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Sensitive and at the same time ruthless portrayal of child abuse and its traumatizing effect
"Miss Baek" is a KMovie about child abuse. Sensitively, cautiously and at the same time ruthlessly, it portrays the example of two 'victims' - a young girl and a grown up woman (actually also a man). It shows how the system prefers to helplessly look the other way, leaving the children alone in their family hell. It also illustrates how this traumatization affects their future lives, remaining trapped in their frightening dark history, still vividly present for the rest of their lifes.Han Si-mi has received multiple awards for her performance as Miss Baek. But also Kim Si-a in the role of little Ji-eun is just incredible. And the rest of the cast and production, too. Also thank you for the consistently tranquil, unexcited simplicity as well as a to the point, no-frills narration.
Highly valuable. By the way, the story is based on a true event.
------------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Child abuse in South Korea ---
The cane in schools has been officially banned in South Korea since 2010. However, thrashing at home is another issue. Among the cases of child abuse confirmed by the police, more than 80 percent can be traced back to the biological parents as the perpetrators. To this, add the dark figure. Accurate statistics on the prevalence and frequency of violence against children are difficult to obtain, since the police, ministries, child protection centres, independent agencies, etc. each compile their own statistics, which are based on estimated numbers.
Many South Korean parents grew up like that themselves ... and still belief that children are the extended selves of the parents, kind of - not individual separate beings. Social focus is not on the rights of the children, but more so on those of the parents. Upbringing is primarily the private affair of parents and not a matter of legal jurisdiction. In this context there is often talk of the "stick of love". In fact, many parents believe that thrashing strengthens their children's character while showing them how much they are loved.
In many European countries this no less than abuse. And fortunately there is a growing awareness of this in South Korea as well. In media representation again and again one encounters scenes of child abuse, e.g. in KDrama and KMovie. It is common. However, fortunately, it starts to be more and more common, too, that this kind of violence is being socially confronted as part of the storytelling... Statstically, the number of cases with serious domestic abuse being investigated by the police is increasing. Including cases in which parents abuse their children to death. This does not imply that child abuse is increasing, rather that more cases are being reported. An encouraging sign. It gives hope that the dominance of traditional (and often abusing) parenting concepts is slowly crumbling.
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Everything from the dialogue to the cinematography was perfectly executed.
The use of silence truly brought out the character's emotions and took it to a whole other level. Sometimes less is more when it comes to dialogues, especially in a movie like this.
Han Ji Min is amazing in this movie and makes Miss Baek feel like a complete and real person. You can really feel her pain. Her character is very believable which is extremely important when dealing with such a dark and hard subject.
The rest of the cast also did a great job, especially the child actress. Your heart will break when watching her. To know that these things actually do happen in real life is sickening, but that's also why books and movies like these are so important! We can't close our eyes when it comes to child abuse.
If you want to watch a great movie that will move you to tears you should definitely watch this!
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Miss Baek is the result of an abused child. She always has a haunted look on her face and her guard up. She portrays a very aggressive woman that seems to want to go mostly unnoticed by society. Her life shows what a great impact abusive behavior on a child has. How what happens in your younger years shapes you as a human and cuts your chances in the world. It's a very sad reality. I think that Ji Eun, the child that Miss Baek takes under her wing, shows what can happens if a person decides to pay attention and not turn a blind eye. The relationship between them in heartwarming and the trust that the little girl has in Miss Baek is scary. In her eyes she is the only person that decided to look at her and actually see what is done to her. Most of the time I was furious with the other characters. How they choose to ignore the obvious only because it was easier and going against parents on a child abuse case is very sensitive. The truth is that this happens in real life as well. It always seems that the evidence isn't enough and makes you think what should actually happen for them to take a stand!
It's a very well done movie. I truly think that those kind of stories need to be told. And not only from the perspective of the aggressor or the victim but also from the bystanders who do nothing when they must. It's true that this movie is sensitive and scenes are quite realistic but I really think you should give it a try. It's not overly dramatic and stays true to the massage with which it was made!
