"Would you like to come for some ramyeon?” With its iconic line leaving an imprint on Korean mainstream culture, One Fine Spring Day (2001) is a South Korean feature film showcasing the love affair between local radio host Eunsoo and sound engineer Sangwoo. Depicting the trials and tribulations of their relationship, One Fine Spring Day may seem like another typical melodramatic romance film. Nevertheless, the film ultimately draws more attention to the individual human condition than the couple as a pair itself.

One of the most influential Korean melodramatic films of the 2000s, One Fine Spring Day has a raw and grainy quality defining its memorable aesthetic. This granular filter highlights the spectacular cinematography of the film, adding to the vintage, old-school atmosphere it possesses. One Fine Spring Day incorporates fixed camerawork, – so that characters move instead of the camera – symmetrical framing, and color schemes that add a dreamy, analog touch to its visual appearance. It is no wonder the popularity of this film has been revamped considering how distinct the movie is to the high-budget, overwhelmingly extravagant blockbuster films of today.

The Impossible Question

One Fine Spring Day showcases how two people fall in love and out of love with each other. In this process, both Eunsoo and Sangwoo act in ways that may seem utterly embarrassing or unethical to viewers. Correspondingly, the infamous question asked after anyone watches the film is “who is in the wrong?” It comes as second nature for many viewers to single out someone for the downfall of this relationship. This is based on the underlying assumption that the downfall of a romantic relationship is brought upon by one aggressor, with the heartbreak being designated for the victim.

Yet the film’s content easily denounces this question as invalid and unnecessary. Not only is this an inappropriate question within the movie but also for most real-life relationships. It is difficult for people to accept that, despite the time and commitment we dedicate to our loved ones, some relationships are just not meant to be. Whether people naturally end up distancing themselves or directly conflicting with each other, the fate of the relationship is likely in neither’s hands. The same goes for Eunsoo and Sangwoo.

Having fallen madly in love with each other’s mere presence, Eunsoo and Sangwoo were blind to how incompatible they truly are. This is represented through the minor details Director Hur Jin-ho incorporates in his film. From the get-go, Sangwoo’s first appearance on the screen depicts his love for his ill grandmother and his innocent personality. The scene parallels Eunsoo’s first interaction with anyone besides Sangwoo when she interviews an elderly woman. Contrary to Sangwoo, Eunsoo’s attitude is cold, straightforward, and almost business-like, not showing any genuine interest in the lady’s testaments. This does not necessarily make Eunsoo a bad person, but simply someone who might not conform to the life values Sangwoo abides by.

The most Typical of Relationships

An intriguing feature reiterated throughout the film is how ambiguously it portrays its characters and their background. In doing so, Hur induces a lack of clarity and specificity amongst the characters, making it seem like Eunsoo and Sangwoo could be anyone moviegoers could imagine them to be, including the viewers themselves. Unlike many films that embark on a personal journey led by its protagonist, One Fine Spring Day is much like a Monet painting – vaguely familiar, yet very convincing.

This foggy representation of the characters is aggravated by their reluctance to develop intimacy by getting to know each other beyond the frame of lovers. Eunsoo, being a divorced woman, finds Sangwoo’s advances regarding marriage overwhelming and pressuring. Nevertheless, Eunsoo fails to communicate these sentiments and begins distancing herself from Sangwoo, being arrogant and callous towards his good intentions. The same wall is seen on Sangwoo’s side as well, with him being solely immersed in his affection for Eunsoo and subsequently ignorant about how that might affect her, considering her past.

In many ways, this sense of the unknown is what hallmarks the early stages of a crush. Yet, once this uncertainty is left untouched and undeveloped, disappointment and isolation start seeping into the relationship. In the end, Sangwoo is left baffled by how Eunsoo’s love for him could ever change. Yet in Eunsoo’s adamant, cold-blooded eyes, the audience cannot help but question whether these two were anything more than lonely, intrigued strangers to each other.

The Adults' Coming-of-Age Film

Underneath its beautiful aesthetic, One Fine Spring Day is ultimately the story of how two adults deal with pain and anxiety; love is simply a coping mechanism used in this process. Ironically enough, the sources of such pain are made explicit to each other at the beginning of the film, yet it is never discussed further between them throughout the film. The frustrating aspect of Sangwoo and Eunsoo’s on-and-off relationship throughout most of the film is its lack of closure preventing them from putting a clean end to it. To both, their relationship symbolizes their struggles embracing and tackling the unforgiving, relentless reality that is not sugarcoated by love. Therefore, their eventual adieu hardly signifies their detachment to one another, but rather their past selves, naïve and immature, but now prepared to become real adults.

Frankly, One Fine Spring Day’s popularity as the quintessential romance film overshadows the intricate yet blunt nature of human relationships it sheds light upon. From the distant and generic manner it depicts its characters to their connection with their past relationship, One Fine Spring Day is a movie where the audience can learn about people, from characters who are also learning the same.

Film Information

Release Date:  September 29, 2001

Director: Hur Jin-ho

Cast: Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Young-ae

Running Time: 114 minutes

Genre: Romance, melodrama, drama