None of us looks upon the aging process with unabashed glee, save for the children who proclaim their ages in terms of half-years. They are in a hurry to get older. But we all reach a point in life when the years start to go by too fast. Each year is quicker than the one that preceded it. Although, as has been said many times before, getting older sure beats the alternative.
Lee Chung-ryoul is a Korean who went to a cattle market in 1999, where he saw an ox cry when taken away from his owner. It left an indelible mark on him, reminding him of his own childhood and the ox that belonged to his father. Korea was built on the back and sweat of oxen that tilled the soil. With industrialization, the role of the ox has faded, but Lee Chung-ryoul felt the need to find a man who still toiled in the field with his faithful ox. He found him in Choi Won-kyun, an elderly farmer who had a very elderly ox. The normal lifespan of an ox is 15 years. This ox is approximately an astounding 40 years old.
His wife, Lee Sam-soon, 77, also works back-breakingly hard on the farm. She also complains non-stop about her lot in life, and her words often provide the comic relief needed to prevent "Old Partner" from descending into a heaping helping of sadness and heaviness. One of her great lines is directed at the ox: "We both met the wrong man. That's why we both have to work so hard". You can't help but laugh when she says it but it is easy to understand her feelings. Her husband favors the needs of the ox over the needs of his wife.
Day after day we watch the family go to work, all of them struggling just to remain upright at times. Every step that the ox takes looks like it might be his very last. I am not exaggerating at all. We almost cheer every completed step.
Lee Chung-ryoul directs with a gentleness befitting the family's gentle and simple life. It never feels like he is intruding, yet we feel like we are part of the family. It's a remarkable achievement. Any of you that has ever loved an animal and has known the loss of an animal will marvel at "Old Partner". I feel sorry for the rest of you.
