Hey everyone, here I am with a movie review after a long time. So, recently, I came across a South Korean movie name, Silenced (2011), directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. It is adapted from the South Korean novel The Crucible (2009), written by Gong Ji-young. Personally, it is my favourite genre: the kind of story in which the protagonist goes to a seemingly isolated town and discovers that something is going terribly wrong. This film falls somewhat into this category.
The premise of this movie is very sensitive. A struggling drawing teacher is freshly appointed to a new, remotely located school named Mujin. From the onset, we get the insinuation that something is terribly wrong at the school, but what? Generally, primary school students are known for their shenanigans and jovial nature, but here, the students are inexplicably 'silent'. More correctly, they are 'silenced'. And they are silenced by the teachers. The teachers are sexually abusing the children, particularly those who have hearing impairments and do not have anyone to look after them. Some of their parents are dead, while others are unable to adequately care for them, which allows the perpetrators to continue their heinous abuse. The visuals of sexual abuse that we see on screen are so violent and devastating that it is difficult to fathom that this movie is inspired by real events at Gwangju Inhwa School in South Korea. The students who did not succumb to the teachers’ advances were brutally beaten, almost to death.
In the film, the children are victims of systematic sexual oppression. I am using the word 'systematic' because the abuse is not limited to one individual. The entire institution is implicated in the violence, which is also backed by the police and to a certain extent, the government. We can clearly see the extent to which humans can go in committing such evil deeds. These disabled students are particularly vulnerable and easy targets for their abusers. This movie also proves the point that being well read or having a strong scholarly background does not necessarily mean that a person is morally and ethically upright.
The acting of all three children is outstanding, along with that of their teacher, Kang In-ho, played by Gong Yoo, who becomes the children’s voice and seeks justice on their behalf. Being physically assaulted is heart-wrenching enough, in addition to that, we have to witness the perpetrators receiving negligible punishments in court despite the concrete evidence against them. The culprits are backed by a corrupt system that allows them to escape with negligible imprisonment, for which I believe a death sentence is not sufficient.
Despite all the brutality, sensitivity, and violence it presents, this movie is worth watching because it is based on real events. We should at least be aware that such abuse can happen and remain vigilant about the people and institutions around us.
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