Bungee Jumping of Their Own (번지점프를 하다) is a 2001 South Korean film starring Lee Byung-hun and Lee Eun-ju. Directed by Kim Dae-seung, the film was the 10th most attended film of the year with 947,000 admissions. It was also shown at the 2002 Frameline Film Festival, and the 2004 Korean Film Festival DC.
The film follows teenager Seo In-woo, who finds Love at First Sight after encountering fellow student In Tae-hee. After dating for only a few weeks, Tae-hee is run over and killed while crossing the street. 17 years later, In-woo is married to another, and the two have a daughter together. In-woo teaches both Korean language studies and mathematics at a high school. One of his students, Lim Hyeon-bin, shares striking similarities with Tae-hee, causing In-woo to develop strong feelings toward him.
This film won the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Director, and also the Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Screenplay and Best New Actor.
This movie provides examples of:
- Bittersweet Ending: After Hyeon-bin, a 17 year old male student, realises that he is Tae-hee reincarnate, he travels to New Zealand with In-woo, his teacher and Tae-hee's lover, and both commit suicide by jumping from a cliff. It's implied that they will both be reincarnated and find each other again, but who knows how many times and cycles it will take...
- My Death Is Just the Beginning: Tae-hee is killed after being hit by a bus while crossing the street to meet In-woo. Not long after this, Tae-hee is reincarnated as Hyeon-bin.
- Past-Life Memories: Hyeon-bin experiences this toward the end of the film.
- Smoking Is Cool: The reason In-woo takes up smoking is because he believes Tae-hee will like him more for it.
- Suicide Pact: In-woo and Tae-hee jokingly make one while stood atop a rocky hill. Eventually carried out when In-woo and Hyeon-bin go to New Zealand.
- Umbrella of Togetherness: How In-woo and Tae-hee first meet.
