Aahana Swrup
The Lee Chang-dong directorial film ‘Possible Love’ takes viewers on a profound journey centered on four individuals, each grappling with their own baggage and desires. Ho-seok and Mi-ok are a couple weighed down by the fallout from a general workers’ strike that began in response to mass layoffs. In the aftermath, the factory worker, who was on the front lines of this protest, finds himself severely traumatized and resistant to therapy of any kind. Therefore, when his wife, Mi-ok, makes the acquaintance of Ye-ji, a filmmaker who is making a documentary about the workers’ strike, she becomes a part of the project, hopeful that it will help her husband.
On the other hand, Ye-ji is married to Sang-woo, an accomplished businessman, who supports this endeavor even as he remains drastically detached from the socio-economic ideology behind it. The story charts the situational friendship that blooms between these two couples and how it highlights the cracks in their respective marriage, personal beliefs, and general worldviews. At the end, the film pays tribute to ‘Dekalog 10’ by Krzysztof Kieślowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz.
Possible Love Has Significant Thematic Connections to Dekalog 10
The conclusive tribute in ‘Possible Love’ is a reference to ‘Dekalog 10,’ the Polish black comedy film released in 1988. The title is the tenth and final installment in a ten-part series of television films directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski, who co-wrote the scripts with Krzysztof Piesiewicz. The series of psychological stories is connected to the ethical texts of the Ten Commandments, which are a foundational core of Jewish law. The tenth installment of Kieślowski’s work is based on the tenth commandment: Thou shalt not covet. Director Lee’s film ‘Possible Love’ opens with a title card reading the same quote.
Thus, the climactic tribute at the end serves as a bookend, highlighting the influence of Kieślowski’s work on the project. Initially, ‘Possible Love’ was conceived as a ten-part series, in which each episode would explore one of the Ten Commandments. The project was supposed to be a remake of Kieślowski’s work, sharing a thematic foundation with the Polish film series. Eventually, this idea underwent several phases before becoming a single story focused solely on the tenth installment. In the film, director Lee examines the themes of envy and the nuances of destructive desire through the story’s four central characters. Throughout the story, each protagonist is guilty of coveting something that is beyond their reach but available to another.
In a conversation with Esquire, the filmmaker spoke about the same. He shared, “The tenth commandment is a keyword that penetrates the entire film. The clearest coveting is in Sang-woo, or the power that his capital holds. Due to the nature and inherent greed of capital itself, how he continues to chase profit is something that completely changes others’ lives, especially that of the laborers. Then, Mi-ok and Ho-seok covet the lives of others that seem out of reach for them. The documentary filmmaker, Ye-ji, is like many filmmakers, including myself, who covet others’ stories, their lives, and their pain. It’s almost an inherent greed we have.” Thus, the film’s final tribute is a reminder of the piece of filmmaking history that inspired and influenced ‘Possible Love’ into its final form.
Read More: Possible Love Ending Explained: Why Does Mi-ok Pull Out of the Documentary?
You must be logged in to post a comment.