Cows in Cinema: Another Triumph

Hey, all. Hope your weekends rocked fully and completely. Mine was rich with movies

One movie that I feel the need to mention is a Korean documentary called "Weonangsori", the English title being "Old Partner". The movie itself has slowly taken off by word of mouth buzz and is now breaking records in Korean cinema. I went to see the movie on Saturday with a close friend, only knowing vaguely that it was about an old man and his cow. I hadn't expected much.

Let me say plainly, that it is one of the finest, most moving films I've ever seen.

The movie tells of an elderly husband and wife who live in the picturesque mountains of Korea, living a simple and devoted life, farming the earth by traditional means. The story centers on the man and his cow, a creature he has worked with each day for 40 years. We watch as they endure their work and hardships together, nearing the end of their lives as true companions.

The film is unlike any other I can think of. It seems to step outside of the documentary genre and become something entirely new. I felt like I was simply witnessing a heartbreaking piece of life. It's beautiful, charming, and altogether sad.

How sad? Well, I have to say, with no embarrassment, that this movie brought me to tears. And not just an "I got the sniffles" moment; I was crying. When the movie sweeps into it's gut-wrenching conclusion, I turned into a weeping wreck, my friend was bawling, and I could hear others around us doing the same. It's not depressing like many movies I've seen in the past, it just has this quality of being poetically sad. As I said, it's an incredibly moving film.

I don't usually write about these things on this blog, saving most of my energy for drawing and ranting, but I was really blown away by this film. It's been on my mind constantly since seeing it, and I still feel occasionally overwhelmed by the images it presented. I can only hope that by some miracle it will find it's way to western audiences (perhaps on DVD), and I strongly urge anybody who loves animals, cares for nature, or appreciates film to see it. You will not be disappointed.