The number of cases of sexual violence and harassment that exist within the scope of the world of education is the background for the birth of "Silenced" (2011). This film is one of many stories inspired by events that have occurred in reality, about cases involving children as victims of sexual violence.
For those who have seen films with similar stories such as “Hope” (2013) which records details of the suffering of a small child who is a victim of sexual harassment. “Silenced” is going to be more complex, by combining elements of disabled victims as used in the narrative of “The Silent Forest” (2020) as well as legal efforts against someone who has great power.
The film by Hwang Dong-Hyuk who also directed Miss Granny (2014), is an adaptation of a book entitled "The Crucible" by Gong Ji-Young which is based on a heartbreaking true incident in South Korea. By presenting big names such as Gong Yoo and Jung Yu-mi the film "Silenced" was nominated as the best film at the 2011 Blue Dragon Film Awards.
Silently Confined Crime at the Korean Deaf Academy
The scary atmosphere was present since the beginning of the first act of the film "Silenced", the transfer of Kang In-ho (Gong Yoo), an art teacher to an Special School (SLB) "Gwangju Inhwa" in the Gwangju area, South Korea. Since his transfer, Kang In-ho has noticed that many things are not right at school, from watching a battered student get beat up by a teacher, to hearing the midnight screams of a girl in the school toilet.
Kang In-ho's curiosity was finally proven when several of his students, namely Kim Yeon-doo (Kim Hyun-soo), Jin Yoo-ri (Jung In-seo), and Jeon Min-soo (Seung Hwan-baek) revealed the principal's crime. along with his twin and an unscrupulous teacher named Park Bo-hyun (Kim Min-sang).
With the help of a social worker at the Mujin Human Rights Center, Seo Yoo Jin (Jung Yu-mi), Kang In-ho reports this incident to the authorities. However, it turns out that great power has gathered behind the backs of the defendants, the film then proceeds to follow the struggles of Kang In-ho and Seo Yoo-jin to fight for justice for children who are victims of the crime of school authorities.
Highlights Crohnism, Corruption, and Judicial System Failures
“The Silenced” does not only focus on the suffering of the survivors and the search for justice, this film also highlights the cronyism practice of those in power so that they can oppress the victims in various ways, one of which is silence, abuse of power, and the cunning practice of bribing the victims. law officer.
The severity of the offense that caused physical, psychological and emotional damage to the victims in the end could not be taken into consideration to ensnare the defendants. The justice system is even biased in favor of bad people who have great influence because they are considered to have contributed to regional education and the development of religious centers.
In this film, the figure of Kang In-ho becomes a connector for the reality of people who still have a conscience but without power, he goes through a phase of indecision with the welfare of his family. Narrative about the difficulty of facing the choice to remain silent and continue to work for a child who is terminally ill, or choose to speak out to help the victims. Stories like this happen a lot in real life, that good people need full courage to take a stand in difficult situations.
Big Stage for Young Cast
The appearances of young actors such as Kim Hyun-soo, Jung In-seo, and Seung Hwan-baek managed to attract attention because they could clearly describe disabled children with conditions that were not fine.
The only element that makes watching this film most uncomfortable is the depiction of sexual violence against children that is too explicit in several scenes in the film, this is also what makes "Silenced" received harsh criticism from several world critics. Apart from that, the appearance of the young cast deserves praise, no wonder if in the end names like Kim Hyun-soo and Jung In-seo continue to shine until now.
In addition, Gong Yoo's character Kang In-ho is also a key role in this film, a narrative about the silence and depravity of the justice system can't be presented without the help of disappointed looks from actors like Gong Yoo's class.
Jung Yu-mi's presence might have been more emotional if only there was an attachment to a similar past event, whether it had happened to her or her family. However, “Silenced” did not choose a more complicated complexity, so Seo Yoo Jin was only portrayed as a social worker who has a big heart to help victims.
While not the type of film with an ending that many people expect, it did at least have a major impact on the laws on sexual violence in Korea.
In 2011 the Korean National Assembly passed the “Dogani Law” (the name is taken from the Korean title “Silenced”) which removes restrictions on sexual assault against children under the age of 13 and the disabled. It also raised the maximum penalty for raping minors and disabled people to life imprisonment, and removed a clause that required victims to prove that they were “unable to resist” because of their disability. This heartwarming film that invites feelings of tightness in the chest can be watched on Netflix.
