su-kang who seems bothered by Byeong-hee's basic needs. At first, Byeong-hee could only breathe through his mouth due to the peculiar smell of a homeless person emanating from Su-kang, but as time went on, he even got used to that smell.
This movie has a somewhat complex structure. It starts by revealing Su-kang's death in the opening scene. The story then unfolds as the police discover a huge bundle of mail addressed to Byeong-hee among Su-kang's belongings. Byeong-hee, undergoing police investigation, recounts the bizarre incident of Su-kang's home invasion, and through this process, the past stories are revealed, creating a frame within a frame narrative structure. Due to the complexity, there is quite a lot of narration to provide explanations.
'Why Did You Come to My House' is not a typical romantic comedy. While there is certainly some mild humor stemming from their strange cohabitation, it is essentially a story about the tragic life of a woman labeled a 'crazy bitch' and a man who finds a spark of life through her. The main content revolves around Su-kang's unfortunate story: falling in love with a middle schooler seven years younger than her in her late teens, becoming a stalker, and ending up as a homeless person with three previous convictions. Byeong-hee (Park Hee-soon), who lost his wife and lost the will to live, mainly plays the role of listening to her story.
The film felt more like a healing story where two people who have lost the value of life find solace in each other. It portrays a fantasy where two beings, marginalized and abandoned by society, rely on each other for comfort. However, the fact that this healing and salvation occur only between themselves, not through reconciliation with society or societal change, also brings a sense of sadness and pathos.
Kang Hye-jung gives a truly realistic performance as Lee Su-kang, a character who dreams of miraculous love. She seems to have fully embodied the character without trying to look pretty or adorned, which felt very authentic. Park Hee-soon's slow speech and blank expression also create a strange harmony with Kang Hye-jung's unpredictable character, and just watching the unique chemistry between these two actors felt worthwhile.
While watching, I was reminded of other works. Some critics noted similarities to 'Crush and Blush' with the stalker premise and the shoveling scene, or the unfortunate life, costumes, atmosphere, and even saying "I'm home" when entering the house, resembling 'Memories of Matsuko'. While some felt these similarities were regrettable, I believe 'Why Did You Come to My House' definitely has its own unique atmosphere – a message of healing fantasy, portraying the desolate yet warm comfort two people, who have lost the will to live, find in each other.
An interesting fact is that the OST for this film includes 'Rain Drop' by Wheesung. Many people don't know that this song, which became even more famous after IU remade it, was originally an OST for 'Why Did You Come to My House'. It's a case where the OST became more well-known than the movie itself.
In conclusion, 'Why Did You Come to My House' is a film that tells a strange story of a man attempting suicide and a mysterious homeless woman who enters his life. Through their bizarre cohabitation, it conveys a message of lonely yet warm healing, showing how two people marginalized by society rely on each other to find a small light in their lives. While there are some minor drawbacks like the complex structure or similarities to other films, the actors' performances and the unique atmosphere make it a memorable work. Especially like the image of the small stray cat sitting precariously on the wall in the movie, it was a film whose story about lonely beings in need of societal care resonated with me.
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