In this blog post, I’ll examine the typical narrative, distinctive cinematography, and themes of oppression and inequality in ‘I Have No Regrets’—an indie film, a queer film, and a romantic drama—and explore how the love between the two protagonists creates the emotional impact and lingering resonance typical of romantic dramas.
“I Have No Regrets”: An Indie Film, a Queer Film, and a Romantic Drama
There is an indie film that opened in a mere six theaters nationwide. Furthermore, this film is a queer film. Yet, this indie film set a record by attracting 20,000 viewers within just eight days of its release. Some even compared the film’s success to the box office performance of ‘The Host’. This film is none other than ‘I Have No Regrets’, an indie film, a queer film, and a romance film.
According to Shatz’s definition of a romance film, it is “a popular love story in which innocent individuals or lovers are typically victimized by oppressive and unequal social environments related to marriage, career, and nuclear family issues.” To put it simply in my own terms, it means that obstacles stand in the way of the protagonists’ love. Therefore, their love is not smooth sailing, and to define it very simply and casually, a melodrama ultimately amounts to a “sad love story.” Personally, before encountering Schatz’s definition, I hadn’t considered the issue of oppression and simply thought of a melodrama as a sad love story. And since my conclusion wasn’t far off the mark, I don’t want to add any further qualifiers to my definition. In fact, due to my lack of knowledge about film and genres, adding any qualifiers is difficult in itself. However, when I considered Shatz’s definition, I also came to the conclusion that the answer to “Why does it make us sad?” can be found in repression. So, how are these genre-specific characteristics and charms of the melodrama expressed in ‘I Have No Regrets’?
First, ‘I Have No Regrets’ weaves a new and unfamiliar premise into a storyline that feels familiar—one that anyone might have imagined at least once. This familiar storyline and plot begin when Sumin, who grew up in an orphanage, moves to Seoul. She lives a diligent life, working as a non-regular employee at a factory while also working as a designated driver at night and studying. One day, while out on a driving job, Sumin meets Jaemin for the first time. From the moment they meet, Jaemin is swept up in a strange feeling and begins to flirt with Sumin. However, their first encounter ends on a disappointing note.
A few days later, Jaemin and Sumin meet again—this time as a factory manager and a laid-off contract worker, respectively. Jaemin tries to help Sumin get his job back and extends a hand of friendship, but Sumin’s pride won’t allow it, and he pushes Jaemin away. Having lost her job and feeling anxious, Soo-min eventually takes a job as a hostess at a host bar, and Jaemin—unable to shake his feelings for her—goes to the bar to find her. Soo-min, who had previously rebuffed Jaemin harshly, eventually comes to accept his sincerity, and their love grows deeper.
However, their love is not without its struggles. Jaemin, who already had a fiancée, is caught by his mother—who already knew he was gay—because of his continued meetings with Sumin, and he finds himself torn between reality and love. Seeing Jaemin in this state, Sumin is also heartbroken, and eventually, the two drift apart. Amid this rift, Jaemin chooses love and searches frantically for Sumin, but Sumin, unaware of Jaemin’s true feelings, plots revenge against him.
Sumin and a colleague take Jaemin to the mountains with the intention of burying him alive, but she ultimately realizes once again that she cannot let go of her love for him, and they descend the mountain, their bodies battered and bruised. Then, just as she did when Jaemin first fell for her, Sumin offers a brief greeting from inside the car: “Hello, Jaemin…” Then, after dawn breaks, the film ends with Jaemin placing his hand on Sumin’s genitals the moment he opens his eyes.
If we summarize the film’s storyline in simple terms, it follows the archetypal structure of “love–conflict–resolution,” a pattern found not only in films but also in romance novels, TV dramas, and romance comics. Along with these characteristics, the narrative also faithfully incorporates quite a few elements commonly found in typical romantic films. So, let’s take a closer look at the elements that truly make ‘I Have No Regrets’ a heart-wrenching romantic film.
A Typical Narrative, Yet a Special Romance
In fact, throughout the film, it wasn’t difficult to guess the plot and anticipate what would happen next. The protagonists, who meet by chance without knowing anything about each other, later face frustration due to the gap in their social status, but ultimately cannot resist their mutual attraction and fall in love. However, they are confronted not only with this social divide but also with even greater obstacles—a prearranged fiancée and a form of love that is not accepted by society, namely homosexuality—leading to misunderstandings and conflicts between them. Yet, after a fierce struggle, their love ultimately leads to an open ending.
Jaemin and Sumin also meet for the first time in the unlikely circumstances of a designated driver service. And as if by some twist of fate, Jaemin and Sumin meet again in the tragic, utterly incompatible positions of boss and laid-off non-regular worker. But the two eventually fall in love. Yet a cruel and ruthless wall of reality stands in the way of their love, and they writhe in the pain of heartbreak.
