Robert, Nat, and Cody are joined by Paul Hermann of The Comic Binge to explore grief, memory, family, and identity in Kogonada’s AFTER YANG.
Before A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY and after COLUMBUS, Kogonada directed a science fiction film essentially about the inner life of an artificial being, among other things. Following the breakdown of the “technosapien” Yang, a family has to come to grips with grief and all that they didn’t know about a supposed family member.
AFTER YANG is not an action film, but more of a domestic drama of ideas. Kogonada had done video essays on Yasujiro Ozu and you can see the influence of the Japanese master’s domestic dramas. But, Ozu never made science fiction movies and Kogonada isn’t just using his influences as an empty frame, but as a way to explore further ideas.
It’s also a way to explore characters. Colin Farrell in particular is given a leading man showcase and gives a subtle star performance. It speaks to Farrell’s skill as an actor that he crafts a very compelling performance which guides the viewer through the world.
All of that leads to a long discussion. We certainly have our takes and get into a lot of the issues around the film’s ideas on loss and identity. Paul is an adoptive father himself and he relates some of the experiences that he shares with his daughter. And we think it’s a rich text which doesn’t provide a bunch of definitive answers.
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Time tracks:
0:00:00 – AFTER YANG Discussion
1:14:42- Next Movie and Outro
