Analysis

The South Korean film Silenced, is based on the true, tragic events that took place at a small school for the deaf in Gwangju, South Korea. The film is based on the mistreatment and molestation of students by faculty at the school for the deaf, and how the legal system failed them. The film tells the story of a teacher from the bustling capital of South Korea, Seoul, and his journey to the mountain town of Minju, to start his new job as an art teacher in a school for the deaf. The film depicts the despicable crimes and underlying sadness through the use of symbolism with props, lighting, and the use of camera angles.

The film begins with fog covering the screen, fading to reveal snow-covered scenery. A pair of headlights draws your eye to a hazy car speeding down a winding road. The scene then switches to a close up of the driver, the new art teacher, In-ho as he talks with his mother he is leaving behind in Seoul. Out of the windows you can see nothing but the fog. The opening shot shows the remoteness of the town, no other cars or a house in sight, just trees and a road. The sky is gray and ominous, setting the mood for the film. I believe the fog represents how the town turned a blind eye to the crimes and how the students were missing the sense of hearing and impaired like fog impairs vision.  It can also foreshadow how the town police officers and detectives covered the crimes. Now a little boy is seen, no more than five years old, deliberately standing in the middle of the train tracks as a train barrels. The scene switches between the teacher driving and the boy on the tracks. Brakes squealing and a train whistle join together as the white lights of the headlights fill the screen. The train flies past, a shoe left behind implying that the young boy had perished, the camera panning over to reveal the figure lying beside the tracks, face not shown. The scene then switches back to the teacher as he sadly looks down at the animal he had run over, fog clouding both scenes. The camera switches between the boy on the train tracks and In-ho driving are foreshadowing that In-ho is about to become involved in something bigger than he could ever imagine and will experience an unbearable pain. The white light engulfing the screen can again represent the town being blinded or even In-ho’s upcoming enlightenment.

In the beginning of the movie, the principal’s office is first seen in a ceiling mirror, we see the reflection of the figures below, as if the viewer is looking down on them. This could symbolize that these characters should be looked down upon. This will be a key foreshadowing element to one of the sexual crimes as it takes place in this same office. The ceiling contains a security camera that caught it all on tape, and the mirror’s point of view, overlooking it all represents that the cameras are watching everything. The mirror can also represent the double image of the faculty, although they have fooled some into thinking they are good, they are truly disgusting people and are eventually revealed us such, the mirror exposing their true character. In this scene, the principal is meeting the new art teacher for the first time. The camera pans down from the ceiling to show a point of view angle. An over the shoulder shot is used as the camera focuses on In-ho speaking to the principal. When the principal is speaking though there is never an over the shoulder shot. This may be because the principal appearing in over the shoulder shots could represent that he is always there, watching over, establishing his authority. Another hint that this may be true is the painting of the principal by In-ho’s art mentor, which is proudly hanging on the wall, its dark colors drawing a viewer into its abyss. Just as the two begin talking, another character is revealed to be the identical twin of the principal, Chief Lee. This is another way this scene can symbolize and establish that the principal and now chief are everywhere and are primary suspects for the soon to be discovered crimes. The frame switches to a long shot of the three, In-ho in the middle, possibly symbolizing that there is no escape from the twins. After some dialogue, the scene ends. 

Lastly, the ending scene of the film was beautifully done. As Kang In-Ho stands alone in a crowd of moving people in the subway, the camera zooms out as he stares at a wall size promotional poster boasting “Come to Mujin, a City of Fog”. The Irony is that as the people rush past him, consumed with their own worries, In-Ho is burdened still by the tragic event that took place at the school. As others nonchalantly glance at the poster, they see a tourist ploy, not the emotions and drama that In-Ho feels as he looks at it. Strings play in the background to create a dramatic effect and the coloring appears drained, a pathetic representation of prime colors. The lighting appeared natural and felt almost as if the viewer were in the station with In-ho. The film ends with the screen fading black and an update of the current events at the school.

           I was pleasantly surprised by the overall exceptional acting shown by all of the main actors. The most moving performances were given by the students who each signed throughout their testimonies. The facial expression and the pace and force of their signs were simply beautiful. Especially note-worthy was the actress who portrayed Yeon-du (Kim Hyun-soo), she gave one of the most dramatic testimonies. Gong Yoo (In-ho) definitely did not disappoint despite it being different from the past roles he has taken on. The dark lighting throughout the movie set the perfect mood for the movie and the lighting and camera angles aided in the story-telling. The only part that is often brought up as almost a criticism is the reenactments of the crimes. Each reenactment goes a little far to be shown with such young actors. A common defense is that it does stop before clothes are removed and you cannot sugarcoat the actual crimes that took place. Although these scenes were extremely hard to watch, it definitely impactful and I couldn’t imagine the movie being as amazing as it was without the scenes, maybe just a little toned down.

Work Cited:

Silenced. Dir. Dong-hyuk Hwang. Perf. Yoo Gong, Yu Mi Jeong, and Hyeon-soo Kim. CJ  

           Entertainment, 2011. Film.