The return of Song Hye-Kyo in the film “Dark Nuns” has become a hot topic in many Asian countries. However, in South Korea, the film has faced harsh criticisms of its release due to many sensitive elements, leading to hard comments directed to the actress.
However, “Dark Nuns” reached its tie, continued to sell tickets and also dominated the box boxes in different Asian nations. So, are the Hye-kyo Song really deserve such an unjust backlash?
A film that insults religion and women?
At his premiere in South Korea, Song Hye-Kyo “Dark Nuns” was strongly criticized by his first projections, despite only a few hundred viewers had seen him. Numerous posts have accused the film to defame Catholicism, in particular his portrait of nuns and to promote serious misogyny.
Negative reactions derive from the characterization of the protagonist, sister Junia (played by the song Hye-Kyo), who is portrayed in a way that differs significantly from the conventional image of a nun. He strives to perform an exorcism, even if the female nuns are prohibited to do it. It smokes, suffers from cervical cancer and is frank, also using vulgar language when comparing with demons and priests. In addition, look for help from a shaman and consult the Tarot in an attempt to save a child. These details, although unconventional, were considered inappropriate for the image of a typical nun.
In addition to the accusations of religious blasphemy, the character of Song Hye-Kyo was also criticized for presumably promoting Misoginia. Junia is not allowed to perform exorcisms, forcing her to look for help from various sources and form an alliance with her sister Michela (played by Jeon Yeo-Bin) to perform the ritual to save a boy. In addition, the fact that Junia suffers from cervical cancer and that the demon repeatedly teases its kind and conditions further fueled public indignation in South Korea.
“Dark Nuns” and Song Hye-Kyo are judged badly
At the time of the release of the film, many people have chosen Song Hye-Kyo, claiming that she was missing the judgment in the selection of the screenplays and should take the utmost responsibility for the projected bankruptcy “Dark Nuns”. Some negative comments have even suggested that despite being 40 years old and has undergone significant personal difficulties, it has not respected its own kind. But do the content of the film and its role really guarantee such intense criticisms?
It is true that “Dark Nuns” is not an impeccable film. However, the script and the character of Song Hye-Kyo are intrinsically offensive towards women. In fact, the “dark nuns” actually transport feminist shades and the alleged “insults” are devices to transport these messages.
For example, the execution of an exorcism exclusively is forbidden to Junia because it is a nun, but it persistently fights against this restriction and in the end the ritual legitimizes. He collaborates with a female shaman and another nun, showing that Father Paolo – and by extension, the Church – was wrong. In the end, successfully saves a boy from the demon.
As for religious controversy, the representation of a nun that smokes and uses a raw language can derive from weak points of the script rather than an intentional act of blasphemy. The public needs more context on Junia’s background to understand why it appears in such an unconventional way.
The real problem with “Dark Nuns”
In the end, the biggest problem with “Dark Nuns” lies in his script, which lacks sufficient depth to fully convince the audience of Junia’s journey, a nun who challenges the genre and religious rules to save human lives. If the story had been developed better, the spectators could have been more empathetic towards the character. As a result, Song Hye-Kyo would not have been unjustly accused of hatred for themselves or to lack compared to their genre.
