Yellow Hair

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Movie: Yellow Hair
Revised romanization: Norang meori
Hangul: 노랑머리
Director: Yu-min Kim
Writer:
Producer:
Cinematographer:
Release Date: June 26, 1999
Runtime: 85 Min.
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot

A train arrives, and people are getting out of the station. In the stream of black coloured heads, we notice a yellow hair. This bold colour is easy enough to spot at once, no matter how far you are from it. Yellow Hair begins with a narration as we see two dolls beside the window and a person sitting by a grave in the background. People establish their own places in society by many different means. The fact that two women, Yoona and SangHee, chose the yellow colour for their hair makes a statement about their lives. Yoona selected the colour because she did not want to appear naive, and SangHee joined her in solidarity.

They live in ShinChon, a trendy suburb characterized by the international youth appeal, consumption, decadence, and non-conformity. They also inhabit UnJung, the deserted house near the cemetery. They live their chaotic lives in these two vastly different spheres. When they meet YoungKyu at a club and he immediately enters their lives. Together they share the music, dance and sex.

For some unknown reason, YoungKyu then attempts to move onto another woman, an ex-colleague at work. The woman becomes the object of hate for the two girls. It is difficult to fathom the last place the girls travel to, if there is such a place that accepts the yellow haired people. The response of our society to these outcasts is depicted in the scene where a rough hand grabs their hair.

Notes

This film presents the aspects of the society as they are experienced by Yoona and SangHee. It is difficult to accept the fact that we are actually living in the same society as they are. It is also possible that the fruitless search for their own space in our society is the search shared by all.

Controversy

In March 1999, Yellow Hair became the first film to be rejected outright by the Korean Performing Arts Promotion Committee (KPAPC), the organization responsible for film certification and censorship within South Korea. The sexual content of the film, including one scene depicting a threesome, was deemed to be in breach of the committee's guidelines on explicit sex. Committee member Cho Hee-mun stated that "The film contains scenes which are disgusting and totally unacceptable to our moral standards." This decision effectively banned the film from release.