It’s not very controversial to say that Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning” is a remarkable film. Filled with some of the most beautiful imagery you’ll see in any movie (that dancing scene at sunset!), the slow-burn film is hard to put in one simple film box and is all the better for it. Is it a thriller? A relationship drama? A mystery? A character study? It’s all of the above and then some. And adding to the beauty and uniqueness of “Burning” is its incredible score.
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And in honor of the score for “Burning” finally being available digitally later this week, we are proud to exclusively premiere the entire work for your listening pleasure. And trust us, you’re going to want to immediately put this score at the top of your listening to-do list.
Written by established Korean film composer and musical artist, Mowg, aka Lee Sung-hyun, the score for “Burning” is just as mysterious and surprising as Lee Chang-dong’s film. You’ll be hard-pressed to find anything incredibly bombastic and in your face over the course of the score’s ten tracks, but there’s something about the minimalist approach to Mowg’s music that fits so beautifully with the film and leads to the work being, without a doubt, one of the best scores of 2018.
We could spend thousands of words talking about how great “Burning” is. In fact, we’ve done it numerous times already, as you can see with just how many of our Best of 2018 lists the film landed on. And we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the film one more time with this score and, hopefully, some Oscar love in a month.
The score for “Burning” will be available for digital download on all platforms, courtesy of Milan Records, on January 18.
Here’s the film’s synopsis, as well as the entire score available to stream:
BURNING is the searing examination of an alienated young man, Jongsu (Ah-in YOO), a frustrated introvert whose already difficult life is complicated by the appearance of two people into his orbit: first, Haemi (newcomer Jong-seo JUN), a spirited woman who offers romantic possibility, and then, Ben (Steven Yeun, THE WALKING DEAD, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU), a wealthy and sophisticated young man she returns from a trip with. When Jongsu learns of Ben’s mysterious hobby and Haemi suddenly disappears, his confusion and obsessions begin to mount, culminating in a stunning finale.