LEARNING FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness can be challenging especially if the person who’s hurt you doesn’t admit
wrong. But it can improve relationship and reduce anger toward someone who caused you
pain. A film by Lee Jeong-Hyang “A Reason To Live” gave me lessons that I can keep in my
life.

TV producer Da-Hae was engaged to Wang-Soo. On her birthday, unfortunately,

Wang-Soo hit by a motorcycle when he was about to pick up his friend, Je-Seuk. The driver
of the motorcycle turned around and fatally ran over Wang-Soo. A year after, Da-Hae has
forgiven the boy who killed her fiance. As a Catholic, she still believes that the boy still has
the chance to change his life and it's better to move on. Da-Hae finally quit her job and now
working on a documentary about forgiveness requested by the Catholic Church. During the
interview, Da-Hae realized why she forgave the teenager that easy. Da-Hae burdened with
this doubt seeks out the boy to see how he is now living.

The film has the aim for us to understand what’s the essence of forgiving. Thinking
about that aim, I felt that something is wrong about the context. For me it’s complicated
knowing that I always forgive people who did wrong things to me but later on they keep on
doing the same thing to me. While watching the film A Reason To Live, mixed reactions
came up to myself. In the beginning, the character Da-Hae said that she’s in peace now that
he forgave the 15 year old boy who killed her fiancé. I’m not comfortable with her decision to
make a petition letter to revoke the juvenile’s death sentence because according to Edward
Elmhurst, forgiveness is not the same as justice. It’s not about being a better person but it’s
more than just moving on. In this case, Da-Hae is not yet moved-on on what happened on
her fiancé. I can see her reminiscing and her eyes tell that she’s not ready to move on and
forgive. She’s just forced to forgive the killer by her belief as a Catholic.

I like the traits of Ji-Min, the sister of Je-Seuk for she is a jolly person even though
she has pain in her heart. She has the two side of a coin and it seems like the writer wants
us to realize two things in this; the first one as a daughter or as a son is to calmly talk to our
parents for they are the one who will understand us, the second one as a friend is to be
present at all times especially if that friend has nobody to be with for we are the one who can
they lean on.

There are parts of the movie where it detailed the scene on how Sang Woo was hit
by a motorcycle. After I saw it, I just thought of why if the director gave us an opportunity to

Abdul, Claudine Gaile U.

Word count: 809 words
see how it will be if the scene before the incident was played vice versa. Meaning, what it will
be the outcome if Je-Seuk called back Wang-Soo and told him that Ji-Min will pick him up.
This is just my thought and I felt glad that the director didn’t fail me on the not too latter part
where it met my thoughts and expectation.

The plot seems like it’s written in alternating flashback and I love it for I feel that I also
going back to the past to know and to guess what happened. For me it’s perfect for this kind
of drama where we cannot be bored because every part of the movie gradually completes
the scene wherein we found out the detailed reason and circumstances of the death of
Wang-Soo that brought excitement to the viewers.

In the case of Ji-Min, the director caught my emotion in a way that I feel pity for the
character not just by being beaten by her father but also for blaming her by her mother and
brother. It’s more than physical for me and it’s a psychological thing. According to a study, it
found out that whoever dwelled on negative experience like abuse, blaming others or
themselves, had a greater risk of suffering from mental health problem than those who
didn't. So, in my opinion, the mother, father and the brother of Ji-Min are facing mental
health problems too. I just feel pity for Ji-Min for she didn’t deserve that kind of treat.

At the latter part, I feel the happiness in Ji-Min’s heart and looking forward for the
peace of mind of Da-Hae. This film made me realized on some aspects in my life and I do
love to forgive those people who are worth it and for those who are not, it takes time. I feel
so relieved on how to forgive and to make decisions without any doubts.

REFERENCES:
Gaysina, Dayra. The Conversation. Web. 1 Aug. 2017
https://www.eehealth.org/blog/2017/12/peace-through-forgiveness/?
fbclid=IwAR3gvgPJa4MDbixqY7AtVPFW4PVqjvQ_iWCiB6-5whUFj_beznk2gW8DBBk

Elmhurst, Edward. Healthy Driven. Web. 21 Dec. 2017

https://theconversation.com/are-your-parents-to-blame-for-your-psychological-problems-81203?
fbclid=IwAR0xdB9nxBNMX0GuUOVb_ME0Y67fql9OIvZZXlCmGhGjFyaprqxlq83IWfQ

Abdul, Claudine Gaile U.

Word count: 809 words