Watch My Mother the Mermaid

My Mother, the Mermaid is a poignant and thought-provoking South Korean drama, released in 2004, that explores the themes of family, lost memories, and loss. The movie, directed by Park Heung-Sik, stars Do-yeon Jeon as Yoon-Ju, Hae-il Park as Ji-hoon, and Du-shim Ko as Yoon-Ju’s mother. The film follows Yoon-Ju, who is a successful, up-and-coming writer in Seoul, as she reunites with her estranged mother after years of separation. Yoon-Ju has been estranged from her mother, who is from the remote island of Jeju, since she moved to Seoul to pursue her career. Her father has since passed on, leaving Yoon-Ju with a yearning to reconnect with her mother, who she believes abandoned her.

Upon reuniting with her mother, Yoon-Ju discovers that her mother is a mermaid. As a child, Yoon-Ju was fascinated by her mother's tales of the mermaids of Jeju, but as she got older, she stopped believing in them. However, the reality of her mother’s mermaid nature brings up emotions of disbelief and confusion in Yoon-Ju.

The movie tugs at the heartstrings, as Yoon-Ju gets a glimpse into her mother's world, which is different from her own in many ways. Through her interactions with her mother, Yoon-Ju discovers that her mother has been living a life of isolation on the remote island of Jeju, away from her family and the life she left behind. However, she learns that her mother's love for her has never faltered, and in fact, she had to make some difficult choices in life that led to their separation.

My Mother, the Mermaid is a beautiful and thought-provoking drama that highlights the struggles of women in Korean society. The film delicately portrays the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship, particularly between women of different generations who have lived through different societal systems. Yoon-Ju’s struggles with her mother’s identity and the discovery of her mother are representative of the dilemma of modern Korean women to trace their roots and reconnect with their family ties, particularly when they embrace the new and progressive lifestyles.

The cinematography and the natural landscapes of Jeju Island provide an exquisite backdrop to the movie. Yoon-Ju writes travel guides and books, and the scenes where she is exploring the island of Jeju and the ocean provide an interesting contrast to the life she leads in the busy city of Seoul. The scenic beauty is particularly emphasized when Yoon-Ju goes swimming with her mother in the ocean, discovering her mother's mermaid powers, and the two swim and play in the water like they used to when Yoon-Ju was a child.

The performances of the actors in the movie are outstanding, particularly Jeon's, who portrays the inner journey of a woman reconciling with her past and her emotions of regret, anger, and forgiveness. Ko's portrayal of the mother, as a mermaid who had to leave her daughter to protect her, is heartwarming, and the bond between the mother and daughter unfolds delicately, making the viewer’s experience of the movie more involving.

Overall, My Mother, the Mermaid is a charming and heartwarming movie that explores difficult themes with grace and sensitivity. It is a poignant movie about a mother and daughter's relationship, with a mythical twist that makes it unique and memorable. It is a movie that will resonate with anyone who has experienced the struggles of reconnecting with family and coming to terms with the past.

My Mother the Mermaid is a drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 52 minutes.