[Current & Culture]A Mother's Choice on the Edge

The Destitute Pushed to the Edge of Life
The Stark Contrasts of Government-Led Economic Stimulus
Hoping Not to Repeat the Pain of Policy Failure

I watched a very uncomfortable film. I chose "Standing on the Edge" without hesitation because it stars Taraji Henson, an actress whose performances I always trust. However, throughout the movie, I found myself frowning at the overly simplistic and complacent contrasts the film presented.

The Black woman is portrayed as an innocent victim, while the White man is depicted as a vicious perpetrator. The manager blatantly exploits, and the worker is helplessly exploited. The naive youth is contrasted with the wise elder. Even among the police, there is a clash between a competent and empathetic Black female detective and an incompetent, indifferent White male detective. Despite all this, I was completely absorbed in the film and even shed tears. The desperation of a mother trying to protect her child at the edge of poverty, with neither a proper home nor stable employment, more than compensates for the clich?d and blatant setup. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

There is another film, "The Florida Project," which depicts a mother and daughter in a very similar situation but in a completely different way. Here too, a mother and daughter struggle day by day in unstable housing and income, but the story unfolds in a fairy-tale-like tone. Even the posters are the exact opposite: while "Standing on the Edge" has a somber and dark image, "The Florida Project" looks like a pastel painting. In any case, the outlook for the mother and daughter in both films is equally bleak.

If you are drawn in by the bright poster and the tagline "Are you ready to be happy?" and decide to watch this movie with your family, you may be shocked by the explicit scenes depicting drugs and prostitution. Still, the film is truly excellent. It achieves the highest possible standard for a low-budget independent film. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Among Korean films dealing with families living in extreme poverty, "Parasite" stands out as a masterpiece. The story of a family living in a semi-basement who end up parasitizing the basement of a wealthy household swept the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Awards, and became a global box office hit because social polarization is an issue in every country. Moreover, you can enjoy the essence of black comedy, which transforms the theme of poverty into laughter, sadness, and tension. I would generously give it 5 out of 5 stars.

After the presidential election, a huge amount of money is being pumped into the economy. The KOSPI, which had not risen properly since COVID-19, is climbing steadily, and the real estate market, which always seemed to be rising, is now increasing even faster. Does this mean everyone will become more prosperous? At first, it may create the illusion that this is the case, but eventually, the gap between rich and poor will widen, and the lives of those whose wage growth is lower than inflation will become even more difficult. Situations like this are so common that a term like "Byeorakgeoji" (sudden pauper) has even emerged.

The mother and daughter in "Standing on the Edge" were not always so destitute. The mother's income stayed the same, but as rent and medical bills kept rising, they became poorer. The cheap motel where the mother and daughter in "The Florida Project" lived was originally built during an economic boom but later became a refuge for the extremely poor. The family in "Parasite" experienced the same thing. There were times when life was bearable enough to look back and laugh, but gradually they were pushed out and down, until they ended up in such dire straits.

Growth driven by government-led economic stimulus has rarely ended well. However, this time I hope for a different outcome. President Lee Jaemyung, who started as a child laborer, understands poverty better than anyone and has shown confidence in distribution and welfare since his days as a local government leader. Even now, as stock prices and home prices soar and cheers and expectations explode like fireworks, please remember that there are still people barely holding on at the edge.

Lee Jaeik, SBS Radio Producer and Novelist