Critics have described ‘I Have No Regrets’ as a modern adaptation of the 1970s “hostess” films. In fact, if you set aside the fact that it involves a same-sex relationship, I believe the film does not differ significantly from the “hostess films”—which drew tears from audiences by portraying women of low social status as vulnerable figures suffering from oppression and the pain of love—or from the countless romantic dramas that emerged after the 1990s.
However, what makes this film special is the element of “same-sex love.” Why, of all things, did the director choose to use “homosexuality”—an uncommon, provocative subject—to develop a film with a story that is not particularly special and is somewhat stereotypical? Since romantic films are inherently limited to being sad love stories, mightn’t the elements that elicit laughter—as seen in romantic comedies—be expressed in a relatively wider variety of ways than those that draw tears or leave a lingering emotional impact? While it may not be easy to break away from those narrative conventions, I can’t help but wonder if this very fact is precisely what the director intended to convey.
Although attitudes have improved significantly, it remains a fact that homosexuality is still often perceived as antisocial and repulsive. However, by weaving a story of unrecognized love into a familiar plot that everyone has experienced at least once, the film seems to suggest that homosexuality—without any additional labels or glorification—can stand on its own as “a typical romantic film.”
To summarize, while the film deals with a unique subject matter as a queer film, the basic foundation of the story is not particularly unusual.
The film faithfully follows the structure of what could be called a classic romantic drama—a love story that overcomes differences in social status, family opposition, and social prejudice.
Furthermore, the characters, like those in other romantic dramas, each exhibit a certain degree of stereotypical traits. Let’s first look at Jaemin’s case. Jaemin is a so-called “second-generation chaebol” who has lived a life of privilege. However, even he—who seems to lack nothing—had a weakness, and that weakness manifests in the form of a “man” named Sumin, while also being healed by him.
Because Jaemin had everything, he took on a more masculine role, even in a same-sex relationship. It was Jaemin’s role to approach Sumin first, cling to him, and woo him. However, Jaemin also displays selfish tendencies as a “man of means.” Although he persistently courted Sumin—who was pushing him away—and eventually won his heart, his momentary coldness toward Sumin—who was clinging to him as he prepared for marriage—reveals his fear of losing what he has. In that moment, he tries to turn away from love, exposing the selfish side inherent in him as both a human being and a man.
This side of Jaemin gives the impression of bearing a certain resemblance to the male archetypes commonly found in “hostess” films. Sumin, too, embodies the archetypal female lead found in romantic films. Having endured a difficult childhood or a modest upbringing, she faces all sorts of hardships but lives her life diligently, with sincerity and a kind heart. However, she is taken aback by the sudden arrival of love and views the relationship with a more realistic perspective than Jaemin. Ultimately, though, Sumin cannot resist love either and ends up giving her whole heart to Jaemin.
Later, upon learning of Jaemin’s marriage, her behavior—in stark contrast to her initial pushback—is portrayed with pathos as she clings to him, demanding to know what “our relationship” is. It is not the fact that she was abandoned but the hurt caused by a misunderstanding that fuels her burning desire for revenge. Although this is a queer film, it is not difficult to speculate that if this were a heterosexual film, Jaemin would be the “man” and and Sumin would have been the “woman.”
Aside from the two main characters, the romantic elements of the other characters are even easier to spot. Jaemin’s parents and his fiancée are essential characters who create conflict in the film, while Garam, who loves Sumin, plays the role of the pure-hearted protagonist’s ally.
Unique Visuals Within a Familiar Narrative
The film never loses its charm, even within a familiar and conventional story. Given that it was a low-budget film, there were likely limitations in filming conditions, and due to the film’s dark plot development, most of the footage is shot in a subdued, somber tone. With my untrained and dull eye, I couldn’t identify any scenes that could be described as “mise-en-scène,” but I did find other visual appeal in the way the film depicts the many elements of romantic love between a man and a woman through direct dialogue and bold, unconventional visuals.
In short, it depicts the love between two men in a direct and intense manner, without any sugarcoating. Just as in a romantic relationship between a man and a woman, Jaemin and Sumin confirm their feelings for each other and share their love. And, as in any typical romantic film, this involves physical intimacy and sexual relations.
Jae-min and Su-min’s love scenes appear quite frequently in the film and are depicted very explicitly. Two naked men have intense sex in a hotel room and a rooftop apartment, passionately exploring one another. Among all the romantic films I’ve seen, the most erotic kiss scene was the one shared during their encounter in Su-min’s rooftop apartment. The film portrays their relationship with the same candor as a heterosexual one—so much so that I could barely breathe while watching, and my face flushed with embarrassment.
These love scenes also suggest that love is not fundamentally different just because it is between two men. However, it’s not just the explicit and intense love scenes that make this film special. This is because the scenes that made my heart flutter while watching—and that made their love seem even more beautiful and their conflicts even more poignant—were the small, everyday dates they shared and the moments when they shouted and whispered their love to one another.
