Past Lives: A journey through time, love, and longing

In his 1930s essay, Walter Benjamin articulates the essence and transformative potential of film in the era of mechanical reproduction, not just as a reflection of human interaction with technology but also as a medium for portraying the world. He highlights film's ability, through its meticulous portrayal and exploration of everyday life, to not only deepen our understanding of life's inherent complexities but also uncover a vast spectrum of untapped possibilities.

This mastery was observed evidently in Celine Song's debut feature, Past Lives, which made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023, followed by its theatrical release in the USA last June. 

This euphoric yet heart-wrenching film centres on the story of two childhood sweethearts and follows them through years – beyond boundaries, continents, and cultures. It explores love and friendship in modern times, aspirations, rue, and longing but escapes mawkishness with actors' subtle antics and remains obstinately connected to the past – the root. That is what makes audiences obliviated about spatial surroundings and time and eulogise over lives enshrined in the past and memory. 

The movie starts with a scene where the camera is in a stationary position and shows three adults – an Asian girl (Korean-Canadian migrant Na-young aka Nora Moon), an Asian guy (South Korean Hae Sung) and a white guy (Jewish American Arthur).

The narrative voices, seemingly coming from the audience at a bar in New York, give movie audiences an inkling of who these people actually are – couples, siblings, or colleagues. People behind the narrative voices shared their vivid imagination, and that's when the director chose to unwrap the present – Shabier Kirchner's camera starts to zoom in and focus on the face of Nora (Played by Greta Lee).

She breaks the fourth wall with tearful eyes and mirthless revelation. Then the story goes 24 years back to South Korea, where two schoolgoers (young Na-young and Hae Sung) walk home after school.

Na-young's family was preparing to immigrate to North America. To make some sweet memories for her daughter, Na-young's mother sets a playdate for the two before leaving South Korea. Indeed, that worked for both as we see this memory floating as a flashback when, after years, Hae Sung meets Nora in New York. 

Time goes by naturally, and the story follows the protagonist's lives over three timelines, each spanning 12 years. Nora and Hae Sung meet online for the second time – overwhelmed and connected by a seemingly untroubled but budding affair. 

They talk and talk through everything – childhood, passion, movies, and ambition. However, it was very unexpected and heartbreaking for Hae Sung as Notra put a hiatus to their conversation and online meeting to commit to her life in New York. Both felt the agony with all their emotional strings tightly attached but chose a life that is nothing to write home about in separation.

Again, 12 years flew by, and at the age of 36, Hae Sung finally met Nora in person after 24 years. By then, Nora had married Arthur, an emerging novelist. Their contact may have severed, but the yearning was still there. Their rendezvous was one filled with a bit of awkwardness. In their last in-person meeting, Nora was a headstrong 12-year-old girl, and Hae Sung was a 12-year-old meek boy. Now they are both 36 years old, and Hae Sung is a phlegmatic engineer, and Nora is a free-spirited artist.

After their long first day had gone, Nora went back to her home and shared her day and thoughts about her first love with her husband, Arthur. Although Arthur is a faithful partner, he cannot ignore the thought of someone who has flown across the world just to see his wife. The tension and confusion become subtly more apparent in his triangle of sadness. He carries this feeling till the day Hae Sung leaves New York.              

Celine Song makes the audience revisit the first scene in the same Brooklyn bar, but not from a lofty perspective this time, rather precisely in Hae Sung and Nora's words (as the subtitle read): 

Hae Sung: "The truth I learned here is you had to leave because you are you. And I liked you because you are you."

Nora: "The Na Young you remember doesn't exist here. But that little girl does exist. She is not sitting here in front of you, but it doesn't mean she is not real. 20 years ago, I left her behind with you." 

Past Lives is a semi-autobiographical film inspired by the life and events of its Korean-born Canadian-American director, Celine Song, who moved to Canada at the age of 12 and studied psychology and playwriting. Song mesmerisingly weaves together the threads of culture, language, struggles, and ambitions of East and West with a uniquely powerful and wandering disposition. She compels the audience to be ensnared in her mesmerising storytelling that evokes the exact poignant memories Nora and Hae Sung experienced.

Past Lives is a juxtaposition of enduring connections, personal retrospectives, unspoken words, and untroubled moments vividly written in film, with brilliant script, compelling acting, crafty editing, captivating background score, and not to mention spellbinding cinematography. Deservedly so, cinematographer Shabier Kirchner gained acclaim from critics globally for his work in Past Lives.