‘Our Blues’ and its realistic portrayal of depression

After a spate of apocalyptic dramas like Squid Games and All of Us Are Dead, the South Korean film industry has revelled in the slice-of-life and rom-com genres. A bittersweet series, Our Blues, released last April and it came from the renowned director Kim Kyu-tae, known for legendary works like That Winter the Wind Blows, It's Okay That's Love and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo'.

Interestingly, this was anything like Kyu-tae had done before. At first, the hit series appears to be a tale of a community living in Jeju-do (Jeju island) but as the story progresses, we see an introduction of a wide range of human issues and turmoils. The drama organically presents more than a dozen characters and several stories, keeping the viewer completely hooked.

In the midst of Eun-hui (played by Lee Jung-eun) and Han-su’s (Cha Seung Won) complicated friendship, and along with In-gwon (Park Ji-hwan) and Ho-shik’s (Choi Young-joon) brotherhood, an array of issues like child abuse, debts, teen pregnancy, suicide and depression are portrayed in the film. The show also addressees a very important topic of depression.

Min Seon Ah, a woman in her late 30s, played by Shin Min-ah, is suffering from depression. Her condition is deliberately depicted in the hues of blue, symbolising the state of Seon Ah’s mind. Grey and blue are the two prominent colours that are associated with depression according to colour psychology.

Kyu-tae has brilliantly highlighted the existential exhaustion that Seon Ah faces. She finds it extremely difficult to wake up in the morning. She remains in bed, completely drenched in sweat. She is always detached from the present. Her confused and exhausted state of mind is shown by ripples/ blur that go in the air around her constantly, even when she is doing important tasks. Seon Ah struggles to focus on her daily chores.

Despite her inner struggles, she puts up a fake smile for her three-year old son. With how her husband behaves with her, 'Our Blues' reflects people's ignorance towards depression. Statements like “show me your will to live” and “clean up after yourself” are some of the most common things said to people battling depression. All along, Seon Ah tries her best to get better.

The director crafts a very important scene to show how she struggles to get a grip on time. She goes to the bathroom during the day but by the time she is done, she realises that the sun has already set, and she couldn’t sense a thing. As she leans over the balcony to confirm if it has already been night, the world around her starts to haze and the bright buildings outside lose their light one by one as complete darkness takes over.

Despite being in a room full of lights, a depressed person feels he or she is in a dark cave, with no hope. These delusions also lead to her accidents, and one failed suicide attempt.

The cause for this depression was the underlying trauma she suffered, watching her father drive his car into the sea to kill himself, and her mother getting abused during childhood. Studies have shown that more often than not, children are unsure how to process a traumatic event and often don’t have the resources needed to do so effectively. As a result, children tend to develop their own coping mechanisms, which can range from isolation to rage. As children enter adulthood, these unresolved issues can lead to depression.

Our Blues is different from other K-Dramas handling depression as it focuses on the emotional psyche of Seon Ah. It's about how she fights not just with the society but with her inner demons to be happy.