Silenced (Korean Movie)

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Movie: Silenced (International English title) / Crucible (literal title)
Revised romanization: Dokani
Hangul: 도가니
Director: Hwang Dong-Hyuk
Writer: Kong Ji-Young (novel), Hwang Dong-Hyuk
Producer: Uhm Yong-Hun, Bae Jeong Min, Na Byung-Joon
Cinematographer: Kim Ji-yong
Release Date: September 22, 2011
Runtime: 125 min.
Distributor: CJ Entertainment
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot

Kang In-Ho (Gong Yoo) is a newly appointed teacher at a school for the hearing-impaired in Mujin city. On the way to his new job he becomes involved in a minor car accident and takes his car to a local car repair shop. There his already wrecked car is bumped by a woman named Yoo-Jin (Jung Yu-Mi). Yoo-Jin is an employee at the Mujin Human Rights Center.

On the first day at his new school, In-Ho meets the school's principal and director of administration. They are an identical twins. The director of administration asks for a bribe of 50 million WON ($50,000 USD) to work at their school. In-Ho's financial situation is already in dire circumstances. His daughter who is staying with his mother suffers from asthma. In-Ho's wife has passed away. In-Ho makes a phone call to his mother asking for the money. She delivers the 50 million WON by taking out the deposit money for their home.

While teaching the hearing-impaired students, In-Ho feels something strange about the kid's distant appearances. On his way home, In-Ho notices one of his students Yoo-Ri sitting on the ledge of her dorm room window, which is several stories above ground. He rushes into the dorm building and makes it into Yoo-Ri's room to pull her away from the window. Yoo-Ri then leads In-Ho to a door down the hall and stops. In-Ho goes into the room and sees the superintendent of the dormitory beating a male student named Yeon-Doo. In-Ho is shocked by the brutality and eventually takes Yeon-Doo to the hospital. In-Ho also makes a phone call to Yoo-Jin, the lady from the huma rights center who bumped into him earlier, and asks her to come to the hospital. Soon, In-Ho and Yoo-Jin uncover unfathomable actions committed by the school's faculty against the students. Their work to break the children's silence is only beginning. Meanwhile, In-Ho feels his own pressures to stay silent as his new job already cost his family their home's deposit money and medical bills are piling up for his daughter.

Notes

Based on the novel "Dokani" written by Kong Ji-Young (published in 2009). The novel was inspired by a true incidents which occurred at a school for hearing-impaired persons in Gwangju, South Korea.
Movie adaptation was first conceived by main actor Gong Yoo. While serving in the military, Gong Yoo read the novel and thought it should be made into a movie. When Gong Yoo got vacation time from the military he sought out the novel's writer Kong Ji-Young & asked if the novel could be made into a movie. Kong Ji-Young stated on her first meeting with Gong Yoo, he mentioned he wanted to make a movie version for underprivileged kids.[1][2]
Filming began February, 2011.
The woman that played Min-Soo's grandmother is the actual grandmother of movie director Hwang Dong-Hyuk.

Cast



Gong Yoo	Jung Yu-Mi
Kang In-Ho	Seo Yoo-Jin



Kim Hyun-Soo	Jung In-Seo	Baek Seung-Hwan	Kim Ji-Young	Jang Gwang
Yeon-Doo	Yoo-Ri	Min-Soo	In-Ho's mother	headmaster twin brothers

Additional Cast Members:

Im Hyeon-Seong - Young-Hoon
Kim Joo-Ryung - Yoon Ja-Ae
Eom Hyo-Seop - Police Officer Jang
Jeon Kuk-Hwan - Attorney Hwang
Choi Jin-Ho - Prosecutor
Kwon Yoo-Jin - Judge
Park Hye-Jin - Headmaster's wife
Kim Ji-Young - Sol-Yi
Eom Ji-Seong - Young-Soo
Lee Sang-Hee - auto repair shop owner
Nam Myung-Ryul - Professor Kim Jung-Woo
Jang So-Yeon - courtroom sign language interpreter
Hong Suk-Youn - school custodian/gaurd

Trailers

Image Gallery

Film Festivals

2012 (14th) Udine Far East Film - April 20-April 28, 2012 *European Premiere

Awards

Black Dragon Audience Award - 2012 (14th) Udine Far East Film - April 20-April 28, 2012
Audience Award - 2012 (14th) Udine Far East Film - April 20-April 28, 2012
Best Music - 2011 (32nd) Blue Dragon Film Awards - November 25, 2011
Best Film - 2011 (3rd) Film of the Year Awards - January 31, 2012

Comments

Comment #16
NewKDramaAddict Says:
May 06 2012 2:57 pm

This is extremely hard to watch so its not for the faint at heart. But its a great, great movie! Applause to Gong Yoo for being brave enough to take on a subject-matter like this!
Comment #15
Riisa Says:
Mar 26 2012 7:24 pm

DEEP, SAD, AND POWERFUL.

Money silenced the truth. But we all know justice doesn't always prevail. Thank you Gong Yoo for making this movie happen. It makes people open their eyes more into the reality of it all.
Comment #14
Marina Says:
Mar 26 2012 5:29 am

The best part of korean movies is their realism and tragedy.
Comment #13
@Frusty Says:
Mar 16 2012 6:52 pm

I'm so glad you went with your instincts despite your age at that time.
God be with you.

