MovieChat Forums > Bin-jip (2004) Discussion > Anyone else felt sorry for the husband?

Anyone else felt sorry for the husband?

posted 17 years ago by rommelsen
32 replies | jump to latest

Don't know if it's normal, but I was very sorry for him.
In my opinion, the character of the husband represents in an exceptional way our personality of modern men and women, oppressed by works and by the looking for a person that love us, who can help us in the most difficult moments.
The husband wasn't an evil character at all. We can see how much he's in love with his wife.
He's only very weak.
In fact he made the mistake to pretend too many comforts and too much love from her, that has been the reason for their quarrelings that made his wife escape with the protagonist.
In that evening his wife disappeared, and he was humiliated in front of her: he saw his whole life destroyed.
So he began to hate the protagonist,
In a way very common to us.

I felt that this unique movie wasn't just the beautiful and surreal love story between the 2 main "unreal" characters, but also a concrete metaphor of our weakness, that we can beat by remaining in silence thinking to be good men with people that surround us, and don't complaining for the hardness of our problems.

[–] jadegecko 17 years ago

Well, for one thing, he beat her repeatedly. I didn't find that too sympathetic. I got the impression that he'd confused giving her material wealth with actually supporting and loving her, and that's where the problems started.

SPOILERS

In fact, at the end, when he thinks she's being sweet to him, he's wrong, but you still have to wonder if his perception of being loved will change the way he acts toward her and have a real positive effect on their relationship anyway.

Just my 2c...

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] mandapants 17 years ago

I don't really see how you can feel sorry for a man who beats his wife. He didn't deserve to have a wife, so I celebrated when she left him.

[–] danielacastilho 17 years ago

Couldn´t agree more.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] daniel-1318 17 years ago

Yeah,
I felt his pain. It totally sucks what happens to him. But, he completely 100% brought it on himself.

If there is a message behind his character, it is to wake up because you're going to lose everything you have if you keep treating it all like crap.

[–] catherine2828 17 years ago

did not feel sorry because he physically attacks his wife. he knows his wife didn't like/love him and yet forced himself on her as well. he beat her up whenever he's angry and then apologises and grovels. i'm happy that she managed to break free from that and found someone better

also, i didn't get the feeling that he truly loved his wife. he had a *trophy* wife that he can parade around with and look good with. and that's all he cared about

[–] K_Sear 17 years ago

I think that in his own twisted way he did indeed love her, he just had a rather hard time showing it. His actions were of course meant to give a reason to hate him but Ki-Duk appears to think even this man has a right to some form of happiness, even if it is a fiction, hence the ending we are given.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] godsdarkestangel 17 years ago

He beat his wife more than once. And he doesn´t show any real regret about that. Yes, of course, he´s depressed after she ran away but he immediately changed back to his former self after she "came back". I guess he doesn´t see any fault in his actions so he deserves no pity. Not. one. bit.

[–] autumnskydragon 17 years ago

I feel that he was _human_. In the same way, some people find some other people to be completely objectionable for a completely rational reason (in this case, beating his wife), others have empathy with the same people despite such (perceive him as acting in insecurity). I point this out not to be stuck-up (I hope it doesn't come off that way), but to note some particularly wonderful part of this film, and that is how properly multifaceted the characters are.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Green_Death 17 years ago

But you can't judge this film as if it were a naturalistic piece. It's literally fantastic that the protagonist could move about like a ghost. I agree with the OP, the husband was a metaphor for an unfulfilling life, which is often thrust upon people in Korean culture, where arranged marriages are often the norm. Losing his wife represented an enormous loss of face. Looking at it this way shows you the character is meant to be sympathetic, but we are repulsed by him at the same time- because he has lost his social position. I don't think this film is a commentary on domestic violence.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] fadingsunrise137 17 years ago

I don't see him as being in love with his wife at all. He's a total jerk. He's abusive and tries to force himself on her throughout the entire movie. He doesn't love her for her. Maybe for her beauty, the fact that she's a model, but he doesn't really love her, he doesn't understand her. He's too distant, too cold, all he cares about is his job and if he can have sex with her every now and then. Even if it means practically raping his wife.

Obviously Sun, the woman, is not happy until she is with her mystery man. Which shows how horrible a person her husband truly is, if he makes her that upset. So upset to the point of making her a mute.

Certain people shouldn't be ALLOWED to watch certain movies.