Poetry - Movie Review

Poetry

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The name “Poetry” may suggest a literary romance. The story, however, has nothing quite close to what we assume to be romantic in spite of the mention of life’s beauty waiting to be explored and discovered. And only those who care to observe with the heart are aware of such beauty and try to express it in words in form of poetry writing.  

Yang Mi-ja, a 66-year-old suburban woman who has joined a Poetry class, often laments her inability to even start writing a poem. But while her classmates are far more out-spoken in their sharing of personal experiences, she is the only one who has succeeded in writing a poem ultimately. And that is because she has been true to her inner self. As her instructor comments, she has actually written from her heart.

However, by no means is Yang Mi-ja portrayed as a rich lady who has all the time she needs to enjoy poem writing. On the contrary, she is on the dole and works part-time as the caretaker of a fastidious handicapped post-stroke patient. Besides, she has to take care of her grandson, a typical home-boy and loafer incapable of self-care. Worse still, he turns out to be one of the gang of six involved in campus bullying, which has led to a suicidal case. And, as if she did not have enough of a headache, she is diagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s disease. Nevertheless, the greatest agony is her failure in convincing her grandson to face up to his own fault.

The problems she is confronted with are those typical of current society - problems such as juvenile delinquency, campus bully, attempts to cover up crimes, etc. Even the disease seems common in the modern era. What place is there for poetry in her miserable life then? Why is poetry chosen as the central theme of the film? As I see it, her renewed interest in poetry somehow serves as an escape from the cruel realities of her life. When she is supposed to be discussing the compensation, for example, she suddenly leaves the group and is later seen to be admiring some nice flowers. In another case, on her way to meet the mother of the murdered girl, she allows herself to be entirely enthralled by a fallen pear. 

One interesting detail is that she is very careful about dressing herself properly when she is out. It may somehow throw light on her refined nature though she does menial work as a supplementary source of income. If she had been better off, she could have been well educated, which is evident from her fondness for poetry to the extent that she sees a policeman’s dirty jokes as a sign of disrespect for poetry.

Though “Poetry” is a story surrounding the tragic life of a woman, it is not targeted merely at female audience. In fact, it is recommendable to a wide audience range.