Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2018: Steven Yeun in Burning

Steven Yeun did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning LAFCA and NSFCA, for portraying Ben in Burning.

Burning follows a young working class man Lee Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) as he unexpectedly reconnects with an old female acquaintance Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo) before agreeing to watch her cat, while also returning to work his family's farm as his father faces criminal charges.

Korean-American actor Steven Yeun is currently best known for his efforts in American film and television. He recently semi-dipped his toe into the Korean film industry through the Korean-American production Okja, that was directed by Bong Joon-ho one of the great Korean directors. This is a step further in that direction where this is entirely a Korean production with the similarly noted South Korean director Lee Chang-dong. Although Yeun ostensibly here to simply be in a Korean film, his western notoriety perhaps isn't wholly unnoticed in his role of the mysterious Ben who enters the film when Hae-mi returns from travels abroad. Ben is a rich yuppie, and Yeun's initial impact is fascinating one, as to borrow a terminology from Seinfeld, we don't exactly who's dude this dude, and if he's Hae-mi's dude or just some dude. One thing it is clear though is Yeun rips through his scenes in a rather fascinating way. This is especially notable in that he's been more known for more quiet if even modest sorts in most of his American roles, but here Yeun portrays the master of his domain (second Seinfeld allusion not intended). The confidence that he exudes though is considerable though notable in the way Yeun pulls it off, in just how effortless he makes it all. It is rather just in that sly grin of his here, that just seems of a man who has everything he wants, to the point that Yeun makes it almost this biting charisma that is unpleasant in its peculiar understated intensity.

One could imagine that Yeun's work is merely delivering a charismatic turn, however Yeun's work, much like Ben, has a hidden motivation the entire time which informs the entirety of his work. On first viewing one can try to decipher what is going on, as Yeun could be misinterpreted as just some Lothario with a little too much personal confidence. Yeun certainly, properly allows this misinterpretation in the charisma he does bring to Ben. The fascinating thing though is this isn't even a facade exactly, not at all. Yeun actually portrays Ben as almost entirely exactly who he is the entire time as his whole performance as this strangely venomous indifference. This is how approaches every initial scene with that gleaming expression, but lack of any real warmth or connection to these people he will even call friends in the moment. The thing is though Yeun still doesn't make it as though it is secretly he simple hates them, and this is just a facade. No, rather what is so fascinating about this performance is that Yeun doesn't quite lie, nor does Ben. Yeun's portrayal after all is of a man who is essentially observing the two people. He is always watching with just a general graciousness of someone keeping their distance emotionally but with a keen interest in those he watches nonetheless. This is even in his delivery of commentary on Hae-mi, that is not of a lustful man, but rather a wolf eyeing his prey.

This is where the requisite spoiler is required as Yeun throughout the entire film plays Ben seemingly as a serial killer who is simply having some fun watching his eventual victim, and taking his time to observe before he proceeds. He portrays no connection with either as people, he plays every moment as though he was observing curiosities which is what makes Yeun's performance so brilliantly disturbing. He spends time with them sure, he's even pleasant to them in a basic sense of the word, yet Yeun's approach infuses into the character essentially this hatefulness through the detachment he brings. He doesn't hate with raw fire, but rather the hate stems from the lack of even a hint of empathy to these "things" to him. I love the way that even how he physically moves in a given scene has this method to it that lacks sincerity of an effort to connect, as he is never as they are, always in his own way. It is amazing how Yeun manages to have just these little tweaks in just his position to be casual when they are formal, formal when they are casual, that accentuates a lack of connection as though Ben believes himself to be a higher form of being than they are. The greatest example of this is when Jong-su pours his heart to Ben over the lost of his mother, where he burned her clothes after she left, to which Ben counters with his own story of burning.

Although Ben specializes in burning "greenhouses", and this speech about his particular hobby, is all about the subtext of it. Yeun opens the speech with no a hint of concern for Jong-su's past heartbreak, and instead internalizes the focus on his peculiar crime. A crime he tells about with such a understated but palatable glee. In each lurid detail there is this off putting pleasure of it, and appreciation of the act through Yeun's delivery of the speech.Yeun finally reveals a strange affection towards something, that unfortunately being this act, which he finds this quietly terrifying passionate love for. The idea of the act seemingly being his greatest joy in his life, that he participate in every two months. Time goes by though and no greenhouses are burnt though Hae-mi disappears, and if one reads between the lines it becomes evident that Ben murdered her without a second thought. Ben is more than willing to speak of his crime still as the initially Jong-su inquires about the lack of an obvious burning, and again Yeun's work is so distinctly unnerving in the calm he brings in reliving the moment. This again though with this strange allure of Ben he cultivates because the man still seems as though he is walking on the air only granted to some immortal. Yeun is so intriguing to watch here within the scene, but on reflection of the film is where the greatness of this work lies. Yeun's whole performance not only succeeds in giving a unique and dynamic approach on the serial killer it also explains the man's actions throughout. This being as even as Ben stays cordial enough to Jong-su even after Hae-mi's disappearance.  Of course cordial in his own way, where again Yeun emphasizes that presence of the voyeur not the friend, that he makes so vile because of the lacking of human connection. This creating this sort of passive aggressive cruelty. Yeun shows to us man who doesn't feel he needs to put on any act, since he simply of a higher form than those he has deigned below him. The only point there is any sense of understanding is in Ben's demise where after being stabbed to death by Jong-su, Yeun's reaction is of both horror and pain, but finally in this moment do we finally see Ben notice that he too is human just like Jong-su and Hae-mi. This in his pathetic demise that he presents as this break in his personal reality. This is an amazing performance by Steven Yeun as he constructs a mystery out of a character by his performance essentially showing his hand from his first frame, we just lack the perspective to understand his game.