A Father Can Never Be More ‘Broken’

Girls are the most heavenly blessings fathers can have and when someone abuses them, the agony compares to none.

After watching ‘Broken (2014)’, a Korean movie about a father losing his only daughter to teenage rapists, I was so heartbroken that I searched for the law and punishment of rape in South Korea and was disappointed to learn how light they are. Maybe I don’t know the actual scenario but movies reflect the social norms in general.

Being a fan of Korean films, I have encountered so many nerve-wracking situations portrayed in the movies that I always wonder what it’d be like to be in that part of the world if the actual scenario is even close, especially for a woman. Correct me if I am misinformed, but there are places in this world where women are better unborn.

But what makes the life of a woman, or a human being miserable in a social context? Lawlessness might come first. And that’s the striking point of the movie I am talking about— failure to bring everyone to justice inspires crime, and leads society to its ultimate doom.

The movie speaks about a hard-working father who tries his best to offer his daughter the life of a princess but can barely manage. Still, in his heart, her comfort remains the first priority. On the other hand, for the perpetrators, their comfort remains their first priority— raping young girls and recording them for future blackmailing and selling the tapes to the porn industry.

(un)Fortunately, the girl dies in the act due to an overdose of drugs forcibly given to her.

While she is relieved from the humiliation and mental trauma it would bring later, his father has lost his inspiration to live a sane life— which leads him to seek revenge after the ‘law’ couldn’t do anything.

And the plot unfolds in the most twisted way possible. From hunting down the boys to flashing back to the sweet memories with her daughter, every moment grabs the viewers by their collar, keeping their eyes glued to the screen. As the tension rises between the law-enforcing bodies and the father, the climax becomes more suspenseful, leaving the viewers with the question of whether the boys should pay the price with their lives or not as they have parents too and they are equally heartbroken thinking about the consequences. The dilemma.

Already said, I am a big fan of Korean films, they have unique and sometimes gruesome ways of illustrating the human mind — like, ‘if human psychology had a face.’ The vivid description of joy and sorrow, frustration and blissfulness, crime and punishment, rich and poor— they are the best in class.

That being said, Broken is the best in its class. If you want to spend your time in a gripping thriller, dark plot, and judgemental dilemma, this is for you.

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