I've been writing Korean movies lately, not intentionally, but just happened to come across them. This movie was recommended to me by my sister, and I heard her say that she cried a lot when she first watched this movie with her classmates, and she had to make me cry together.
The film was released in South Korea on May 22 last year and grossed 1.5 billion won, or more than 8 million yuan.
When I checked the information of this movie, I found that director Zhang Guisheng's previous film style was biased towards funny and fun genres, and the Douban score was basically 6.5 points and below, this time he tried a completely different style from the past, breaking out of a high score of 8.1.
The theme and entry point of this film is one of the hot topics in society: child abuse. What is even more painful is that this movie is adapted from a real case - the 2013 South Korean Lacquer Valley Incident, from Suyuan to the small client, one after another real, tragic events are placed in front of our eyes, making it difficult for us to hide our heartache.
The main characters in the Korean Lacquer Valley case were originally a pair of sisters, but in the movie, the sister is changed to a younger brother.
The film begins with an interview that brings up a case that seems unrelated to the film— the Case of Kitty Genovese: a 30-minute knife in the street, with 38 witnesses unsettled, and the debate on this case analyzes whether the bystanders are guilty.
I didn't understand the purpose of the plot at first, and even thought that this Kitty Genovese case was the main case of the film, and the whole movie would be told in flashbacks, but it was not.
Stripping away these thoughts and simply answering the interviewer's questions, I think that this question should be guilty of our first reaction, because whether we can stop it or not, as long as we witness it and do nothing, it will be a psychological guilt for us.
Among these interviewed lawyers, it is basically the same as most of us think, but the male protagonist Yin Zhengye is very rational, rational enough to make the audience feel indifferent.
Here, the director uses the performance method of juxtaposition of voices, with the interviewer's facial expression and action picture juxtaposed with the voice and curtain words that the male protagonist believes are innocent, giving people a feeling that the dust should have settled but was lifted by a slap and provoked the dust to charm the eyes.
To tell the truth, Yin Zhengye's answer really made my three views really impacted, and at that moment I was even thinking about the correctness of this statement, so I began to reflect on whether my ideas were really too emotional, and I did not respect enough in terms of law.
But when I had self-doubt, the close-up after the male protagonist finished speaking and the voiceover came side by side —
"Oh, you idiot."
Let me return to my heart.
After I inquired about Baidu, I found that the definition of sin is too broad, and different regions and different religions have different definitions of it, but the two most obvious differences are religious and legal.
Religion: Sin can refer to a state of mind rather than specifically to an act. Any thought, speech, or act that is verbally considered immoral, shameful, harmful, or unfriendly can be called "guilty."
Law: It is an act that is punishable by criminal law when it is committed, and it is not the same as the crime of morality, religion and custom.
In fact, these two different definitions are almost equivalent to different definitions of emotions and rules on the same thing.
As far as this case is concerned, legally speaking, there is indeed no problem, and we who do not have the ability to protect ourselves can only choose Mingzhe to protect ourselves in the face of that situation, just as Yin Zhengye said, "I may die, of course, I will choose to escape." But emotionally, we are really hard to accept.
For people who are kinder, the guilt must be very strong, and it may create a certain pressure on their psychology after the fact: we have so many people, if we were brave at that time, would we be able to save Genovese?
"There is no legal problem, so from a personal point of view, it can be guilty."
Although the subjective color of this sentence is very strong, from the perspective of society and from the perspective of individuals, it is indeed the voice of many people, and this sentence seems to have made a final explanation for the mental journey of the male protagonist later.
In fact, the case at the beginning of the movie seems to be just a starting point for a change in the mentality of a male protagonist, but it also shows the male protagonist's overly rational and indifferent personality characteristics from this point, which also lays the groundwork for the later male protagonist and Duobin's sisters and brothers to get along.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > when there is too much darkness, it is a sin to be right</h1>
When Duobin sisters and brothers appeared, the whole picture tone of the movie was warm and beautiful warm colors, although the home was chaotic but sunny, Duobin and Minjun missed their mothers, but they were always happy, and the word mother represented happiness for them.
