Edited by Hong Hyun Jung
Translated by Kim Hoyeun
The World of the Married, called Mara-flavored drama, is the hottest topic in the town. It uses the topics of infidelity and revenge, which are common in makjang dramas, but draws a clear line from existing works with its elaborate developments that resembles psychological thrillers. Ji Sun Woo, who realizes her husband’s affair and tries to protect her own world even in the center of painful situations, is stunningly fresh. Women like Ji Sun Woo, who never succumbs helplessly to the hopeless reality, are often found in movies. This article introduces films about the revenge of women, who convey various feelings from a sense of freedom to complex and subtle emotions.
The Truth Beneath (2015)
Yeon Hong tracks down her missing daughter alone as the investigation has slowed down despite the disappearance of her daughter Min Jin during her husband’s campaign. But the truth she faced in extreme pain was cruel. Unexpected betrayal, lies, and coincidences created unspeakable tragedy. Revenge, which was brought upon anger and despair, is even more heartbreaking and pitiful. Director Lee Kyung Mi, who featured unconventional female characters in her debut film Crush And Blush, also leads the play with a character who does not conform to the system in The Truth Beneath, presenting a unique sense of tension. Son Ye Jin vividly conveyed the psychological changes of the character who is losing her mind in anger and despair with a new look that she has never shown before.
Alice In Earnestland (2014)
There is a strange world where you can never be happy even if you try your best. In Soo Nam’s world, the more she struggles, the more happiness and dreams are taken away. Alice In Earnestland harshly satirize the reality of Korea, where sincerity and success are not proportional, through Soo Nam, who lives diligently than anyone else but cannot escape the cruel reality. Soo Nam’s skill is exceptional, but computers replace her jobs, and she marries a man she met at a factory, but the reality does not allow her to live the normal life she dreamed. After all, Soo Nam emits a merciless madness to survive in a world where the more she tries, the more unhappy she becomes.
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005)
Lee Geum Ja, a woman who looks cold and indifferent, is beautiful enough to make anyone pay attention to her at once. Brilliantly leading the third installment in director Park Chan Wook’s “Vengeance Trilogy” following Sympathy For Mr. Venge and Old Boy, Lee Geum Ja has been engrossed in preparing for a brutal revenge as long as the previous protagonists. She decided to punish Mr.Baek, who falsely accused her of kidnapping and murdering a 5-year-old schoolboy. She gradually carries out her revenge with the help of her coagents, but her expressions show no signs of relief. It’s because she knows that she cannot bring back the dead even if Mr. Baek was brought to justice. Like her vague facial expression, which makes it hard to tell whether she is laughing or crying, the viewers fall into complex and subtle emotions rather than exhilaration.
Bedevilled (2010)
Bok Nam is often beaten by her husband, works like a slave all day, and is even sexually abused by her brother-in-law. She asks for help from her childhood friend Hae Won, who visited Mudo for vacation, but maybe it’s because of the bleak atmosphere of the island, Hae Won ignores Bok Nam’s earnest request. In the end, on one sunny day, Bok Nam finally snaps, picks up a sickle, and takes revenge on the islanders, who always trampled her. Bedevilled is a sad revenge drama that leaves a pleasant, cruel, yet plaintive feeling. Although seemingly a beautiful and peaceful island, Bok Nam, who was forced and despised to live a subhuman life, comes a story of a cruel reality of those living in the position of the weak.
