Past Lives is a beautiful feature film which presents the different sides of love. Behind its simple and direct nature, it has a fragile and complex core that forces the viewer into thinking. This is one of those films that leaves an aftertaste after watching it and is remembered, evoking both excitement and melancholy in the viewer.
The story follows a young Korean girl, Na-young, who immigrates to Canada with her family, leaving her childhood friend, Hae-sung, behind. Hae-sung clearly likes Na-young and the two children already have a strong bond, but after hearing about Na-young’s departure, Hae-sung feels hurt, abandoned and betrayed. Their goodbye is very reserved and even cold, due to Hae-sung’s stubbornness and heartbreak. It is clear from the very start that Hae-sung views Na-young very differently from the way that she views him, and she plays a much bigger role in his life than she’d expect, bringing him both happiness and pain.
Twelve years later, both Na-young and Hae-sung are living very different lives. Na-young had changed her name to Nora and is now an aspiring writer living in New York, while Hae-sung is finishing his military service and studying engineering. They reconnect through social media and begin talking online, rebuilding their lost friendship and fueling it with excitement and eager anticipation. Will they end up together or are they simply chasing their childhood dreams? After another twelve years, Hae-sung ends up going to New York and they finally reunite. At this point, Nora is already married to a fellow writer, Arthur. He seems nice and seems to make her relatively happy, however it does seem like there is something missing in their relationship. They talk, but it seems like many things are still left unsaid, almost like they understand each other without them.
Nora and Hae-Sung seem to feel perfect for each other, fitting together like a puzzle, like yin and yang. Even while sharing some deep understanding, however, they both seem somewhat lost or maybe distant. The viewer may say that the two are in love, that this is the part where they run off together to Korea. It is true that Nora and Hae-Sung have a strong bond; however, Nora is not really in love with Hae-Sung, but rather, the memory of him from their childhood. Both of them are clinging on to the past life they had but in the end accept their reality, no matter how painful and heartbreaking it may be.
This story breaks the cliche love triangle and presents a more realistic situation, where things like love are a lot more complex. In the end, Nora stays with her husband, letting go of her nostalgic childhood illusion and returning to her current life. Many may argue that Nora doesn’t love Arthur. They may say that he plays the role of the “evil husband”, restraining her from chasing her true love. However, this is not the case. If Nora did want to leave Arthur, she would. She is bright and adventurous; therefore, chasing Hae-sung wouldn’t have been a problem for her. Even though her love for Arthur is very different from her love for Hae-Sung, she does love him. He completes her as she completes him. They are, in the end, their own type of yin and yan. And she belongs entirely in their current lives.