The Sympathy (Reaction Paper On the Movie Sympathy for Lady Vengeance)

The Sympathy


What is Happiness?


Happiness is hard to be defined, because it is exhibited in different ways, in different degree, in different situations, by different people. We humans have also different definitions of happiness, it depends on our environment and our circumstances in life.


The movie Sympathy For Lady Vengeance gives us ideas on how happiness is defined.


Sympathy For Lady Vengeance starts with introducing Geum-ja(Lee-Young Ae) a woman which is convicted to prison in a crime she did not do. After 13 years in prison (in that 13 years the prisoners called her as Kind-hearted Geum-ja), she organized a plan to kill a certain Mr. Baek, which according to the flashbacks, is the perpetrator and executioner of the crime Geum-ja suppose has done. In the movie we also watched the reunion of Geum-ja with her daughter, Jenny. The movie ends with the plan executed.
The movie shows different kinds of happiness and how it is exhibited.


Geum-ja


Geum-ja the protagonist is kind of a woman that for 13 years have been devoid of happiness which is freedom, after her serving time she finds happiness in retribution for the sins her fellow humans have committed against her. Geum-ja exhibited many kinds of happiness, the happiness of freedom after 13 years of imprisonment, the happiness with reuniting with her daughter, and the happiness with retribution. Geum-ja was happy when she was free, because she could execute the plan to kill Mr. Baek and be reunited with her daughter. Geum-ja, was happy when reunited with her daughter ( though it is not clearly evident) because it is the time to put back the time lost in showing her love for her daughter. Geum-ja is definitely happy when killing Mr. Baek , though in the movie her conscience seems to bother her, because it removes another thorn in her flesh.


Mr. Baek
Mr. Baek the antagonist was also exhibiting some kinds of happiness. In doing the crime he has done, he was surely happy, because if he is not he would have stop. He was happy in abusing Geum-ja (when she was still young) and his wife (which eventually drugged him).


Mr. Baek's Wife
Mr. Baek's wife finds happiness also in retribution on what her husband has done to her.

Jenny
Jenny exhibited also happiness when reunited with her mother as evident by her wanting to go back with her mother to Korea.

The Inmates
The inmates wee also happy, because of the help Geum-ja has given and, for helping Geum-ja.

The Victim's Relatives
Happiness is also exhibited by the relatives of Mr. Baek's victims, in killing Mr. Baek for vengeance.

The Detective
The Detective has shown happiness in helping Geum-ja and the victim's relative in killing Mr. Baek.




What is Happiness?
Happiness as shown by the characters can be equated to satisfaction. We observed in the movie that the characters are happy because the are satisfied. Happiness is not always doing good but it is more on satisfaction. The movie espouses that we can find happiness in things that satisfies us.