Jaemin, who loves Sumin to the point of death but whose love is not reciprocated, holding a water gun and yearning for love to the point of being pitiable, was the very image of a human being suffering from love; and the sight of Sumin visiting her boyfriend’s office and acting coy, and Jaemin looking so overwhelmingly happy that he could barely contain his adoration for her, embodied the very essence of a cute couple newly in love; and the moments after they made love, when he watched his sleeping partner with tender eyes and whispered words of affection to reaffirm their love, were so endearing they made one feel a touch of jealousy.
Through these scenes and lines—which present a natural portrayal of a couple alongside a classic, conventional narrative—I came to the personal conclusion that this was likely director Lee Song-hee-il’s cinematic device to demonstrate that oppressed same-sex love is just as profoundly human as heterosexual love and is, in fact, a “commonplace” reality that undeniably exists in our society.
The Story of Oppression
Let’s briefly return to the fundamentals and examine Schatz’s definition: “a popular love story in which, generally, innocent individuals or lovers are sacrificed by an oppressive and unequal social environment related to marriage, career, and nuclear family issues.” And let’s briefly touch upon the oppressive and unequal social environment—the defining characteristic that distinguishes romantic comedies from other romantic films.
First, in the film ‘I Have No Regrets’, the greatest source of oppression and inequality is homosexuality. However, the film itself does not focus intensively on discrimination or marginalization based on homosexuality. Rather, the conflicts arising from the differences in the protagonists’ backgrounds and circumstances are more prominent. However, upon further reflection, I realized that even if homosexuality isn’t explicitly treated as a prominent source of conflict in the film, it is already a deeply embedded factor in the oppression and inequality pervading the entire story.
After Jaemin and Sumin are caught by Jaemin’s mother while making love, she distributes wedding invitations to the entire company and, in a firm tone, forces Jaemin to marry without the slightest concession, saying, “I’m not so ignorant as to not understand sexuality, but you must still marry.”
Although she isn’t ignorant enough to be unaware of sexuality, she fears that her and her husband’s social standing and reputation will be eroded by societal prejudice against homosexuality. Thus, she pretends not to know what she knows and speaks to her son in a cold, dispassionate tone that seems devoid of even a shred of affection. Watching Jaemin’s mother, I was reminded once again just how difficult it is to break free from entrenched social prejudices and the oppression they entail.
Generally speaking, when imagining the reaction of parents with a gay child—especially parents who have known for a long time that their son is gay—wouldn’t they, even if they couldn’t fully understand his identity, at least acknowledge it and appeal to their child, persuading him of just how heavy and burdensome that reality would be in the real world? However, Jaemin’s mother in the film—who, even when it comes to her own child, rejects homosexuality more coldly and ruthlessly than anyone else—seems to vaguely suggest that reality, unlike our imagination, is above all cruel and cold for actual LGBTQ+ people.
A Romance with No Regrets: “I Have No Regrets”
After the two protagonists, who have fallen in love, share a moment in the attic, Su-min whispers in a very soft voice, just loud enough for Jaemin to hear. Jaemin smiles as if finding her endearing and replies, “Yeah, I hope I think of you when I wake up in the morning and find myself aroused.”
Later, as they drive home—bloodied and battered after their intense lovemaking—Sumin greets Jaemin with a choked voice, saying, “Hello, Jaemin,” just as he had once confessed his feelings to her so poignantly. Hearing her greeting, Jaemin loses his grip on the steering wheel.
Then, at dawn the next day, as soon as Jaemin opens his eyes, he turns toward Sumin, who is sitting in the back seat, and places his hand on her genitals. What this scene implies is that, while the film doesn’t quite reach a happy ending, it does offer a hopeful conclusion.
Even for someone like me who doesn’t usually enjoy romantic films, the hopeful open ending and the lingering, heart-wrenching afterglow that remained long after the credits rolled made it impossible not to fall for the charm of the genre. Every time I listen to the OST, the poignant love between Jaemin and Sumin and the heart-wrenching feeling I experienced throughout the film seem to return, and I can feel a tingling sensation in the corner of my heart, as if someone were squeezing and releasing it.
While preparing this assignment, I even felt a sense of shame regarding my ignorance of film genres, and it’s true that my worries took precedence at first. However, as I watched ‘I Have No Regrets’ again, step by step, and felt the sudden waves of emotion and that lump in my throat return moment by moment, I realized that these worries—that is, my lack of genre-specific knowledge about romantic films—weren’t all that important.
I concluded that romantic films are, after all, one of the most honest film genres—ones that make us honest about our emotions, disarm us in the face of the screen, and stimulate our sensibilities.
Romantic films… If you’re willing to set reason aside for a moment and simply surrender to your emotions, this genre allows you to feel the film with your whole body more deeply than any other. Crying with a heartache as if a sad love story were your own, experiencing emotional catharsis, taking time for reflection with lingering emotions, and watching a movie while being honest with your feelings—and “not regretting” it. These are likely the greatest strengths and gifts of the romantic genre that other films cannot easily provide.
And I have a pleasant feeling that, for a while, I’ll be even more drawn to romantic films than to the action-thriller movies I usually enjoy.
