Muleupgwa muleupsai (1984) User Reviews

Clash of Western and Traditional Korean values in the 1980's

[sub-primitive · 7/10 · 21 March 2008]

Ja-young is experiencing difficulties navigating the two worlds of her traditional Korean customs and those of the West. Having been scarred by inappropriate contact by an adult as a young girl; she has difficulties distinguishing between right and wrong behavior with young men. Her overbearing mother has driven Ja-young to the point where she can no longer act on her own will and this leads to trouble for her. There is a theme of men fondling and caressing women's knees in the is film which is the focal point of all male sexual advances towards Ja-Young. Things spiral out of control for not only Ja-Young but her family who has their fair share of issues and skeletons in the closet. We tend to see this film as addressing some of the modern issues that affect the lives of young Koreans in the 1980's.