Movie Digest
For nearly 30 years, O-bok played by Jeong Ae-Hwa has operated her successful seafood stand inside a small Seoul fish market. The hard, punishing work has made it possible for her family to lead a comfortable middle-class life. Now, with one grown daughter about to marry a government official’s son, all of that sacrifice is seemingly about to pay off.
However, the very social norms that O-bok wishes to escape are precisely what keep her bound to cycles of pain and guilt after being sexually raped by a coworker. Gull by Kim Mi-jo brilliantly critiques the toxic masculinity patterns that haunt its main character like a voracious seabird trying to chase trails of chum inside the water, and how the most close-knit communities try to shift the blame back onto the victim in order to remain politically and financially solvent.
Kim’s riveting character study examines how societal institutions may be tainted by silence, apathy, and, most importantly, compliance. The collective timidity of every male character on film was a waste of a spouse, which was the most damning of all.
The Feel-Good Part
Gull is an intense display for an extremely raw performance that might have easily veered too far into the avenging stereotype. What fascinates O-bok is her unwavering trust that someone will step toward doing the correct thing, despite evidence to the contrary. During the film’s fiery conclusion, that germ of hope grows into resistance and protest.
The transformation of O-bok from victim to active emblem of rebellion is shown in less dramatic terms than one would imagine. It’s a gradual process that stems from one’s shifting concept of self-preservation. She reaches the film’s conclusion by embracing the tenacity that suited her quite well in business.
It is hard to produce a film about a victim of a sex crime without overemphasizing the deed itself, which frequently leads to the sexualization of the central protagonist and the dullness of the tale.
The Disappointing Factor
Kim Mi-jo, on the other hand, avoids the pitfalls by removing the rape scene and also cliché close-ups of the recuperating victim’s body. Instead, she depicts the agony of sexual abuse in a roundabout way. As she soaks in a local bathhouse, several bruises appear on her O-back, bok’s and she begins to bleed despite being far past menopause. In Gull, Kim Mi-jo examines ageism, taboos surrounding the old body and sexuality, and the misconception that older women cannot be victims of sex crimes. The normalised rejection of such issues from public debate makes them invisible.
In-Depth Analysis
Kim Mi-full-length jo’s debut focuses on preconceptions around the topics of sexual assault and female labor, while also presenting a complex vision of daily life impacted by a collision of individual interests and social inequalities within the family. The main character’s recognition of her victimisation and subsequent pursuit for justice matches the gradual development of her inner voice, which had been muffled by the pressures of everyday life as the family’s primary breadwinner and mother of three. The reach of violence goes well beyond the tragic occurrence that occurred one night in a dark lane of a Seoul street market.
Gull encapsulates all of this undercurrent in a ferocious drama that gradually rips aside the veneer of friendship and family to discover an underlying force of human agency.
Star Power
Jeong’s smouldering portrayal is never less than captivating, and it’s a wonderfully direct response to the slick sexism that continues to elevate the very worst men as upstanding citizens.
Overall Opinion
This drama is definitely for the people who love crime thrillers. If you like to watch a drama which shows social issues, this one’s for you.
