Any significant historic event can have an immense impact at both societal and individual level. Under certain circumstances, it may leave almost indelible scars in the lives of people. Such phenomenon as post-combat trauma has recently become a subject of thorough psychological analysis, because a great number of soldiers are not able to overcome the haunting memories of the past, which may eventually result in insanity or even suicide. As regards cinematography, it would not be an exaggeration to say, that film-makers pay special attention to this problem. Among the most prominent works, dedicated to this issue, we can single out such movies as Peppermint Candy, directed by Lee Chang-dong and White Badge, produced by Jeong Ji- yeong. Both these films portray people, struggling against their past, which brings the horrors of war and violence back to them.
Prior to analyzing these films, it is of the crucial importance for us to discuss such notion as psychological trauma. According to Cathy Caruth, this notion can be defined as an “intense personal suffering”, which is primarily caused by a stressful situation in the past (Caruth, 7). The scholar argues that soldiers or people, who have lived through any armed conflict, tend to suffer from the so-called survivor guilt, and very often they deem themselves unworthy of living. As a rule, the main reason of this disease is the lack of support and understanding. Overall, it is quite possible for us to say that even now psychologists have not come to the consensus as to the most optimal treatment mode, because in the overwhelming majority of cases, they can give virtually no assistance to such people.
Korean film Peppermint Candy tells the story of a person, who has been an active participant of the Kwangju uprising that took place in 1980. What was initially supposed to be peaceful demonstration, turned into a bloodshed, which left approximately one hundred and eighty people dead. This event had a profound effect on political and cultural life in South Korea. The country took pro-western course and soon became one of the world superpowers. Yet, there were some victims, who were completely disregarded by official statistics; Yong-ho, the main character of the film is one of them.
As far as the structure of this movie is concerned, it should be pointed out that the order of events is deliberately reversed. It seems that the makers preferred such form of plot development, because it produced an effect of flashback, which is probably the most interesting motif in the film. It starts with the scene of suicide of the protagonist, and as the story progresses, we can see the factors that contributed to this personal tragedy. At the very end, the authors go back to the underlying cause of his psychological trauma, Kwangju demonstration. At that moment, the main character was only starting his service in the police force. He was one those people, who were ordered to break up the demonstration, and Yong-ho accidently killed one of the students. Since that time he has always suffered from guilt complex, yet no one has noticed that.
The makers of this film how a person may protect oneself from his or her past. The protagonist uses cynicism as a shield against his vulnerability. It makes him feel stronger or probably more secure. Yong-ho creates a very deceptive façade, which conceals his weakness. In his opinion, cruelty or even brutality will erase that tragic day from his life. Naturally, this façade or delusion is soon dissipated, and, he, being unable to face his conscience, commits suicide.
Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that people, surrounding Yong-ho, do not take any interest in the underlying causes of his behavior. Perhaps, the only solution to his tragedy is compassion or empathy, but his friends, colleagues, and relatives do not even attempt to understand him. Probably, this is the main reason why his trauma was not relieved. Furthermore, some psychologist believe that this mental disorder is closely connected with the peculiarities of male behavior, in particular, the tendency of men to hide their weaknesses under the mask of coolness, or sometimes even roughness, which in turn leads only to detrimental results. In fact, occasionally men are afraid of asking for help because they regard such behavior as womanlike. A great number of their troubles stem directly from this prejudice, though it is based on common misconception (Sonnenberg, 48). To a certain degree, Yong-ho is a bright example of such male behavior.
We can draw parallels between Peppermint Candy and White Badge. The concept of haunting past is the recurring motif in these films. However, one has to admit that the authors try look at this issue from slightly different standpoints. As it has been noted earlier, Yong-ho does not seek compassion or help from other people, whereas Pyon realizes that he must give vent to his feelings, and this is why he is so desperate to find a person, who has had similar experience, but the man, to whom he appeals, only intensifies his feeling of loneliness and alimentation. Instead of helping Pyon, Han only aggravates the situation. The main difficulty, which such people as Pyon or Yong-ho so often encounter, is that other people refuse to understand them. They are firmly convinced that soldiers, who have survived in the war, must be perfectly happy. It turns out that sometimes ignorance can transform into cruelty and callosity, and they can easily ruin the life of any person.
To conclude, both films place emphasis on the idea that war (or any other form of violence) may have far-reaching consequences, which cannot be always predicted or foreseen. The authors of these movies try to prove that every person, who has gone through such experience, can be regarded as a victim. In addition to that, these works are based on the reversed order of events, and it subsequently draws the viewers attention to such concept as the memory of war. The difference between Peppermint Candy and White Badge lies in the way, in which the main characters try to cope with their problems. Yong-ho is protecting himself by means of brutality and cynicism. The main difference between these two films lies in the way the main characters are struggling against the affliction. Pyon is desperately trying to find help but he fails to do it. It is necessary to understand that war can leave almost undetectable traces, but they can easily turn the life of a person into a nightmare. In this case, the primary importance should be attached to compassion and understanding.
Bibliography
Cathy Caruth. “Trauma: explorations in memory” JHU Press, 1995.
Gi-Wook Shin, Kyung Moon Hwang. “Contentious Kwangju: the May 18 uprising in Korea’s past and present” Rowman & Littlefield, 2003.
John Adams Wickham. Korea on the brink: a memoir of political intrigue and military crisis. Brassey’s, 2000.
Stephen M. Sonnenberg, Arthur S. Blank, John A. Talbott. “The Trauma of war: stress and recovery in Viet Nam veterans” American Psychiatric Pub, 1985.