When Moebius came out in 2013, Director Kim Ki-duk was accused of assaulting an unknown actress who was then quietly replaced. But the ire did not die down. Despite having faced several allegations before, this was the one that finally made headlines and launched forward the #MeToo movement in South Korea. In a surprisingly conservative country, it took almost 5 years for the movement to gain traction. Even until 2018, feminist movies and actors who promoted this often faced flak. South Korea has one of the highest pay gaps among developed nations (Women earn 63% of men in an equivalent post) and gender-stereotypes are often perpetuated by the movies made.
However, time and again, directors like Hong Sangsoo and Park Ji-wan have pursued along the lines of portraying strong, independent women who relentlessly pushed against stereotypes. They created 3-dimensional characters who lived, laughed, failed and started all over again, without overshadowing the other characters or coming off as too scripted. We've listed down some movies with great female characters who stood proud against the circumstances. But beware: not all of them have happy endings.
On the Beach at Night Alone
Starring Kim Min-hee and directed by Hong Sangsoo, On the Beach at Night Alone eerily mirrors the relationship of the duo off-screen - at least when summarised. Young-hee is an actress past her hey-day, in a relationship with a married man. Conflicted about her value in the relationship, she decides to take some time off for a trip to Hamburg. Upon returning, she meets up with a friend Jeeyoung and thus begins a heavily dialogue-driven movie. While the scenes might seem monotonous to some, it is exactly what Hong excels at. The montages mirror one another but have discernible differences - reflecting upon the current situation. On the Beach at Night Alone is for all means and purposes, a personal art film. The dialogue is abstract at places, but anyone who traces the affair between Hong and Min-hee and the legal battle between him and his wife will be able to find Easter eggs within the dialogue.
There is an emotional depth in the movie that perpetuates most of Hong's work, but unlike them, the movie cuts too deep into his personal life. After all those soju-filed monologues, when Min-hee's character gears up for the final showdown, one can feel the entire climax of the film building upon her words. Definitely a hit or miss with many, but I'd certainly suggest it to everyone!
More Than Family
A fun, and light movie for a night with friends. The lead character is played by famous K-pop idol Krystal Jung. Jung plays To-il, a 21-year-old university student who winds up pregnant from her relationship with a 19-year old boy she tutors. While she initially tries to hide the pregnancy, the 5 months line forces her to come clean to her parents. Her mom and step-father are very quick to express their displeasure, and so To-il decides to track down her biological father who her mother left when To-il was 5 years old.
While her step-dad expresses his disappointment at her going away, To-il nonetheless manages to track her biological father down, resulting in a hilarious showdown between the dads. Amidst this, To-il's boyfriend disappears without a trace. The trio put their differences aside and join forces to find him and thus ensues one comic encounter after another. This is a great movie to wind down with after a long day at work. And it certainly helps that it is the first movie directed by Choi Ha Na.
The Day I Died: Unclosed Case
There are many reasons why I added this movie to the list. Yes, it deals with the tragic tale of a girl gone missing and the detective Hyun-soo assigned to unravel the case. While she interviews people from the girl's village and tries to unravel her life in the past tense, she also has to deal with her own demons (literally, because she suffers from sleep paralysis). The turning point comes when the detective meets a neighbour of the girl, played by the Oscar-winning actress of Parasite - Lee Jung-Eun. As she forms a relationship with the mute neighbour, she realises that the girl, Se-jin had also formed a similar bond. The lives of these two women mirror each other closely but whether they resolve it in different ways or not, is something only those who watch the movie will find out!
While unravelling Se-jin's last days, the detective wonders if the case was a suicide after all. Her self-awareness of how similar their lives are leads to some heart-wrenching scenes shot in a subdued colour palette. The movie is a beautiful portrayal of two women, vastly different in age, occupying different timelines, struggling to cope with everyday life and finding pleasure in tin moments. The main cast consists of three female characters, and the plot is highly dialogue-driven. This is an absolute must for those looking for a slow-paced investigation film.
Sunny
There are few movies as suited for a fun girls' night than one that talks about a group of friends. With seven lead female characters, Sunny tells the story of high school friends pulled apart by circumstances. Even if you are not familiar with Korean culture, pop references or politics, the movie is sure to remind you of the 80s with bowl-cut hair, knee-high colourful socks, grainy music and Mickey Mouse t-shirts. When a new-comer in an all-girls' school is bullied on her first day, a group of 6 girls stand up and protect her. However, circumstances soon force them apart as school comes to an end and each lives their own life interspersed with marriages, kids, cosmetic surgeries, heartbreaks and more.
25 years later, Na-Mi realises that even with a perfect family and dutiful child, it is the warmth of these girls that she misses. A reunion occurs, filled with sunny moments as the friends relive their heydays. This movie is sure to make you nostalgic about your childhood and make you want to call up all your old friends. With each girl having a unique personality, I'm sure you'll find yourself reflected in one of them.
A Girl at My Door
A Girl At My Door is not an easy movie to watch. It deals with a police academy instructor Young-nam who is transferred to a small town due to misconduct. She finds the town unusual and rampant with corruption. Drunken brawls and street fights occur on every corner, domestic abuse seems to be the norm. With these cases being largely unreported, most are accepted by locals and the police officers do not take stringent action. Such matters are instead filed away as personal problems that families must deal with themselves. While here, Young-nam finds a timid and bruised young girl Sun Do-hee who she often sees bullied by her classmates or beaten by her drunk father. As one thing leads to another, Do-hee's mother passes away and Young-nam decides to take her under her own wing.
While the movie has a soft and subdued vibe, there are several revelations tucked away. One of them is the revelation of the "misconduct" that led to Young-nam being transferred. While I will not be spoiling the plot, the film depicts same-sex relationships (and even creates an ambiguous relationship between Young-nam and Do-hee) which led to it receiving little funds. The two main actresses refused to accept any payment.
While there are many such with strong female leads (both real and reel), if you know would have liked to see some on this list, let us know in the comments below!
Author
Nayanika