20세기 소녀
"A first love pov story."
20th Century Girl - Symbolism & Philosophy
Symbols & Motifs
Video Tapes and Camcorders
The camcorder symbolizes the act of preserving memory and seeing the world through a specific, loving perspective. It represents Woon-ho's desire to capture fleeting moments and hold onto them forever. For Bo-ra, the tapes become a tangible link to her past and her only way to receive Woon-ho's final, unspoken message, immortalizing their love story.
Woon-ho is a member of the broadcasting club and is frequently seen with his camcorder. The film opens and closes with videotapes—the first prompts Bo-ra's memory, and the final one, made by Woon-ho for her, reveals the depth of his feelings and provides a heartbreaking sense of closure.
Train Station
The train station is a classic symbol of farewell, separation, and the divergence of paths. In many films, farewells at train stations signify a permanent parting. In "20th Century Girl," it is the location of Bo-ra and Woon-ho's emotional confession and last goodbye, a poignant and bittersweet climax to their time together before he leaves for New Zealand, which tragically becomes their final in-person meeting.
After Yeon-du encourages her, Bo-ra rushes to the train station to catch Woon-ho just before his departure. They confess their mutual love for each other on the platform, promising to wait and keep in touch, a promise that fate ultimately breaks.
Payphones and Beepers
These objects represent the technological landscape of the 1990s and symbolize a mode of communication that required more effort, patience, and waiting. Unlike the instant communication of the 21st century, these devices created a sense of distance and longing, amplifying the emotional weight of every message sent and received, and making Woon-ho's eventual silence even more profound.
Throughout the film, characters use payphones to make important calls and beepers (pagers) to send numeric messages. Bo-ra's diligent efforts to learn about Hyun-jin involve observing his pager number and other analog details, grounding the story firmly in its time period.
Philosophical Questions
Does the idealization of first love prevent us from finding happiness in the present?
The film explores this through the adult Na Bo-ra, who, even two decades later, has not fully moved on from her relationship with Woon-ho. The discovery of his death provides closure but also reinforces the monumental impact he had on her life. The film raises the question of whether holding onto such a powerful, idealized memory is a beautiful tribute or a barrier to forming new, meaningful relationships. It suggests that while such loves shape us, the process of understanding and contextualizing them is a lifelong journey.
How do our memories of the past shape our present identity?
The entire film is structured as an extended memory, triggered by a videotape. This framing device suggests that our present self is a culmination of past experiences, particularly the emotionally charged ones from our youth. Bo-ra's identity as an adult is intrinsically linked to her experiences in 1999. The film posits that nostalgia is not just a fond remembrance, but an active force that informs our emotions, decisions, and how we perceive the world long after the events have passed.
Core Meaning
The core meaning of "20th Century Girl" revolves around the idea that first love, in its purity and intensity, leaves an indelible mark on one's life, shaping who they become even if it ends in heartbreak. Director Bang Woo-ri wanted to explore how first loves are sentimental precisely because they often don't work out, representing a period of youth that will never return. The film suggests that even though time moves on and life changes, the memories of that formative love remain, preserved and cherished. It's a poignant message about the beauty of fleeting moments and the bittersweet nature of looking back at a past that can never be reclaimed, but which continues to define the present.