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So I watched this movie, after having watched a very similar korean drama that was also released in 2018 called "Mother" or "Call me Mother", and because of this it makes my review a bit less than others. The main reason, is that the story line and plot are very similar to the korean drama that was released in 2018, which was also based on a japanese drama release a few years ago.
The premise is pretty much the same, where a woman finds a girl child freezing on the street with little to know clothes and obvious signs of abuse. She tries to help the traditional ways by reporting to the police, but the child always is sent home, and then more abuse happens. The woman then is worried and finds the girl and decides to "kidnap" / "save" her.
The abusive parents are also very similar, both loser dads are horrible gamers who are sore losers and click the mouse really hard. The loser dad's girlfriend is woman who looks and acts like a nice person, but doesn't really care about the daughter and hope she dies.
The difference between Miss Baek, and Mother is this:
The main character who saves the young girl is a bit different.
In Miss Baek, she's a person with a previous criminal record and served time for attempted murder, when a young rich kid tried to rape her in school. Her mother was an alcoholic and abusive, and woke up one day and decided she needed to abandon her kid.
In Mother, the main character is a University degree research of birds, and has a good job, and just got an offer to teach in iceland, so she's the total opposite of miss baek, in terms of financial standing and in the society. But she also had her biological mother leave her, and so she also has mother issues.
Overall, I would say that if you have watched Mother 2018, than Miss Baek, is a good summary theme of the Mother 2018 korean drama with minor differences because it's only about 1 hour and 45 mins long, versus a korean drama with 22 hours of story.
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Were you like Miss Baek too?
This film based on a real life story courageously attempted to be an eye-opener regarding domestic child abuse. As serious as the matter it is, it's quite often overlooked by the society.Thanks to the wonderful acting of the casts, this film brought the emotions to life. Without much words, just seeing the character looking at each other is more than enough to tell how they feel.
This film is really a work of art. Just by seeing the trailer, I knew that this would be something and it doesn't disappoints. Take your time and get to know Miss Baek, it's all worth it.
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Take-Charge
My farfetched dream the day more nitty-gritty, dark subject matter, yet heartwarming pictures reach the mainstream. Dark Subject matter such as Domestic Violence should not be brushed under the rug but discussed out in the open. The Director shot angles, and limited dialogues supplied the character's emotions brilliantly.If a person likes aesthetic films, then the viewer will not be so quick to surmise the movie but anatomize the subject matter before them. Han Ji Min depicts a woman with deep scars suffered as a child. We see it in her beaten facial expressions and how she interacts with individuals. A person frequently will never lose that alleged bond with a family member. Han Ji Min's acting is superb the reclusive life she lives until that one fateful encounter with Kim Shi Ah's character.
Kim Shi Ah's role as a child suffering at the hands of child abuse is abrasive and alarming. We all know Domestic Violence occurs globally, but you wish some of these people have a heart of kindness, not a heart of stone. No child should suffer at the likes of being born. South Koreans breed adept child actors because it is no easy feat to portray that character.
The supporting cast was convincing, but the child's dad and his gaming addiction. SERIOUSLY!!! Other than that, it was sublime, especially the dad's eccentric girlfriend. It was no masterpiece, just a terrific film. I have not seen Mother (2018), yet so I can not comment on the similarities the film and drama share.
The colorless shots in the apartments to the airy sensation shots by the ocean enlightened us to their problems. The soundtrack elevated the movie, but it had its flaws that took away from my enjoyment.
Go into this film with an open mind. It may not be something you wish to watch as some dark subject matter you might not want to see visually. My advice if you do not like the first six minutes of the beginning, then DROP IT.
Final Rating: 8.47/10
Story: 9.10/10
Acting: 9.42/10
Rewatch Value is a 7.45/10. I would rewatch it, but only under certain circumstances.
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