To continue where I left off last post…

5. Cross-cutting

Cross-cutting is an editing technique. The director combines two or more different scenes of the characters going about their separate lives, with the purpose of showing their separate lives colliding at a fateful encounter.

In this kdrama, the director combined three scenes for cross-cutting:

• the ballet class where KW was explaining his re-interpretation of “Giselle” and selling the idea to the skeptical corps
• the inner thoughts of YeonSeo as KW’s words evoked memories of her affair with Dan
• the bus ride of Dan on his way to the sanatorium.

All three scenes were woven together and displayed the three lead characters at cross-purposes with each other. It was a weird love triangle. KW wanted YeonSeo as his Giselle, YeonSeo saw Dan as her Duke Albrecht, while Dan loved YS.

But for me, this cross-cutting served two purposes:

one, to connect the relationships of the three with the ballet “Giselle” as a framework, and two, to show that KangWoo’s AGENDA was the actual source of conflict. I saw him inserting himself and interrupting the natural progression of the Dan’s and YS’ relationship.

KW: Alright. We’ll start with “Giselle.” Act one. We’ll start from the coincidental meeting between a country girl, Giselle and Duke Albrecht.

YS remembered her first meeting with Dan at the park bench. The raindrops fell on her outstretched hand. Then the drizzle stopped and the tree blossoms swirled around. She found herself sitting beside Dan on the park bench. She shouted, “I know you’re standing right there.”

YS: (voiceover) When they recognized each other, they fell in love.
Dan: (voiceover) It was like that ever since the beginning. The feeling was too intense that they wanted to call it destiny.

Here, YS’ and Dan’s voiceovers blended together. They sounded as if they were completing each other’s thoughts. There was a vignette of YS and Dan kissing in the amphitheater and him running away as soon as the rain starts to fall. But KW interrupted her daydreaming and injected the notion of betrayal.

KW: However, when Giselle found out the man’s true identity, she dies from a heart attack. With a sense of betrayal.

Sitting on the dance floor, YeonSeo appeared to reflect on KW’s words. Meanwhile, Dan was riding a bus elsewhere and appeared pensive. In a voiceover, he reaffirmed that their love was the kind that overcame betrayal and death. And YS repeated Dan’s words that their reunion was like destiny. Again, they spoke as if they were of one mind, one voice. They finished each other’s thoughts.

Dan: However, they couldn’t stop loving each other even in death.
YS: And they met again. Like destiny.

Again, KangWoo rudely interrupted YS’ reverie. lol.

KW: Lee YeonSeo. What did I just say?

6. New “Giselle”

Nina: (answering for her) I’ve never heard of “Giselle” where she had a tragic end. She’s known as the symbol of forgiveness. The highlight of the story is that she even saves Albrecht from death.

KW: (getting exasperated) I didn’t start this project if it was going to be predictable. Why would she forgive the man who deceived her and caused her to die? The story is too outdated. In Act Two of our “Giselle,” the spirit of Giselle is going to kill the man who drove her to death. As the two of them dance together in the world of eternal death, the show ends.

His version of “Giselle” received no support. Only YS liked it and said so.

YS: I like it. The man deceives her. But Giselle acted like a fool till the end. I didn’t like that part. I like that ending.

KS: We’ll start from the grave scene.

I have two comments about this dialogue. You’re free to make up your own opinion, of course. 🙂

One, there’s an impression that the target of KW’s “Giselle” is Angel Dan, that is, KW wanted YeonSeo to imagine killing Dan as “Duke Albrecht.” I don’t think so. To begin with, Angel Dan didn’t figure in KW’s mission. He appeared out of nowhere and was unknown to KW when he started plotting.

In fact, Kangwoo wanted him gone because he no longer required his services.

He also didn’t want YS to think of Dan because he considered Dan a distraction to YS’ performance. So, KW definitely wouldn’t be happy had he known that YeonSeo was imagining Dan as Duke Albrecht.

As I said before,  Kangwoo’s real purpose in staging “Giselle” and in choosing YeonSeo as the lead is still a secret. But Angel Dan wasn’t his primary target.

