In this blog post, I’ll examine the typical structure of romantic comedies through the lens of the film ‘Sweet and Deadly Lovers’ and explore how this film subverts that framework to create something fresh.
Introduction
After my midterms ended, I went to see “Sweet and Deadly Lovers” to take my mind off things. I usually watch movie previews on weekends, but I hadn’t been able to for a few days due to exams, so I rushed into the theater without any prior knowledge of the film. As I watched it, I actually felt that not having seen any previews beforehand was a good thing. Even though I didn’t have high expectations, the film felt fresh and boldly tackled a shocking subject within the framework of a romantic comedy. The decisive reason this film felt special lies in the ways it deviated from the typical structure of a romantic comedy. So, let’s examine what the structure of a typical romantic comedy is, and what characteristics “Sweet, Deadly Lovers” possesses as a romantic comedy.
What Is a Romantic Comedy?
In a nutshell, a romantic comedy can be summarized as a story where a stubborn man and woman meet, fight, and eventually fall in love. Of course, not every work fits this formula exactly. While some films follow the typical format, there are also variations that break away from it. Here, let’s first examine the typical flow of a romantic comedy.
The core characters of a typical romantic comedy are a headstrong man and woman with unique personalities. These are characters who are unconventional or, at the very least, possess a strong individuality in one aspect, revealing differences that make it difficult for them to get along when they first meet. Differences in gender, personality, or socioeconomic background become the primary causes of early conflict. For whatever reason, the two end up arguing, and this forms the first conflict structure of the romantic comedy.
Nevertheless, the quarreling couple gradually becomes attracted to each other and falls in love. However, even after confirming their love, their differences do not disappear, creating a new crisis. The protagonists’ personalities or the environmental factors surrounding them resurface as problems, putting their relationship to the test. This is the second conflict in a romantic comedy.
While the way conflicts are resolved varies from film to film, the most typical solution is ultimately the power of love. While they may receive help from supporting characters or their surroundings, in crucial scenes, these strong-willed characters suddenly become serious, make a heartfelt confession, and overcome the crisis. This is when the characters’ transformation becomes most evident. It is common for a character who seemed eccentric to gradually become more ordinary, or for the couple to begin resembling each other’s personalities.
Not only do the protagonists change, but even the supporting characters and environments that were the source of the conflict often undergo sudden shifts. For instance, someone who opposed the marriage suddenly changes their stance to support it for no apparent reason, and social differences that are difficult to resolve in reality are instantly resolved. Although these pro-social and idealized endings are detached from reality, they frequently appear in romantic comedies as a device to satisfy audience expectations and provide vicarious gratification.
The Elements of a Romantic Comedy’s Success
So, what is it about romantic comedies that captivates audiences? The reason they remain consistently popular despite repeating similar story structures is deeply tied to gender and the psychological needs of the audience. Male viewers often derive vicarious satisfaction from watching the male lead banter and spar with the female lead as equals. Conversely, female viewers feel a sense of pleasure watching the female lead stand up to the male lead as an equal.
Additionally, both men and women have a psychological desire to see the conflicts, worries, and heartache related to love resolved within the film.
A key element is comedy. Half of a romantic comedy consists of humor and wit—it is, quite literally, the core of a romantic “comedy.” Even with the same conflict structure and resolution, it is difficult to draw in an audience without comedic elements. Humor greatly amplifies the pleasure felt by the audience and helps relieve stress through love stories.
Another powerful factor in their success is a pro-social ending. Romantic comedies provide vicarious satisfaction by depicting resolutions to conflicts that are difficult to achieve in real life. The experience of watching and vicariously achieving love or social integration—which is impossible due to real-world constraints—is one of the genre’s main attractions. Since it deals with the universal desire for love, this fantastical resolution is all the more compelling.
