I must confess that I never understood what viewers meant when they said the “pacing” was too slow or fast for them. To me, “pacing” is one of those pompous words like “cinematography” and “chemistry” that viewers bandy about without conveying any useful data.

One of these days, I’ll ban that word from this blog.

I think rather than merely saying that “the pacing is fast,” we can say something more informative like:

• “Wow! The situation went downhill fast.”
• “That plot spiraled out of control.”
• “The countdown to 6:20pm intensifies the pressure on the characters to succeed that even I’m left quaking in my boots.”
• “The director sure cut quickly from one scene to another.”
• “With the mad flight of the guests from the building, it’s become apparent where the real emotional connection lies. GaGyeong frantically searches for ahjumma while TaeUng chases after her.”
• “The unexpected death of SongJeon the cook displays how rapidly evil can leverage chaos.”
• “The camera zooms gives me vertigo.”
• “GaGyeong is so resourceful, quick-witted, and sly. She just exposed her body, deliberately flashing her chest, shoulder and nape to embarrass TaeUng, and the military police.”
• “The dialogues are really rapid-fire, aren’t they?”
• “The story is so jampacked with plot twists, I couldn’t keep track of anything.”

Do you see what I mean?

Saying that you find the “pacing is fast!” without any additional explanation is like commenting that “the cinematography is great!” In both cases, I’m left hanging and wishing that you explained yourself more or said nothing at all.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Note on exposing nape: Napes have been traditionally considered erotic part of the female body in Japan. Hence a geisha wore the kimono low on the back to display it; it’s like a reverse cleavage.

As GaGyeong worked temporarily in a geisha/gisaeng establishment, she undoubtedly knew this and that’s why displayed her nape from both the left and right sides. She was trying to distract the men with her body. Meanwhile TU could just look at her disapprovingly.

Then, she gave him THAT wide-eyed, innocent look.

Remember that I said that the word, “Please” would become an important codeword for them, and that, sooner or later, he’d be required to determine the meaning (or subtest) of her “Please”?

My guess is that day finally came. She was secretly, and desperately communicating with him to PLEASE end this interrogation and to take the men with him and go.

He understood her silent plea and, without further ado, he left the room.

GG: (turning here and there) Like this? Will this do?
TU: (eyeing her suspiciously)
GG: I’m clear, right? (looking straight at TU)
TU: (staring back at her)

Her eyes were beseeching him to help her out. “Pleeeeeease?!”

Police: Yes, you’re clear.
GG: (looking at TU then jerking her blouse back on) Now let me check the madam.
TU: That’s enough.

Do you see it then?

He obeyed to her wordless “please”.

TU: (ordering the men) Let’s get going.
Police: (in Japanese) No, sir. We still need to check.
TU: (bowing to Philip Yoo and speaking in Korean) Sorry about the trouble.

He left the room and the military police had no choice but to follow suit.

Police: Sorry.

Philip Yoo assumed that TU left without checking on SoRan’s body because he didn’t want to offend him, a foreign reporter.

PY: I never expected Sato Hideo to show up with the police. He’s clearly suspicious of us.

No. TU showed up on pretext of diplomacy but his real, personal reason was to check to see whether GG went home; he was worriedly looking for her in the Government-Governor Building. Notice how he glanced at the hallway before going up the stairs to SoRan’s bedroom.

GG: Even so…do you really think he came because he suspects us? The police tried to check her shoulder, but he stopped them, so they just left.

I think GG sensed that TU had acted upon her silent request. But, of course, she couldn’t explain all this to PY and SoRan without betraying how close she’d become to TU.

PY: (shaking his head) He probably only realized later how serious it was to barge into a foreign reporter’s house and try to make a woman undress in times like this.

No. Philip Yoo got this all wrong. TU stopped because of GG’s silent “please.” Though TU didn’t understand why she was acting girly, flustered, and nervous, he obeyed her nonverbal communication that she expressed only through her eyes.

Only afterwards did he connect the dots. GG was asking him “please” because she was protecting PY and the injured Gugukdan member, SoRan.

What can I say about the pacing of this scene? Well… to borrow lame words from most viewers, “the pacing is fast!”

Lol.

Seriously now, the rapid camera shift from GG to TU and back, plus the close-ups of their faces (including SoRan, PY and the police) made the scene look urgent, intense, and paralyzing. Nobody could make a single wrong move because the police was ready to pounce. Even the audience was metaphorically holding its breath. Only GG was brave enough to wing it, improving her next move. She didn’t pause in her chattiness because she had to feign nonchalance and distract the police from SoRan.

Altogether, the editing cuts, camera shots, high-pressure situation, TU’s clipped remarks, GG’s lively and non-stop chatter made the tempo of this scene fast-paced.