Judging from the way he talked to his Dead Girl and “updated” her on the progress of his mission, I’d say that he wanted to avenge HER death. If that was the case, then his ultimate target should be god. After all, it was god who took away his lover.

If Kangwoo was operating on an “eye for an eye” kind of vengeance, then it would make sense for him to target heaven’s source of sparkling joy, Yeonseo.

Remember, Kangwoo’s specialty as a former muse was to spark the creativity in artists so they could give joy to god. That’s what the Monsters said to him before the Dead Girl died. They said, “Listen, Raporas, an angel. You received a mission of inspiring artists, so they would be able to draw things that will give joy to the deity. Therefore, you’ll be judged.”

But when it came to giving joy, nothing can equal YeonSeo’s gifts and talents. Nina said it clearly, “I would think to myself that she’s the living proof that God exists. God made her with so much detail. He gave her tons of talent. My heart would fill with joy watching her.”

Driver Jo and Angel Dan described this rare gift of giving joy as her “sparkle.”  Driver Jo in particular said that she was a shining star, an angel-like person. He had hope to see her shining brightly again.

I’d like to think that the rainbow appeared as a sign that heaven was greatly pleased by her dancing.

Thus, if I was Kangwoo planning to avenge my lover’s death, I’d take away one of heaven’s shining stars and curse her to eternal death.

Two, YeonSeo said she liked this version of Giselle because she was still hurting after Dan’s rejection.

She was pretending to be okay. She probably didn’t want to be pitied so she bucked the conventional ballet portrayal of a forgiving Giselle to match her defiant mood. Likewise, she didn’t want to be pitied so she lied that everybody was treating her well. That’s why she was shaken up when the image of Dan appeared in front of her. Dan was chiding her for lying.

She visited the church in search for him but met the head angel who disguised as the priest. The head angel impressed upon her that it was futile to look for Dan, “Don’t look for him. It’s just that the time has come. Humans can’t tell the beginnings and the endings. Only when it’s over do they realize that their fate is up and it’s over.” That’s when YeonSeo changed her view on “Giselle”.

She began channeling Giselle after that and feeling Giselle’s sadness.

KW: What are you doing right now? Why are you showing me the Giselle from 200 years ago? I’m certain you said you liked the new Giselle.
YS: I did. But I changed my mind. It doesn’t seem right.
KW: But now… Giselle was betrayed. She hit on him, began to date him, and found out he was two-timing. How can you be so heartbroken?

Now, I’m not sure if the translation is right. But I don’t think Giselle “hit on” Duke Albrecht. “Hit on” implies that Giselle was the one who made the first move to lure him. I think Kangwoo must be thinking about his Dead Girl…just like he messed up with the “shoes” in another episode. According to the head angel in Episode 10, he met the girl when he began to grow tired of prickly artists.

It was the Dead Girl who “hit on” him.

And he mistook inspiration for love.

Anyway, to continue with YeonSeo’s explanation whey she reverted to the the Old Giselle…

YS: Because she’s so sad.
KW: I didn’t know you would depict Giselle as such a passive character.

Ta-daaaa! That’s why he chose YeonSeo, and not Nina.

YS: (standing up) If you hate and curse someone, you don’t go crazy. You have to be completely sane if you wish to hate someone. Do you know why she went crazy? She was sad. Because she was so sad. That’s how much she loved him.

KW: That’s exactly the classical and old-fashioned Giselle!
YS: Because you only look at her from the outside. If you go into the core, her heart will make the audience cry. I’ll show you. Watch carefully.

I’m sad…I’m sad. My feelings haven’t stopped. But this love is coming to an end. I miss you. I miss you.

Dan: You were right. I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have been warm towards you.
YS: Why can’t you be mine? Why does everything have to disappear?

Flashback: You have always been useless. I must have been delusional. While we’re on the subject, pack your things and leave this house right now.

I’ll have to end here now because I’m sleepy. I was planning on watching the “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” tonight but I’ll have to put it till tomorrow.