Pavane Review: Youth is Finite, but Eternal

Directed by Lee Jong-pil, Pavane premiered globally on Netflix in February and quickly became one of the most talked-about dramas in recent months.

The film is an adaptation of the novel Pavane for a Dead Princess by author Park Min-gyu. The cast features Go Ah-sung, Byun Yo-han, and Moon Sang-min.

Synopsis

Pavane begins with a conventional take on love at first sight by showing how a couple comes together only for the woman to be abandoned by her partner. As soon as he achieves media success, he leaves her for someone else. This creates a lasting trauma for Gyeong-rok, who is the child of this broken relationship.

As the story progresses, it introduces two other young people whose paths cross with Gyeong-rok when he begins working at a department store in Seoul. Over time, we see that each of them carries wounds, including some that are subtle and others that are much heavier.

Mi-jung, played by Go Ah-sung, is a young woman who grew up being judged and rejected for not fitting into society’s aesthetic standards. Gyeong-rok carries the pain of being rejected by his father and losing his mother as a result of the separation. He also deals with the resentment that forms when he sees the love his father dedicates to a new family. Completing the trio is Yo-han, played by Byun Yo-han, who is a character whose humor masks a deep sensitivity. Deep down, he acts as a mediator between the pain of others and the possibility of affection for himself.

Review

The film’s title is a nod to the classical piece Pavane pour une infante défunte. This music evokes sadness and beauty, suggesting that the things society lacks are often what make it feel most alive.

Critical reception has been very positive, especially among those who appreciate a more reflective cinematic experience. Many see Pavane as a story of emotional healing and connection that does not rely on massive plot twists. Instead, it focuses on everyday gestures that reveal a person's true essence.

Although Pavane makes its critique of social beauty standards very clear, it does not do so in an explicit way because it does not have to. The way Mi-jung is treated by her colleagues is far more grounded than in other works. She faces bullying disguised as jokes, she is ignored when she needs help, and she is kept invisible despite her intelligence. Because she does not fit the standard, she is relegated to working far from the public eye, which makes the commentary feel much more sensitive and real.

The film deconstructs the comforting myth that being smart will take you far even if you are not beautiful. We know that is not always the case, and Pavane exposes this reality. Mi-jung is brilliant, which is evident in the way she speaks about classical music or Native American history.

However, none of that seems to matter because she is never given the chance to show her depth to the world. Upon seeing her, society rejects and prefers to hide her. Mi-jung is denied the opportunity to demonstrate her capabilities because people refuse to look past appearances.

Unfortunately, nothing is more real than that.

Another highlight of Pavane is how it handles the character of Yo-han. He is the first person to welcome Gyeong-rok by ignoring the protagonist's cold and apathetic demeanor to offer him sincere friendship and attention.

Yo-han is perceived as the optimistic, friendly, and outgoing guy, but the truth is that he wears a mask to hide his own pain. Over time, we discover that Yo-han has attempted to take his own life more than once. We see his desperate search for affection to the point where he explicitly voices his need for company. Yet, no one can see past his smiles and the tall tales he tells as a supposed future novelist.

This is a scenario we see all too often in the real world.

The list of celebrities who have committed suicide is long, as is the shock of those who only discover after the fact how much those people struggled with depression. Many were comedians who brought laughter to others while they were falling apart inside.

Yo-han represents all of them here, and it is agonizing to watch a tragedy unfold that no one else seems to notice.

This phrase, spoken by Yo-han, defines Pavane as a snapshot of our lives where brightness and hope are still pulsing even while hiding heartache and sadness. It suggests that our youth is the time when everything is stored away. These are the years we hold onto in our memories, and for that reason, they become eternal.

There is a constant melancholy in this sentiment that the film carries throughout, even when we see the couple together or the three friends celebrating a birthday in a bar. We are reminded that while youth may be eternal in our minds, it never actually lasts.

Ultimately, Pavane is not just another everyday romance. It is about the fear that love might not be a happy ending but rather the only thing that keeps you going. It is a story that invites us to look with greater kindness at the parts of ourselves we hide, as well as the layers our friends use to disguise the parts of them that are quietly bleeding.

Yes, provided you are not expecting a typical romance where everything ends with a smile and a happily ever after.

Pavane is not here to tell a simple story of love and friendship among a trio. It is here to make us meditate on relationships and how everything often is not fine even when it seems to be.

Rating: 3.9 out of 5

Have you heard of this film? Do you enjoy dramatic romances like this, or do you prefer a comforting happy ever after?