Episode 278: Schrödinger's Everything (Lee Chang-dong's "Burning" Pt. 1)

Lee Chang-dong’s 2018 film *Burning*, an adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s short story "Barn Burning," serves as the primary subject, with an analysis focusing on the film’s masterful use of ambiguity, visual storytelling, and themes of youth alienation and class disparity. The discussion interrogates the protagonist’s struggle with objective reality, the symbolic nature of the "great hunger," and the unsettling, psychopathic demeanor of the character Ben. Preceding the film analysis, the conversation addresses various pet peeves, including the overuse of Bayesian terminology like "updating priors," the pervasive culture of mandatory rating systems, and the inefficiency of faculty governance in academic settings. These segments highlight a shared frustration with the erosion of individual judgment and the performative nature of modern social and professional interactions.