Evil, Inherited or Acquired?

Its been awhile since I watched a movie, for the sake of my exams. As for today, half my exam is over and hence, a treat for my brain. Hwayi, yet another Korean movie. Easily categorized as a revenge thriller but I wouldn't say its that. I don't think revenge was the main focus of the movie. Before analysis, interesting parts first. There are 3 parts I love the most. The first 4 minutes blew my mind. I love powerful introductions that hook the viewer right from the beginning. It was just a robbery scene, but directed pretty well. Second, is the fight scene around 1 hr 10 mins. Third is around 1 hr 29 mins, where the dad-in-charge steps on his victim neck, until he reloads his gun, just to shoot him after. I really don't want to include any screenshots of those scenes cause it's kinda brutal. That description is kinda too much already. 

One exceptional scene, I love also, because it consists of pure mind gaming and it was very well delivered by the actors. Russian Roulette, but in a much more terrifying way.

 

I took this screenshot because this guy is much cooler looking, plus the other end of the gun is pointing into the victims mouth. We don't wanna get visual now do we? But I think my description is not helping either. Anyway, brief synopsis. Hwayi (played by Yeo Jin-goo, I'll give him credit later), was kidnapped when he was 7. The kidnapping goes wrong as his parents did not pay the ransom, and eventually his kidnappers (five of them) raise him up as their child, and he calls all of them 'dad'. When it was time for his first mission, he kinda screws up and the dad-in-charge forces him to kill his own father (the real father). When Hwayi pulled the trigger, he didn't know he was shooting his father, and I think you can pretty much guess where this story is heading. 

Sub-focus of the story, is the idea of the "Monster Delusion". Hwayi sees an imaginary monster in dark and closed up places or when he anxious. That is Hwayi's psychological delusion in the movie. It's actually a metaphorical representation of the 5 "monster" dads' he has. The dad-in-charge also once had that sort of delusion and he overcame it by murdering someone, and after Hwayi's first successful murder, he also found the strength to overcome his monster within. The dad-in-charge, mentions in a scene, "To defeat a monster, you have to become one". So what Hwayi is actually overcoming in the movie, is not the monster of his delusion, but his 5 kidnappers. Eventually, Hwayi becomes a monster himself by killing all 5 of them.

Another focus of the movie, "Once a trauma, always a trauma". Does one really heal? Who knows. This is depicted by one of the girls enslaved by the kidnappers. Even when the shackles were off herl legs, she still walked as if they were there. As for Hwayi, because of the box he was kept in during the kidnapping, he never could overcome his fear of darkness together with the monster in his imagination, until he did something drastic of course. 

Can you see the shackles? I hope you can. This was in 1998.

This was in 2007, she still walks weirdly.

What are these 5 dads trying to do anyway by raising the kid (Hwayi) up? Stockholm Syndrome maybe? Idk. What I think is going on is that, deep down they know they are monsters and they can't stand to see that Hwayi is growing up to be different compared to them. Different in a good way. So they psychologically break him down. Starting from the very beginning, by making him call them All 'Dad', subconsciously gives them authority over him, and for him, subconscious submission. They forced him to commit a murder just to prove that anyone can be a murderer and that all of them aren't really different from one another. Why does this sound so familiar? Yes, my favorite, The Dark Knight. The conflict between Harvey Two Face and The Joker. Harvey, once Gotham's White Knight, but Joker by just sheer manipulation brought him down to his level into becoming a killer that flips a coin to determine one's fate. Sorry for the detour. Basically, these bad people, want to make good people--bad, so that they can feel good about themselves. 

Another thing I received from this movie is, bad people are capable of love too. Despite the guns and blades, those 5 dads in a weird way, loved and took care of him. Until of course, the moment when he decided to kill all of them in revenge. That's when all hell broke loose. The main focus of the movies however, to put in question form, "Is evil inherited, or formed in a person by mere circumstances"? I think from this movie, its clear that the answer they are trying to portray is, circumstances. Given the right time and circumstance, anyone can become a murderer.

The fighting scenes were cool, as mentioned earlier. Car chases were not too much, which is perfect. Subtle love, just the way I like it. Finally, for the main character Hwayi, played by Yeo Jin-Goo. He has impressed me more than once. I watched Moon Embraces the Sun, I Miss you and now this movie. He actually has a lot of potential in acting. He could range from happy in those dramas to being a psychologically damaged teen in this movie. 

Slow clap & Cheers for you!