Film Analysis Essay: The Apology

Introduction

The Apology sheds light on the historical injustices that were committed to women from across Asia. It rekindles details that remain painful to survivors and politically divisive for perpetrators more than eight decades since the women were subjugated and forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese imperialism. The documentary reveals what the Japanese Government and the right-wing politicians have tried to suppress for decades because the survivors are given a voice to speak out and condemn the evils that were committed against them. The women were kept in "Comfort Stations" and referred to as "Comfort Women" following the directive of Emperor Hirohito to end mass rapes that would have had an impact on the image of Japan. However, years after the war, Japanese officials have denied the existence of "comfort stations" as the history of "comfort women" remains undocumented. A review of the film from historical and social contexts depicts various issues that include militarism, forced sexual slavery, and unaddressed colonial injustices.

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In the documentary, Tiffany Hsiung follows up on three former "comfort women" who are among survivors of the sexual slavery that was perpetrated by the Imperial Japanese Army. The first few seconds into the film one of the survivors of the atrocity, Grandma Gil, narrates how she was taken away from her family and made to be a "comfort woman" by the Japanese Army (Hsiung, 2016). During the 1930s, militarism dominated in Japan and the Emperor ruled with the aim of expanding the Japanese Empire. In the quest for expansion, the Army was involved in the massacre of hundreds of thousands civilians, and it was during this period when rape cases were common. Particularly, Emperor Hirohito instructed the military to expand through the Asian region, and as they were expanding their territories women from China, Korea, and the Philippines became victims of sexual slavery. The Emperor knew that his soldiers were forcing women into military brothels and raping them as Grandma Adela from the Philippines recounts being taken to the brothels and raped repeatedly (Hsiung, 2016). However, he was concerned about expansion, and the incidents did not deter him from achieving his objective.

The actions of the army as illustrated in the movie demonstrate sexual slavery. The Japanese military forced women as young as 13 years old into sexual slavery in the territories they occupied. Initially, when these women were taken from their homes, they were promised to work for the Imperial Army where they would do jobs such as cooking and laundry. However, once they were taken into military brothels, they were forced to provide sexual services for the soldiers. The three survivors in the documentary explain how they were mistreated and forced to have sex with soldiers under brutal conditions (Hsiung, 2016). Women who did not comply with orders were raped repeatedly and killed. Grandma Adela narrates how they would not let them rest and the soldiers would take turns to abuse them. Notably, the purpose of expanding the "comfort stations" as ordered by the Emperor was to ensure that the Army had a steady and isolated group of prostitutes who would satisfy them and thus reduce cases of sexually transmitted diseases. As such, these women were mainly captured and kept in brothels for sexual services, making them sex slaves (Hsiung, 2016).

Unaddressed historical injustice is also a common theme in the movie. It is more than half a century since the end of the World War II, and the military brothels in Japan and officials still deny that they existed. The documentary provides a significant forum to remind the world of the historical injustices that were committed against women, and although the majority of victims succumbed to violent treatment and sexually transmitted diseases, those who survived have not had the confidence to speak out because most of them became societal outcasts. Those who have tried seeking justice from the Japanese government have been subjected to humiliation as one can see from the documentary when they are being chased away and called mean names (Hsiung, 2016).

While the women were subjected to involuntary prostitution and hostile conditions, they have been made to live with guilt for the rest of their lives. Today, most of them are still afraid of telling their family what they went through because they fear they will face rejection (Hsiung, 2016). The women dare to share with the world the hidden stories of the "comfort women" as well as asking for a formal apology from the Japanese government, something that they have waited to get for decades. Therefore, the women might not live long enough to get the apology, but the through the documentary, Hsiung has given them a voice to disclose their experience to the world in a bid to seek justice.

Conclusion

After examining the movie, it can be observed that the film has scenes that are upsetting and seeing the women demonstrate resilience in their quest to be heard and forcing the Japanese government to own up the war crimes is a sign of hope. The atrocities happened decades ago, and the history of comfort for women has been downplayed due to the scanty documentation. Nevertheless, Hsiung brings survivors with physical and emotional scars to light to show government officials that the rights of these women were violated and they deserve a formal apology.

Reference

Hsiung, T. (2016). The Apology. Canada. Icarus Films, National Film Board of Canada (NFB).