I was given this DVD by a good friend who was aware of my general dislike for the other Sang-soo Hong film I have seen; "Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors". I don't recall why I didn't particularly like "Virgin...". It could have been my unfamiliarity with the style which appeared unformed in haphazard way, or it could have been I felt the black and white cinematography added just enough pretentiousness for me to dismiss it as unsubstantial. Regardless, I do remember thinking that the "artistic element" was rather forced.

I was immediately impressed by the DVD packaging of "On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate" and when I popped it into my player was equally impressed by the image quality and sound of this production. Right away I began to feel as though I had seen this film before. Hong's style was influencing me that it was obviously not haphazard, but very deliberate and consistent. His narrative was purposely disjointed and un-culminating, almost anecdotal. It involved scenarios of a handsome male actor who is temporarily out of work and visiting a friend. The plot continued with interspersed, open-ended and interpretational vignettes based almost solely on relationships. It reminded me of Taiwanese director Ming-Liang Tsai's films to some degree with more being expressed in physical actions rather than stated openly by any of the undemonstrative characters. Also both directors use background music sparingly, if at all. The expressed tone featuring ' lack of communication' and failure to find true intimacy, is another strong theme of Tsai's. The title reference of "Turning gate" comes from a legend that seems to duplicate itself in the characters lifestyles. The film was nicely paced and kept my interest and although this type of story, or lack of, is not for everyone, I would recommend it to those more accustomed and open to form of narrative. I will seek out more of Hong's films as my negative attitude towards "Virgin..." has definitely turned the corner. Yes, I liked this film quite a lot.