Lady Vengeance - A Sociological Interpretation

Lee Young-ae as Lady V

Lady Vengeance is the third installment of Park Chan Wook’s Vengeance Trilogy. With the tagline “Lee Geum-Ja, have mercy on us,” the movie followed Ms. Lee’s journey of redemption after nearly fourteen years of incarceration for a monstrous crime she did not commit. The original poster for the movie during the Venice Film Festival in 2005 stated that “all she wanted was a peaceful life.” Based on the law of retaliation, the macabre nature by which Ms. Lee achieved her goal could be more easily understood and sympathized under the sociological interpretation.

As a tradition in Korea, newly released prisoner is expected to eat a square of hard tofu to symbolize a new beginning. A pastor who helped Geum-ja spiritually during her incarceration was completely shocked when Geum-ja flipped the tofu plate to the ground and told him to “screw off.” Her norm violation drastically dragged viewers to the shocking crime she confessed to when she was only nineteen: she kidnapped and murdered a five year old boy. As a result, Geum-ja ostracized herself completely and received the most negative sanctions to her act. There was a riot when she was forced to re-enact the crime scene. The whole nation was dumbfounded by “her youth, her ruthless methods, her unabashed naivety… but what shocked [us] more were her beautiful looks.” This quotation indicated that her stigmatized identity as a child killer greatly complicated her impression management. She had no knowledge of the murdered child Won-mo’s favorite orange marble or which pillow the actual murderer used to suffocate the boy. Geum-ja’s failure to adhere to her role performance as a cold-blooded murder strongly supported that she indeed wasn’t a “wicked witch.” At this point, viewers had no knowledge of why she had to confess to such a heinous crime.

...so that you'll live white and never sin again.

Geum-ja’s lengthy jail time and her interactions with the cellmates proved essential to her redemption. Consider that the prison was the ultimate example of total institution, the blue uniform that Geum-ja’s cellmates had to wear was a part of a degradation ceremony that served to strip off their old identity and enforce conformity. However, Geum-ja’s greenish-yellow uniform, her status symbol of being a well-mannered prisoner, separated her from the rest of her cellmates. Indeed, through her constant act of praying, meditating, and helping others, Geum-ja’s managed to project a saint-like impression. Despite her physical confinement, she achieved two statuses: “the kind-hearted Geumja” – “the Angel,” and a more subtle “the Witch,” each of which she had the freedom to alternate accordingly within the complex subculture of prison.

An Ode to a Pin-up Girl

Alright, It's Betty Page, y'all

Betty Page was such a bad ass. She dropped the devil's horns and put on the angel's halo, yet her leaving the dark side didn't offer much peace to her. I wonder what should one do to be happy? To do what her heart desires or to restrain herself from natural instincts for a higher purpose? I may sound like a hedonist, but I don't advocate the exclusive choice of either self-deprivation or indulgence of any earthly pleasure. What we need is a fine balance between indulging and abstaining. This leads to the concern of what guideline there is to help us achieve this equilibrium.

For Betty, she chose Christianity, which obviously doesn't endorse indulgence in its teaching. After all, it is entirely up to the person's own judgement, whether there has been responsibility and mindfulness when an action is done. If Betty had loved what she did and her action harmed nobody, she wouldn't have had to rely on a higher entity to justify herself. However, people sometimes lose trust and hope in themselves. When the mind and heart are weak, their vulnerability is easily taken advantage of, all in the name of love and salvation.

What exactly happens when a person is saved from being lost, what does she realize when her blind eyes suddenly start to see? The awareness of her own self and the discovery of a meaning for her existence in the world are the answer. Religion can be a mean to this end. Sadly, the person has to avoid such realization in worship of a higher being that her lowly self wouldn't dare to match. Again, I want to stress that if you don't regret your choice of dedicating your life to god, then you are doing the right thing. That is how you define your identity and your place in this world, I respect your intention. However, always keep your mind open. Even if there is guidance, you can close your eyes yourself, fail to see, and ultimately become a lost wanderer in this monstrous confusion called life.

Anyway, enough indoctrination, it is time for some music. This mix offers a refreshing interpretation to the classic repertoire, some vintage inspired pieces, and a bit of old school goodies near the end. Enjoy.

Tracklist:

1. It Don't Mean a Thing - The Puppini Sisters
2. Mambo Italiano - Club de Belugas ft. Dean Martin
3. Soul Bossa Nova - Quincy Jones and His Orchestra
4. Rum 'n' Coca Cola - Tim Tim
5. We No Speak Americano - Yolanda B Cool
6. Whipped Cream - Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
7. The Mambo Craze - de Phazz ft. Pat Appleton
8. Maria Elena - Xavier Cugat

Rohinton Mistry - A Fine Balance

A Fine Balance

My friend Cora decided to cease her ownership of the book and gave it to me after an abysmal Sociology lecture about the caste system. "Ugh...take it, I can't have it, it's too depressing for me, I just can't..." she then wandered off complaining about how much she hated the professor and sociology in general. Holding the book in my hand, I realized she quit after about one third into the book. I wondered what it was that set off such a vehement rejection. Was it because the book belongs to Oprah's book club and Cora was being a hater of anything mainstream? Obviously, I had no idea what was in store for me in those 600 pages.

The book depicts how destiny brings four people of very different background into each other's life. Set in the time of political and social chaos, the novel weaves the life fibers of Dina, a widow of wealthy background to those of Maneck, a young student, and Ishvar and his nephew Omprakash, two tailors who work for Dina's secret sewing shop for an export clothing company. I guess I won't present a synopsis of the novel as you can find that easily on Wikipedia. I'm more interested in telling you why Cora abandoned it in the first place.