![]() He wants to fly so much, he'll even be this fragile bird.Īfter all, "a man" might as well be a "snail." He's so "tied up to the ground" that he "gives the world its saddest sound." But they might prefer to stay human and earthbound if the other option was to be a mere sparrow. Perhaps this strengthens his point- anyone could wish to be an eagle (or a condor) rather than stay a human. It interesting that he chose a "sparrow," since his song about that very bird showed how vulnerable and ignored it was. Similarly, natural settings like "forests" win out over urban ones like a "street." The song is about longing to fly like a bird, a "sparrow" (perhaps not as destitute a one as in "Sparrow") or a "swan." The lyrics are a series of comparisons, with the flying birds winning out over those creatures bound by gravity, like snails. He'd "rather be a sparrow." He'd rather "sail away, like a swan/ That's here and gone." Simon gives that yearning- to be a bird- a voice, here. Even our greatest superhero's most super superpower is to make people point skyward at his soaring form, crying: "It's a bird! It's a plane!" Babies love being tossed in the air, children ride swings as high as they can, and we adults do everything from high diving and BASE jumping to parasailing, skydiving, and hang-gilding. For as long as we have seen birds, we have tried to fly like them. Gravity, as much as it gives to us, is considered the enemy of humanity. ![]() It soars, huge wings outspread, barely flapping, riding on air currents. The song's title means "The Condor Passes," the condor being a large vulture-like bird native to the Andes and Rockies. Theatrical distribution is unlikely outside the arthouse circuit, but given Jeon’s high profile on the festival market, it’s bound to screen at other festivals in the near future.Simon has already drawn from native folk sources for his material, as he did with "Scarborough Fair." This time, he presages his Rhythm of the Saints work by decades with a Peruvian folk tune, replete with authentic wood flutes from the Andes. Furthermore, Jeon’s greater focus on storytelling compared to his previous films will be a welcome attribute to those who find Jeon’s films too elusive. Nevertheless, both leads in this film: Cho Jae-hyun and Bae Jeong-hwa are able to deal with the demands of their respective characters and deliver convincing performances that aid in carrying the narrative forward. With faith and forgiveness becoming a tangible theme in a number of Korean films including A Reason to Live (2011), much like Lee’s Secret Sunshine, El Condor Pasa attempts to explore whether religion can aid in forgiveness, or merely becomes a fruitless endeavour, but Lee’s film is more successful in this regard owing to a stronger script and an exceptional performance by Jeon Do-yeon. Unlike Lee’s film, its shorter duration and less grueling narrative makes it a generally more tolerable feature, but Jeon’s typical austere approach makes a number of scenes including an overly drawn-out sex scene an uncomfortable viewing. The priest then takes a trip to Peru to visit an old friend as he sets out toss seek forgiveness for his transgressions. Most of the film takes place in Busan where Jeon has established his roots as it follows a catholic priest who begins a relationship with a woman after her younger sister is raped and murdered. Jeon Soo-il is no stranger to the festival circuit, and has built a reputation for his realist form of filmmaking and El Condor Paso is emblematic of this style through a number of long takes and minimal interference. Mirroring the themes of religion, grief and forgiveness found in Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine (2007), El Condor Pasa is a compelling addition to Jeon Soo-ill’s body of work, which should continue its festival run following its world premiere in Busan, but lacks the substance found in Lee’s award-winning feature.Įl Condor Pasa attempts to explore whether religion can aid in forgiveness, or merely becomes a fruitless endeavour.
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