‘Sweet, Deadly Lovers’ as a Romantic Comedy
While “Sweet, Deadly Lovers” features strong comedic elements, it differs from the typical romantic comedy formula in several ways. To briefly outline the plot, the film begins with a man named Hwang Dae-woo, who teaches English literature. Having had almost no dating experience past the age of thirty and cynical about romance, he possesses a unique personality reflected in his appearance, speech, and behavior.
One day, after straining his back, Dae-woo suddenly finds himself craving romance. With the help of a friend, he goes on a date with Mina, who lives downstairs. Mina claims to be an art school graduate preparing to study in Italy, but it later comes to light that she lied about her identity. The two break up but eventually reunite and fall in love. However, the decisive twist comes when it is revealed that Mina is actually a criminal on the run after committing murder. Mina suggests they leave for Italy together, but Daewoo refuses, bringing their relationship to an end.
In terms of character, both protagonists possess the traits of typical “stubborn” characters, but each has their own unique qualities. Daewoo is portrayed as a character who is difficult to like due to his manner of speaking, attitude, and cynical worldview, making him highly distinctive in his own right. On the other hand, Mina is ordinary in appearance and personality and comes across as likable, yet she possesses a shocking duality in terms of her social status as a criminal.
Their first conflict stems from Daewoo’s unlikable personality, leading to a clash during a date. In a typical romantic comedy, such a conflict would likely drag on or escalate through various incidents, but in this film, the conflict does not persist for long. Mina is moved by a gift Daewoo had secretly prepared, and his timid and childish side begins to seem charming, leading the two to become a couple.
Subsequently, the main conflict arises from the fact that Mina lied about her educational background and her subsequent revelation as a criminal. Due to the social status gap caused by her deception, the two briefly break up but ultimately overcome it through the power of love. This part follows the very typical conflict-resolution pattern of a romantic comedy.
However, the final conflict—specifically, the development when the fact that Mina is a murderer is revealed—breaks with convention. Daewoo discovers a severed finger at Mina’s house and belatedly learns her true identity. Daewoo rejects Mina’s proposal—her request to run away to Italy together—and the two part ways. This ending offers a realistic and critical resolution to the conflict rather than a glamorous, pro-social reunion; it avoids clichés like the typical scene where the couple rushes to the airport to fill the void. As a viewer, this comes as a refreshing shock.
It is difficult to find a distinct icon in the film, but if one must be chosen, the scene in front of Mina’s front door could be cited as a visual symbol. Mina’s house is a space where love is consummated, yet it is also the site of a murder and the hiding place of a corpse. In moments of love, Daewoo enters the house to be with Mina, but during the murder scene, he is stopped at the front door and cannot enter. In other words, the front door symbolically represents the boundary between the two and the point of conflict and reconciliation. The moments when he crosses the threshold and when he cannot are a condensed representation of the development of Daewoo and Mina’s relationship.
The Thrill of a Romantic Comedy
From a rational perspective, the film’s ending is realistic and desirable. Daewoo’s decision upon learning of Mina’s criminal past is reasonable. However, many viewers likely hoped for a happy ending for the couple to experience that cinematic thrill. Consequently, as a romantic comedy, it did not fully satisfy the audience’s immediate desire for pleasure.
Nevertheless, the film does not end there. The scene where the two happen to meet in Hong Kong two years later offers a different kind of satisfaction. When Mina asks, almost as a joke, “If we go back to Korea, would you date me again?” Daewoo laughs and replies, “By then, I’ll probably be with someone else.” In this moment, we see that Daewoo, who was so impatient and unstable at the beginning, has matured in his understanding of love. Through Mina, the director sought to show how Daewoo gained a sense of ease and matured in his approach to love.
Ultimately, the film places more emphasis on the question of “Do we mature through first love?” rather than “Must first love be fulfilled?” The message is that simply having first love remain as a memory is valuable enough. It is highly likely that audiences felt a different kind of satisfaction—one rooted in maturity and composure—in this scene, rather than a traditional happy ending.
