Hansel + Gretel

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This. Staying while they like you is fine and dandy. The problem is, when inevitably, something bad happens, or you disagree with them over anything. I question those of you who would have stayed - did you guys never get into arguments with your parents? Relationships with anyone, not just parents, are always rife with rocky spots (and good times of course).

I question the children's ability to understand this basic concept (they're messed up in a LOT of ways) and they'd end up offing you for one thing or another. You'd be at their mercy, walking on eggshells all the time. I know I would start resenting the power imbalance. Just doesn't sound like heaven for me.

Another thing - you guys would be okay with not talking to anyone but those three, who can't really have intelligent conversation? Bah, just not worth it.

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*MAJOR SPOILER ALERT*

Wow, since when are victims of child abuse freaks? These kids witnessed murder of another orphan, and endured abandonment, starvation, physical and sexual abuse in their orphanage. Do you remember that their orphanage caretaker beat a kid to death and cooked him in the oven? That's how the kids learned about cannabilism, it was a homage to the witch in the original Hansel and Gretel fairy tale who ate children but ended up in the oven.

These children were not born mentally insane murderous freaks, they learned this cruelty from the very orphanage they came from and the other adults they encountered. That was one of the messages this movie was presenting to the audience: Children are influenced by ignorant and cruel grown-ups.

There is another theme that this movie dealt with which is tough for many people to discuss, it's abandonment. Abandonment was what happened to the brother and sister in the original Hanasel and Gretel story. They were lured out to the woods by their mother (toned down in later stories to a stepmother) and left there to die of starvation.

I would have stayed with the kids, but on three conditions: 1. Everyone that was previously killed (except that deacon) would have to be set free (notebooks burned), sent back to their normal miserable lives, and never allowed to return. The children would not be allowed to let any other screwed up grown-up into the forest and house. These kids were too trusting, plus they need to be protected. 2. One day out of every seven days I would be allowed to go into town pick up supplies and have a break on the promise I would return to the children that evening. 3. That stupid freaky cartoon on that TV has to be shut off for good! These kids need to be introduced to the magic of Disney and Pixar for god sakes. Could we at least have these kids imagine a LCD projector or plasma screen with magical "DVD" player please?

No bills or rent to pay, no stupid job to go to - Sounds like heaven to me! I have an imagination too and I could imagine being happy with those kids. Isn't that the gift of being a parent or guardian is all about? Then again, I admit I would be lonely without my own "princess" like Eun-Soo had.

All these kids needed was an adult they could depend on and trust. They needed an adult to sit down with them and talk - no constant yelling, screaming or threats of punishment. They needed to learn that such an adult exists. Most importantly, they needed a little tender loving care. Isn't that what we all need from childhood to adulthood? These "kids" were always essentially "adults" in the first place since they aged.

I remember that one scene where Man-Bok was astonished that Eun-Soo was concerned about Young-hee's sleepwalking. Man-Bok was not even used to having a concerned adult around worried for their welfare. Could you imagine living every day like these kids and having the fear that you'd be abandoned every single day? As adults, don't we all fear that in some way? That's why every adult ended up like they did - all they wanted to do was leave. The kids had no concept of the feelings of these other people and their lives, because no one ever cared about their feelings or own lives.

What really pissed me off was how cruel the adults were to the youngest girl. How could that one woman snap at her and tell her to feed herself? Also, when that guy walked away from her when she cut her foot on the glass and crying? WTF?! That was an interesting scene because it showed Man-Bok tried to have faith that the guy would help them after the youngest one cut her foot, but that adult did not care - hence the theme of overall abandonment.

This cruelty happens every day in our world. What this movie did was present it to us close-up - not a lot of viewers could handle the subject matter of abuse and abandonment. We still have a hard time ackowledging abuse against children and adults exist in our own society. There are kids and adults suffering like this every day, and in reality many people don't care. This movie touched upon the fact that the feelings of children and adults are no different.

Sadly, this is our world. The ending scene where the kids walk up the steps symbolizes that they could be any abused and abandoned child or adult in our real present-day society wandering the streets at night - or worse, locked away in a cell like the orphanage portrayed in the movie.

What was magical about the ending was that the children never forgot Eun-Soon despite the notebook being burned, and they were in fact happy he cared and loved them.