The appearance of the stepmother Jiang Zhishu is a surprise for the two children, and it is the beginning of a happy life, so after accepting their lives, the original vacant position of the mother will be filled, and the color of the picture will be instantly transferred from the dull dark tone on the dining table to the classroom, the picture is instantly bright, and on the basis of the warm tone of the original home, more brilliant and brighter colors, cheerful music, the smiles of Duo bin and Min Jun, it seems that everything has begun to develop in a good direction.
But there is only one line between heaven and hell.
After Duo Bin and Min Jun returned home from school, the director used a moving shot exactly the same as the previous duo Bin siblings, pushing from the big picture of the room to the kitchen, panning to the room and bathroom, exactly the same room layout and shot, but different pictures and feelings.
In such an atmosphere, the first abuse begins "naturally".
But the first domestic violence director did not directly show it, Jiang Zhishu got up and tied his hair and transferred from DuoBin's family to the male protagonist's sister's house, and at this moment, the bright room, the happy and harmonious dining table atmosphere was in stark contrast with Duobin's family.
The same is not to use chopsticks, but it is two different attitudes
Such a small thing, basically in every family will happen, most of them are the same as the sister's family, a few simple words will also help the child change the tableware, or patiently teach again,
In several Korean movies I've seen, the South Korean police seem to be inactive, and there are no exceptions in this movie.
"When you encounter difficulties and dangers, go to the police uncle."
This is something that everyone takes for granted, but what if the police uncle you meet is inactive? That is undoubtedly to plunge us with expectations into a deeper abyss.
"I was called by my mother after a few hits, and the recent child is really terrible."
Did the policeman who said this seriously think about what kind of blow this unintentional sentence would bring to a child who suffered violence? She was only seeking help in the correct way she had learned to ask for help, but she was met with such a direct accusation that she became suspicious of herself:
"Am I doing something wrong?"
"When something bad happens, you should tell your uncle the police, that's how I learned it."
"Did I do something wrong?"
"Uncle, did I do something wrong?"
At this moment, the background sound is quiet, only three questions in a row, and the sound hammers into our hearts.
And these three questions seem to have two meanings, one is the understanding above, but the incomprehension of the violence suffered by her and her brother-
"Am I doing something wrong?" Why would someone who represents the sacred word mother do such a thing to punish us? "
From the ending of the movie, From Kang Ji-sook's words, we can guess that her childhood should also be unfortunate, and the word mother does not represent warmth for her. So, I can understand her pain, but I can't accept that she will continue the pain and let the next child bear the hurt she has endured.
When I saw the social worker visiting her home, I couldn't understand it: Wasn't the social worker going to communicate with Kang Ji-sook worried that it would cause her heavier resentment and bring more harm to Duo Bin and Min Jun? But after seeing the dialogue between the male protagonist Yin Zhengye and the seniors, I suddenly understood this practice.
The school will not take care of it, the police will not act, the layers of drag down, can only let them manage, and without a search warrant, they can do nothing but peaceful door-to-door conversation.
Zheng Ye's predecessors saw such a reality clearly, and indeed they could not do anything. She may have seen too many such things, and she knows that she can do insignificant, in this state, she is already deeply tired, so in Zhengye asked: "Is it tiring to do things according to the law?" "
She said, "I'm tired, that's why I'm going to quit." "
This dialogue is also the first time that Zheng Ye encounters dissatisfaction with the law he insists on following, and it is also the first time that he has doubts about the law, and this plot is a foreshadowing for Zheng Ye to completely change his previous views later.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > many times, we are also the saviors of others</h1>
When Duobin went to the teacher and wanted to ask for help, she saw the scar on Duobin's neck, but still left, we don't want to contaminate other people's right and wrong, but sometimes, maybe just a little hand can change the fate of others. For now, her departure has indeed made Dobin lose a hope.
