Lessons from Korean Movies

Since having watched the Jewel in the Palace, a Korean serial, I have become more interested in Korean movies. I guess my interest in Korean culture first started when I worked for a Korean company in Penang some 3 decades ago. My colleagues taught me to speak and write in their language and even played linguistic tricks on me. My bosses awarded me with a holiday to Korea in recognition of my being the best secretary in South East Asia! I tasted such great Korean hospitality during my two weeks in Seoul.

Both movies, Jewel in the Palace and Hwangjini, have given me better insight into the culture of the Koreans. My heroines Chang Ching and Hwangjini have inspired me on what women can do to contribute to society. I have become even more interested in cooking, music and poetry since watching these movies. I learnt about the sufferings of the courtesans in those days. I guess if Hwangjini were born in this decade, she would have made a brilliant lawyer or politician!

I seldom watch television programmes but when I do follow a serial, I watch it with a great tenacity not to miss any program. My friends advised me to buy the tapes. I do not even have a VCD player and I also dislike to watch the whole movie for long hours. I prefer to watch when the serial is being shown on television, and to analyse and ponder over each program. I will be able to remember better and for a long time. I can still remember some of my favourite movies which I have watched 4 decades ago!! My favourite is the Hindi movie, "Haathi Mere Saathi" (Elephant, My Friend). I remember once narrating the movie to an Indian customer at Rialto. He was surprised by my memory of even intricate details!

Yesterday's program of Hwangjini made me realise how criminals were punished in a horrendous manner. When the emperor ordered Zhengxian to be dismembered by bulls, ropes were tied to his hands and feet to be pulled by four bulls! Fortunately the punishment was stopped on time by a change of the Emperor's heart. If it had continued, Zhengxian's legs and arms would be ripped off, leaving him in excruciating pain and slowly bleeding to death. After last night's episode, it also made me reflect on how Jesus was punished. Jesus was flogged with the cat-of-nine-tails. The whip with the nine hooks at the end would tear at his flesh with every flog. When I think of how Jesus had suffered on the Cross, it makes me even more determined to walk closely with Him and to live the abundant life He has given me.

Gan Chau