'The Woman Who Ran' centers on interactions between women

Actors Kim Min-hee, left, and Kim Sae-byuk in a scene from the film “The Woman Who Ran” / Courtesy of Jeonwonsa Film

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Director Hong Sang-soo's “The Woman Who Ran” is a situational tale of a bored married woman named Gam-hee (Kim Min-hee) who meets her three old friends over the course of three days while her husband is away on a business trip.

As she travels alone for the first time in the five years since her marriage, Gam-hee explores new ways of seeing the world.

She first visits Young-soon (Seo Young-hwa), who moved to a quiet town outside Seoul recently after a divorce. Over grilled meat and makgeolli, they catch up along with Young-soon's housemate Young-ji (Lee Eun-mi) until they are interrupted by a neighbor who wants Young-ji to stop feeding a stray cat on account of his wife's fear of the animal.

Next, Gam-hee visits Su-young (Song Seon-mi), a pilates instructor who has a crush on her neighbor. This time, their conversation is interrupted by a stalker-like poet, who keeps returning to Su-young's flat after a one-night stand.

And finally, Gam-hee visits an arthouse cinema and runs into Woo-jin (Kim Sae-byuk), who works there. Unlike the first two friends, Gam-hee feels uneasy about Woo-jin because her estranged friend is married to a popular novelist Gam-hee used to date. She later has an awkward encounter with the novelist (Kwon Hae-hyo) at the cinema.

The story's simple and linear structure is stimulating, and the film does a good job of portraying how Gam-hee steps out of her comfort zone and finds personal independence through casual conversations with her old friends. Hong's static long takes and trademark zooms help audiences read the characters' thoughts and emotions.

His naturalistic approach and appreciation of small moments, like the occasional zoom of mountains and neighborhoods, also showcase plenty of depth.

Whether asked or not, Gam-hee continues to say she is lucky she married a man who thinks “people in love should always be together.” However, encounters with three different independent women lead her to step back and reassess her life.

However, there's one aspect of “The Woman Who Ran” that some may find rather frustrating ― the appearances of sad-sack men. As the film focuses on the interactions of the women, Hong avoids the male gaze and depicts men as fools ― this clearly differs from his previous works that are mostly told from a man's point of view.

“The Woman Who Ran” is Hong's 24th feature film since debuting with “The Day a Pig Fell into the Well” in 1997. The film premiered at this year's Berlin International Film Festival before its local release. It has been met with international accolades and positive reviews, scooping up the Best Director Award at the 70th Berlinale and the Best Script Award at the 16th Bucharest International Film Festival.

The film will hit local theaters Sept.17.