[The Second Take]Let’s Just Look at What We Can See

Religious Faith Beyond Rationality in Director Yeon Sang-ho's "Apocalypse"
Risks and Side Effects of Beliefs Proclaimed as A Priori Convictions

In director Yeon Sang-ho's film "Apocalypse," Seong Min-chan (Ryu Jun-yeol) is a pastor running a church in a small town. He suspects sex offender Kwon Yang-rae (Shin Min-jae) of kidnapping his son after abducting middle school student Shin Ah-young (Kim Bo-min), leading to a fierce fight in the mountains. Kwon Yang-rae falls off a cliff and loses consciousness. Even after hearing that his son is safe, Seong Min-chan does not rescue him. He hesitates upon seeing a figure resembling Jesus on the opposite cliff struck by thunder and lightning. He believes he has received a revelation from God to condemn.

Movie 'Gyesirok' Still Cut

Seong Min-chan cannot simply be labeled as mentally ill. Even mentally healthy people can think irrationally. Brandon Arnold, a psychiatry professor at Harvard University, argued that irrational convictions are more the rule than the exception. "Do you think it’s rare for people to say nonsense? Not at all. Delusional stories are common. (Omitted) General thinking does not follow a rational and deductive approach. Many people, or rather most, harbor strange convictions internally. Thoughts that psychiatrists would diagnose as delusions."

The problem lies in the "above-average effect," where one believes oneself to be better than others based on delusions. Many people mistakenly think they are more moral, competent, and likable. Seong Min-chan is no different. He believes he has received a revelation from God and can control and manipulate what happens around him. He concludes that the missing Shin Ah-young is dead and gathers the townspeople for a memorial prayer service. "We know Ah-young is already watching us from heaven. Please allow our suffering mother to feel the peace Ah-young feels now."

Religious faith is a representative case of departing from the principles of rationality. It is essentially irrational in an epistemological sense. It cannot be explained or refuted by rational arguments or evidence. Richard Dawkins, an emeritus professor at Oxford University, stated, "Religious faith lacks all evidence. It proudly claims to be independent of evidence and spreads widely and loudly." What matters here is not confirmation or evidence but a priori conviction. For believers who accept it as truth, it provides direction and will in life. Sometimes, it works more effectively than verifiable truth.

Movie 'Gyesirok' Still Cut

However, beliefs proclaimed as a priori convictions carry risks and side effects. Wars waged under the pretext of religion still cause countless victims today. South Korea is no exception. It degenerates into a driving force supporting political ideologies, exacerbating social chaos and disorder. It is impossible to resolve at once. Like Seong Min-chan, who insists on believing Shin Ah-young is dead even though she is alive, nine out of ten people do not change their minds.

Perhaps that is why director Yeon urgently appeals through the voice of a psychiatrist (Kim Do-young). It might be a hint close to a solution. "Most tragedies in this world arise from complex causes beyond individual control. Devils, monsters, all these things are created by humans for their own convenience. Let’s just look at what we can see."