Unique Human Drama: HARMONY

My favorite film is “Harmony”, it is an inspirational Korean movie. The film’s positive message certainly rang true with audiences. It’s actually my favorite film since 2010, it made me cry and breaks my heart. It’s very inspirational movie because it is a good film which wears its heart on its sleeve.

The story is about female characters who have justified reasons for their crimes like brutish spouses, sexually abusive stepfathers, love rivals killed in fits of passion, and even a wrestler who accidentally broke the neck of her cheating manager with a headlock.  Kim Yoon Jin stars as Jeong Hye, a woman who lands a ten year stretch in jail after killing her violent husband. With behind bars, she gives birth to a son, who gives her and her cellmates with a reason to smile and believe in the future. Knowing that the child will soon be given up for adoption, Jeong Hye persuades the warden to let the inmates start their own prison choir, mainly as a means of trying to get a day out. Despite her being quite unable to carry a tune herself, the choir is surprisingly successful, and gives the women a lift in their various personal struggles. Heartbroken after having to say goodbye to her boy, Jeong Hye perseveres with her singing, hoping to be allowed to enter in a national competition.

 The film also shows a singing contest. This works well and helps the movie more interesting. At this point, the singing itself takes centre stage with some impressive musical sequences after the choir having been humorously bad for much of the first hour or so. This really gives the film a lift, and its hard not to get caught up in the women’s’ efforts to prove their worth to the outside world as well as to themselves. Actually, the dancing prisons here in the Philippines was shown and it inspired the characters in the film.

The film’s difference from others, it’s not a happy ending but still it was engaging through to the end. It also manages to hit all of its emotional notes on its uplifting journey. The theme of the story is somewhat redemption and forgiveness, it manages to balance the soul searching among the tears and hugs. There is no particularly cheap twists or some manipulaton, the film is moving in an honest fashion. And though it offers a few surprises and does teeter on the verge of being far too nice, with its oddly pleasant jail environment, it certainly succeeds in its aim of being entertaining and moving.