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Taking a story that features well-known tropes, genres, and an extraordinary premise but telling it in the most simple and sweet way is an exciting thing to see and the 2000 science fiction romance film, “Ditto,” does such.
(Image taken from IMDb)
Ditto is a South Korean film written by Jang Jin and directed by Kim Jungkwon that follows two university students separated by 21 years but connected through radios. Yoon Soeun, portrayed by Kim Haneul, has a crush on another student, Donghee, portrayed by Park Yongwoo, whom she hopes to get closer to in the year 1979 after he returns from serving in the army. In the process, she stumbles upon a radio that works when it should not, and on the other line is Ji In, portrayed by Yoo Jitae, from the same university but in the year 2000 and through back-and-forth communication, the two students strike up an impossible friendship.
I think this film is one of the best examples of an extraordinary story being told in a simple, mundane, and almost slice-of-life type of way and it was beautifully fitting for this time travel story to be told solely through the perspective of a girl dealing with a crush.
(Image taken from IMDb)
Ditto features a fun cast of characters and the female protagonist, Soeun, was all-around enjoyable to watch in her youthfulness. Ji In’s humorously sarcastic demeanour was a pleasant addition to the film along with the fun dynamic he had with his outspoken friend, Hyeonji, portrayed by Ha Jiwon. The lives/storylines of the two main characters are quite different as Seoun’s story follows the pursuit of her crush and is seemingly more plot-focused whereas Ji In’s story focuses more on his everyday life and friendship with Hyeonji, which is seemingly more character-driven. This film is slower paced which is fitting for the tone and also features a pretty cool plot twist. Although I wouldn’t say I was emotionally invested in Ditto, I was engrossed all the same and did enjoy watching it.
(Image taken from IMDb)
The cinematography of the film was beautifully done as seen in a specific scene that highlights the “miscommunication” between and separation of the two main characters when they decide to meet. The scene stretched on long enough to make one feel like they were waiting there too and showcased the… strangeness, impossibility, and extraordinariness of the film. The cinematography was also beautifully done with scenes where Soeun and Ji In spoke over the radio, either by framing or a split screen.
(Image taken from IMDb)
All in all, Ditto was a film with an extraordinary premise told in a beautifully simple way and was very delightful to watch.
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