God, please watch over and protect all the unfortunate children around this world.
Their innocence rest in your heavenly palms. Amen.
Comment #12
frusty Says:
Feb 05 2012 12:14 am

just watched it, my heart is so heavy. what happened with these children today? Is the boy really died? i couldnt see some scenes... i cried so much, dont know, how the filming goes, Im sorry for the actor-kids.
something like this almost happened to me. Luckily i rescued myself. When i was 8, i met someone on the street. he asked about my parents, so i thought he is a friend of my parents (so naive)... lost memory...i remember only that i am in a litlle house with him. As he didnt look at me i just stepped out of the house and stopped in front of door a little bit and looked at the mainstreet and people. had a timeless feeling, but i didnt run and didnt look back, went just straight to home. i was always curious why he didnt catch me, becoz it was so easy for him. i forgot abt it,... later one day i could understand the incident and all my blood was in my head(angry) and i wanted to kill him if he would be near me at the time, exactly like this boy i just wanted to kill him. but i forgot his face. lately i watched some tv-programms abt such a story, Becoz of that i can now remember his face again clearly.(after so many years) i can draw good so i want now his face on the paper. Yesterday i had a new idea ...
Comment #11
Eh Says:
Feb 04 2012 10:53 pm

I don't think I've ever been so angry because of a movie before....and it's been awhile since one made me cry like this. GREAT movie...but not a happy one. Let's just say...sometimes I hate that they're true stories.
Comment #10
Jin Kyoung Kim Says:
Dec 27 2011 2:00 pm

It is very heartbroken! I want to order DVD with English Subtitled. How can I find the website for ordering DVD?
Let me know. I will be appreciate it.

By the way, I am deaf and Korean. I learned about that story. It makes me so sad... Deaf Korean children are very precious to me. I truly understand how they go through... I really want to watch it badly!

Thanks,

From USA
Comment #9
Marie Turcsany Says:
Dec 27 2011 11:23 am

I m from the States (USA). My friends and I (both deaf) are interested to watch this movie.

I wonder where I can buy Silenced movie? Please help me.
Comment #8
Mary Trotta Says:
Nov 21 2011 4:32 am

Hello.. I took my Nana to see this movie last weekend. She loves Korean film/tv and watches on many sites like Crunchy Roll. The main actor in this film, is from Coffee Prince, and it's her favorite. We happened to fall upon that it would be at a local showing, and we went. It was so sad to find out that this film is a true story. I am so glad it was brought to America (even if short lived Nana says 2 weeks only). We live in Las Vegas, and it showed for 2 weeks and it went down, why I dont know.. But I am glad that it was here, and that some were enlightened on this horrific, true story. If you have not seen it, please try. I was completly left in thought for a few hours after this movie, that's for sure.
Comment #7
lee-mun Says:
Nov 18 2011 6:31 am

Hi guys, i tried searching for this movie to download, but unfortunately i couldn't find even poor quality!
i would love to watch this movie, so would any one please give me links or something, please?

thank you
Comment #6
Jason Says:
Nov 12 2011 1:48 am

Saw this movie today. It is disturbing, but at the same time it is deep. It opens your eyes that such evil exists in this world and how some people are so blinded by money that they do not see these inhumane events going on in their life. I am going to definitely recommend my friends and families to watch this movie.
Comment #5
Weng Rivera Says:
Oct 19 2011 6:04 pm

Hello, I am from Philippine and Deaf :) cant wait till the movie come out...I also President of Filipino Deaf Women's Health and Crisis Center. wish all the best story.
Comment #4
Weng Rivera Says:
Oct 19 2011 6:02 pm

I really interest to watching this...I am from Philippine, Deaf Woman and President of Filipino Deaf Women's Health and Crisis Center. Cant wait till the movie start...Wish all the best on your author
Comment #3
Reyna Says:
Oct 01 2011 10:19 pm

Thanks for your opinion, i can´t wait to see it , :)
Comment #2
Ki Says:
Oct 01 2011 4:28 pm

Watched "Silenced" here in Korea on its opening day. Didn't really know what to expect from the film before going in, but came out shaken, angered and left with the feeling of having seen a powerful film that can bring about positive change. The basis for the movie is purported to be based on a true story which makes things all the more striking. Having not watched "Children..." a Korean movie that came out earlier this year also based on a true story, my closest point of reference is Bong Joon-Ho's by now classic film "Memories of Murder". "Silenced" doesn't possess the master of cinema feel that "Memories of Murder" has, nor does it have the first mover advantage in its story, but "Silenced" is able to deliver the same (if not more) type of jolt to the viewer which is really saying something.

Some criticsm I had for the film were 2 scenes felt just too graphic and a few other times the movie seemed to carry a far too simpleton feel, but in hindsight I'm guessing both of these points originated from the filmmaker's desire to have maximum impact with the largest group possible. In that case, the filmmaker got his wish. While walking out of the theatre I did feel energized from having watched something so moving and also filled with fear & anger at just how wicked some parts of society can become.

Performance wise, I thought Gong Yoo was good and Jung Yu-Mi was her usual great self. There was a final scene with Gong Yoo holding a bible in the middle of the street that didn't move me as much as I thought the scene wanted. Maybe I was just too exhausted from having witnessed humanity at its darkest hour prior to that. The movie also featured large amounts of court-room drama in the second half which I really enjoyed.

"Silenced" has already brought in a lot of people into the theatres in South Korea and also opened a lot of eyes to the injustices that occurred in South Korea just a few years ago (2005). I think "Silenced" is a film that will likely leave you in a state that only a few others films probably can. Be prepare to be moved when you watch it.
Comment #1
amanda Says:
Mar 07 2011 4:22 pm

yayyy i'm so happy, can't wait till the movie come out :)))
gong yoo i love you!

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External Links

Official site

References

"`도가니` 공유 "공지영 작가에게 먼저 영화화 제의"", "E Daily," "August 22, 2011".
"공유 "'도가니'는 군대에서 찜해놓은 작품"", "Nocut News," "August 22, 2011"

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