Lost to Shame is a film that was released in 2017. I thought this film was newer than it actually was. I'll still talk about Lost to Shame since I believe it's an important film that covers important topics. The film was directed by Nam Yeon Woo and stars himself in the leading role with a cast of semi known actors.
An actor wants to try out for a play about a man who dresses as a woman. In order to prepare for the role, he enters the world of homosexuals and even befriends them to really embody the character. He nails the audition but as he plays the role in each show, he finds that he's at war with himself in the character that he plays. Soon causing a dive into madness that effects his private life.
Lost to Shame unfolds as if to teach all who watch a lesson about the LGBTQ community when being an ally. Our main character is a likable guy on the outside for the first half of the film. I actually like how well learned the character is(He mentions the inequality of black people in the film); which might seem like a wonderful trait at first until you get into seeing the deep corners of his heart. Things don't start truly going south until the issue of being a sexual minority hit close to home for the character. One of the fastest ways to uncover who is a real ally to the cause: What if your brother or friend was gay? What if he dresses in woman's clothing? Would you treat him the same? These instances test a person's heart for if they are really alright with the idea of someone being something outside of the box of what society sees a "normal". The main character has a strong hold on the idea he created in his head that he is in support of LGBTQ rights till the resolve starts to crumble away. Just because a person has a black friend doesn't mean that he can't be racist towards black people. If your racist or not comes down to how you feel deep inside your heart. Sometimes we can trick ourselves into believing that we feel a certain way about something because it's social correct. However, you hurt people the most when your not being truthful about your feelings. Even if you don't realize how you really feel right away. Unpopular opinions might offend but at least everything is out on the table. Lost to Shame presents all of what I've just typed above through the main character's eyes. The people close to him cause emotional cues in the character that he can't come back from. Throwing the character into madness from shame. He learned the hard way about his true self. I felt the same way all the characters around him felt as the film plays out. There's a big portion of betrayal then angry before only sadness is left by the films conclusion. Instead to Lost of Shame trying to teach a lesson about the LGBTQ lifestyle, It gives a blunt show and tell to warn people to make sure their hearts are in the right place when they claim to be supporting the disenfranchised.
All of the performances were very powerful. They had to be for this kind of film. Its a subject matter that you can't make light of unless you're a jerk. Name Yeon Woo is amazing moving between the director's chair on top of acting. He acts as good as Lee Joon did in the film Rough Play.
Lost to Shame would technically be an indie arthouse film so the way it was shot isn't very spectacular. The focus is more on creating an emotion through actor shots and the setting which is the slums of the city. My mind always goes back to the play scenes that remind me of another Korean film called, Method without the crossdressing. Both films contain shots from some dark ass play sequences..[INSERT ME LAUGHING.]
People who want to see more Korean cinema based on LGBTQ issues should give Lost to Shame a watch. A similar storyline using a different form of storytelling makes the film a must see. I hope Korean continues to produce more in the future.
'man dressed as a woman,'
ReplyDeletemate it's about a play about a trans woman..