Secret Sunshine (Blu-ray) (4K Restored) (Japan Version) Blu-ray Region A

The film begins with widow Shin Ae (Jeon Do Yeon) and her young son Jun moving to the small town of Milyang (which translates as "secret sunshine") where her husband was born. Opening up a piano school with the help of local man Jong Chan (Song Kang Ho), she tries to rebuild her life, a dream which is shattered when the boy is kidnapped and murdered. This fresh tragedy pushes her over the edge, and she falls in with the local Christian church. Her newfound religious beliefs initially give her comfort and strength, though she is soon tested when she decides to try and find it in her heart to forgive the man responsible for Jun's cruel death.

Although Secret Sunshine may appear to cover some potentially familiar ground recently also explored in the likes of Voice of a Murderer and Christian prison drama Maundy Thursday, and may sound like a sure recipe for yet another slice of gloomy melodrama, it actually turns out to be a very different proposition indeed. Of course, this should not come as much of a surprise given the pedigree of Lee's previous works, though it's a tribute to his skill as a storyteller that he here manages to mine such an uninspiring premise into something which is wholly engrossing and intellectually challenging. This film is one where the viewer slowly gets to know and becomes involved with the characters, without ever being patronised or spoon fed cliche, and as a result they come across as being real and indeed painfully human rather than the usual kind of obvious two dimensional stereotypes. As a result, much of the film is ambiguous and open to interpretation, such as Shin Ae's feelings towards the bullied daughter of her child's murderer. This adds an uncommon complexity and depth to the drama which makes it all the more gripping.

Although this is in part due to Lee's intimate, patient style, the film's success rests largely upon the shoulders of actress Jeon Do Yeon, who features in almost every scene. Giving a wonderfully naturalistic performance, she provides the film with its emotional core and pulls the viewer along on her character's difficult journey. Since the drama heads into some pretty bleak territory, this does make for uncomfortable viewing at times, particularly during the latter stages, and the scene in which she finally confronts the killer is one of the most devastating and powerful in recent memory, though not in the manner expected. Thankfully, although the film deals with deep despair and is profoundly moving, it is never overwrought or melodramatic, and when the tears come they are raw and painful to watch. Never offering forced resolutions or easy answers, the film is bravely non-judgmental and Lee does not shy away from the fact that people make bad choices and mistakes.

Song Kang Ho also turns in a good performance, and whilst there is certainly a bit of his usual bumbling idiot shtick to his role, he is by no means a simple guardian angel, having questionable motivations and showing several flashes of frightening rage. His character also undergoes an interesting journey, and has a very different experience with Christianity to that of Shin Ae.

Secret Sunshine is a film about religion rather than a religious one as such, with Lee depicting Christianity from the perspective of an outsider. Firstly treated as an alien annoyance, with people clapping, singing and howling at the sky, the religion is tackled in brave, open fashion, asking difficult questions, beginning with the old chestnut as to why God allows terrible things to happen. Even more searching issues are explored as the film progresses, as Shin Ae's Christian rebirth essentially sees her using the religion as a crutch. This period of the film is particularly challenging, as her conversion whilst perhaps understandable given the circumstances distances her from the viewer and comes as a shock. The matter comes to a head as she struggles with living as well as speaking the religious ideal, in particular in her attempts to forgive the murderer, and Lee uses this to meditate upon the darker and even hypocritical side of Christianity, dealing with the moral superiority which many seem to use to take refuge in and the feelings of jealousy and even enmity which it can result in. Again, he offers no judgement upon the religion, simply showing that faith can mean different things to different people, leaving the viewer to draw their own conclusions as to what lies behind the smiles and within the hearts of the characters, something which again underlines how the film is seen through the eyes of Shin Ae herself.

As a result, Secret Sunshine is arguably one of the most honest films about Christianity, and one which challenges the religion without either offending or pulling punches. On top of such intellectual ponderings, it offers superbly acted, tense, quietly gripping character driven drama which draws the viewer in and refuses to let go. Possibly Lee's best effort to date, a fact which itself speaks volumes for its quality, the film is simply one of the best from Korea in recent years.

by James Mudge - BeyondHollywood.com