A Petal (1996)

This was a very disturbing movie. Unlike some movies depicting the May 18th Gwangju Uprising, there is absolutely no romanticism at all here. It is brutal and harsh. Focusing on the aftereffects of witnessing such atrocities, the story is about a fifteen year old girl who, left senseless and traumatized, wanders around. She comes across an older man by a river and, despite being beaten and raped by him repeatedly, sticks to him as a sort of security.

Her story is gutwrenchingly tragic and I was disturbed more about her life after the uprising than the uprising itself. There are at least three semi-graphic rape scenes and a horrible account of more sexual assault done to her by a variety of people. None of this was mentioned in the synopsis at all, so I had no idea that it would be in the movie at all. I do not recommend this movie for the fainthearted, the easily offended, or pretty much anyone but the most stoic viewer. Definitely not for younger viewers at all. I am an adult, and one who is not that easily disturbed and I still found this movie disturbing. That being said, I can still see why this movie won so many awards. It is deeply serious and brutally shows the effects of May 18th. It also shows the darker side of human nature.

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