[Review] Past Lives

PAST LIVES - CELINE SONG

The film opens with a scene of three people—two men and one woman—sitting together, as onlookers speculate about their relationship. I thought about how you can never truly grasp the depth of a relationship just by observing from the outside. This very sceen inspired Song’s script, reflecting on her own experience sitting between her childhood sweetheart and her husband. She takes this deeply personal moment and elevates it to something universal.

The film spans three timelines. After the opening, we flashback 24 years to Seoul, where childhood friends Nayoung and Heesung share a crush. Nayoung’s family decides to emigrate to the U.S. in search of a better life. Like many Koreans, she changes her name to Nora for ease of pronunciation. This dual identity—Nayoung in Korean, Nora in English—feels like a symbolic split, pushing her towards an existential crisis as she navigates two worlds. The film jumps ahead by 12 years, and finally to the present. No spoilers here, don’t worry.

The movie leaves us with an inevitable question: What could have been? First, we ask it for Nora—what if she hadn’t left Korea? Then we ask it of ourselves. What if we had chosen a different path—studied somewhere else, moved to another city? Life is full of these infinite possibilities, and it’s the people we meet along the way who define our stories.

In Korean, there’s a word for this: 인연 (inyeon), a kind of destiny that brings people together. They say every brush of a coat, every eye contact with a stranger is part of inyeon. To get married, they say, you overcome 8,000 layers of it. This idea resonated with me deeply, especially since I’ve been reflecting on the connections I made during my Erasmus experience. We all come from different corners of the world—born in one place, raised in another—yet somehow we find ourselves in the same spot, at the same time. It’s not so remarkable when you’re in university because you’re all there for the same purpose. But when you’re traveling, it’s different. If you hadn’t been at that exact place at that exact moment, you might never have met certain people. This film had me thinking about the concept of kalu bela in Islam, which suggests that souls knew each other before this life. There's a Hadith that captures this beautifully: “Souls are like conscripted soldiers; those they recognize, they get along with, and those they do not, they will not.”

After watching the movie, I watched many video essays on it. One line from a video struck me: No two relationships are the same. Some people orbit you for years without touching your core, while others, even if met occasionally, strike chords no one else knows exist. No matter how much time passes, hearing certain names will always pique your curiosity in ways others can’t.

Another standout aspect of Past Lives was how language shapes identity. As a translator, I appreciated that they kept the Korean term 인연 (inyeon) without trying to find an English equivalent. Some words are untranslatable and should be left as they are, especially in films like this. There’s also a scene where Nora’s American husband points out that she only sleep-talks in Korean, never in English. It’s as if there’s a part of her he can never fully reach. Language, after all, isn’t just about communication—it’s also tied to our sense of self.

Visually, the cinematography was captivating. Natural barriers often separated Nayoung and Heesung, and in many shots, the background was still while the characters moved. It created a sense of distance yet beauty in their connection.

Before I wrap up, here are two fun facts: During rehearsals, the director didn’t let Nayoung and Heesung touch, so their first on-screen hug was also their first physical contact. For Arthur (the American husband) and Heesung, Celine Song went a step further—they didn’t even see each other before filming. Due to the pandemic, they rehearsed over Zoom with cameras off. Their first meeting on set was their first in real life.

This film still lingers in my mind and heart. It’s both heartbreaking and heartwarming, a story that I think will stay with me for a long time.

September 26, 2024