The hesitant glance when Zheng Ye left Duobin's brother's house after the home visit was the key to making Duobin's sister and brother trust.
As mentioned earlier,
Therefore, in the process of getting along with Duobin's brothers and sisters, Zheng Ye is impatient in many cases, sometimes even undisguised, but for Duobin's brothers and sisters, this uncle may be the one who can save them from water and fire, so he will trust him. And during this time, it was indeed the most relaxed and happy time for Duo Bin and Min Jun.
For Zheng Ye, he was eager to get rid of these two "sticky spirits", he didn't like the job before, and the repeated arrivals of Duo Bin's sisters and brothers made him accelerate the speed of job hopping.
Before leaving, because Min-joon was very unhappy about the fact that he had agreed to eat hamburger uncle tomorrow but would miss the appointment, in order to get rid of them as soon as possible, Yoon Jeong-yeol gave them money and gave him the orangutan doll that Min-joon had liked for a long time.
The film's montage technique is narrative montage, unfolding step by step along a timeline.
From the perspective of the way of expression, the highlight of this film is actually very simple, mainly the theme, the story and the characters capture the string in the audience's heart, just because of two words - real.
After being found by Jiang Zhishu and beaten up by the business card, although Yin Zhengye rejected Teacher Duobin on the phone, he still came to Duobin's side, and this paragraph is the point where I am more moved.
Later, when Duo Bin said these words, the director used the expression of voice and speech juxtaposition, and used Yin Zhengye's expression to show his inner activities under these words.
Duo Bin's simple and simple words deeply penetrated Yin Zhengye's heart, because he himself knew that he did not sincerely want to help them, nor did he do anything real and substantial help for them. In this episode, Yin Zhengye's gaze has been fluttering in the air, and he does not dare to look directly at Duobin, so he wants to really help Duobin once, in order not to live up to Duobin's trust in him.
But in fact, it is difficult for outsiders to intervene in the matter of domestic violence, so he has no way to do anything. But in this plot, there are two extremely ironic plots:
· The president, who once said that he would exert his dedication, also shirked his refusal at this moment;
· DuoBin's father wears the overalls of a "water safety officer" and maintains the safety of others, but is unwilling to take care of his own children.
After seeking help without success, Jeong Ye also stopped and returned to his life trajectory and work, and the next time he got a message from Duo Bin, it was the climax of the movie - the death of Min Jun.
During the period of abuse of Duo Bin's brother and sister, more than one or two people knew about this matter, Duo Bin's father, the surrounding neighbors, the teachers of the school, the staff of the child welfare club, they all knew about this matter, they may sigh after tea, but they did not want to help them.
The Duobin sibling incident seems to be very similar to the previous Case of Kitty Genovese, and the tragic ending caused by the inaction of the people around him is really staged in front of Yin Zhengye, and when he really immerses himself in this matter, he begins to regret it, so when his friend said:
"Aren't you going through the legal process you like now?"
When this sentence was said, Zheng Ye was remorseful, and he began to hate this so-called legal procedure, and he also hated himself, because more than once, he could save the matter.
< h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > the perfect ending of the movie sighs the most helpless reality</h1>
The imperfection of this movie is that the ending is too perfect.
When collecting evidence, there are too many coincidences and too many reasonable, the orangutan doll lost by the stepmother happens to be picked up by Duobin's classmates, and the orangutan doll happens to record videos, these perfect coincidences seem to make us breathe a sigh of relief, but in fact, they contain too much heartache and helplessness.
At the end of the movie, a series of shocking numbers are shown, and this is also a reality, the punishment of child abuse has never been too serious, because the law and society do not have such strict rules in this regard, and the ending of Kang Ji-sook in the movie is also paid for by Min Jun after paying for his life.
I want children to be protected, and I want parents to have responsibility and patience as parents.
I hope that this world will be saved.