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Burn, Ben, Burn!
Burning Ben is a tribute to a character (Ben) from the movie "Burning" by South Korean director Lee Chang-dong. He tries to address the mystery of the world with this film. Something that obviously goes wrong, but nobody can say what. His aim is to depict the rage of today's youth - without perspectives, apathetically. A youth looking for a culprit for its misery.
Although the film does not fall directly into the LGBTIQ genre, Prin probably dedicated one of the most beautiful scents of his collection to this film, around a triangle relationship. And especially the character Ben. Ben himself is rich, handsome and the archetype of a winner. So he doesn't fit into the desperation of youth portrayed in the film. He is, perhaps, rather the reason or also the guilty one, who lets the destitute appear even poorer and more powerless. While he takes what he wants.
But let´s do it, step by step.
The story unfolds around Hae-mi, a dreamy young woman who sets off for Africa with her hard-earned money to find the meaning of her life. Before that she met Jong-su, a boy from her old school (and her hometown) by chance and the two spend time together. There will be more. When she asks Jong-su to look after her cat during her absence (and search for meaning) in Africa, he agrees. But he never sees the cat during the following weeks and at some point he doesn't believe that it exists anymore.
When Jong-su picks up Hae-mi at the airport after weeks, she introduces him to Ben, whom she met in Africa. From now on all three of them spend more time together and Jong-su can only watch Hae-mi decay more and more Ben. One evening, while eating together, Hae-mi explains in tears what a huge fear of dying she has. She'd rather just disappear, go up in smoke as if she never existed. She never exists. This very open and emotional moment and her tears are only acknowledged by Ben with a lack of understanding for the despair, inner conflict and life fears of "the others". He, Ben, never cried before.
At another meeting, under drugs, Jong-su confesses to Ben not only that he loves Hae-mi, but also tells him about the loss of his mother and how his father forced him to burn all things and souvenirs after her death. Ben uses this keyword to report on his "hobby": burning abandoned greenhouses. Ben's complete lack of empathy now contributes even more to Jong-su's despair and enemy image.
After a disturbing phone call from Hae-mi, in which only steps and screams can be heard, Jong-su now completely believes that Ben is trying to kill his beloved (Hae-mi). After that call, Hae-mi disappeared without a trace. He's watching all the greenhouses and also Ben to put him to death. One day, when he is caught by Ben and invited into his apartment in a confusing way, he meets a cat who hears the same first name as Hae-mis cat (whom he had never seen). He also finds, among many watches and bracelets, things at Ben that belonged to Hae-mi.
In the conversation Ben mentions that he also wondered how Hae-mi could just disappear. Like it's gone up in smoke. (Yes, almost the same words...)
Jong-su then lures Ben out of town. Kill him and pour gasoline over him, then burn him. Hae-mi disappears without a trace.
That's Burning Ben.
The scent smells of smoke and delicious coffee. It smells like wonderful, noble car seats (Ben's Porsche). It smells like expensive cognac. Simple, but expensive. Wealthy, but astonishingly unobtrusive.
He smells of the being and the end of Ben. (you have to watch the film!)
With his pretty, perfect face and the lack to see the world as more than just a playground of his desires.