Can the clean lines of Modernist architecture mirror the messy complexities of human emotion?
In short: In the 2017 drama Columbus, director Kogonada uses the iconic Modernist buildings of Columbus, Indiana, as a backdrop for a profound connection between two strangers. By blending architectural precision with intimate human struggle, the film explores how our physical environment shapes, reflects, and occasionally holds us back from our own lives.
The film follows Jin Lee, a Korean-American translator who arrives in Columbus, Indiana, to care for his estranged, comatose father, a renowned architecture professor. While there, he meets Casey, a local library worker and architecture enthusiast who feels trapped by her responsibility to her recovering drug-addict mother. As they navigate the city, their conversations about the local Modernist landmarks—such as works by Eliel and Eero Saarinen and I. M. Pei—become a conduit for discussing their personal resentments, dreams, and the difficult choices required to move forward.
Kogonada, a former video essayist, drew inspiration from director Yasujirō Ozu, specifically his 1951 film Early Summer. He emphasizes the concept of negative space, arguing that architecture is essentially the structuring of emptiness, which he parallels to the nature of human emotion. This meticulous approach extends to the soundtrack, for which he selected the band Hammock after being struck by their focus on the relationship between presence and absence. The film was shot on location over just 18 days in 2016.
Critics lauded the film for its restraint and the chemistry between John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson. While many conventional films rely on romantic tropes, Columbus avoids these, focusing instead on a quiet, intellectual rapport. The film received universal acclaim, holding a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 89/100 score on Metacritic. It also achieved a unique local success in its setting, selling a record-breaking 8,953 tickets at the YES Cinema in Columbus, Indiana, far surpassing the previous record held by The King's Speech.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Columbus (2017 film)
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