Two leaders of the new generation join hands to start a venture in the hope of creating a better new world – this is the framework of Ermenegildo Zegna and director Park Chan-wook’s film A Rose Reborn. The idea of harmony and balance drawing from Eastern philosophies has repeatedly been related to ancient symbols, such as fresh air and water; in contrast to the loss of equilibrium in the modern world.
You might wonder how could we see the invisible “fresh air” in the film? Indeed, air is shown in different ways - when Stephen explores the mine in Wyoming when there is a possible insufficiency of air; at the time he arrives at the spacious and green cemetery in Milan, and determines to contribute his technology to a better world.
The ancient and Asian concept of air is “Qi”, which means the flow of air in a body or in the environment. The balance or the smooth flow of Qi is believed to be the key to harmony and well-being. “No air” in the mine causes suffocation and the uncomfortable feeling of Stephen, as opposite to the abundant supply of air in the graveyard. Though air is unseen, but a harmonic visual effect is created here and we can almost “smell” the revitalizing scent of the grass in the air.
Unseen air is felt moving as wind, which is present in Mr Lu’s riddle asking Stephen about which creature relies on wind for the whole life. Have you found that “balance” is delicately tied in with “a tightrope walker” as the answer? Think in the way it requires a special technique for the tightrope walker to balance with the wind and stay alive, a metaphor for us to learn and be in harmony with our world.
Water is placed in an equivalently important position as air. It is the 5 essential elements for life (as in Asian or today’s Chinese medical concept) and a symbol of wisdom. While water stands for harmony and balance, at times it can be disastrous. Water is depicted as huge waves on the computer screens when Stephen faces life crisis. After he has transformed, water also changes into irrigation water facilitating the growth of plants.
At last, Stephen’s creation is portrayed as a water- egg in the finale. Now these two new leaders finally come together to restore harmony and balance for the world, as Stephen says, “With what you have and what I have become one, we can turn deserts green.”