A Fantastic Woman

A Fantastic Woman reveals how society cannot accept another form of life when it doesn't fulfill specific criteria of being "normal." People can act cruel because they are scared of stepping outside of that "normal" line. Marina is a woman who just loved a man and lost a loved one, but everyone treats her like a criminal, meaning she cannot truly suffer or grieve for him in peace. Throughout the film, Marina must let go of her relationship with Orlando after his death while simultaneously fighting to keep her identity and dignity. When Orlando's family treats Marina badly and tries to exclude her from the funeral — treating her like she was not part of Orlando's life — this reaction merely shows how uncomfortable, judgmental, and filled with prejudice they are toward people who are different from them.

The characters' dehumanizing of Marina ultimately exposes something deeper about themselves. The interaction between Sonia (Orlando's ex-wife) and Marina is particularly vivid. When Marina meets Sonia, we can see in Marina's face that she is hoping to have a heart-to-heart about losing someone they both loved. Instead of Sonia acknowledging Marina's grief, she insults her, calling her a "chimera" and saying she can't wrap her head around their relationship. This moment doesn't show who Marina is; instead, it reveals Sonia's own fear, bitterness, and inability to accept different kinds of relationships. Sonia's words are actually anger directed toward herself, Orlando, and their past relationship. Her rudeness is a reflection of her own prejudice, not Marina's character.

Other encounters highlight the heavy weight of social pressure. When Marina is kidnapped by Orlando's son and his friends and her face gets wrapped with tape, rather than Marina suffering, the cruel nature of these men is portrayed, exposing the reality of hate crimes. And even though Orlando's brother is sympathetic to Marina, he is unable to stand up and speak for her. Knowing that he understands her but cannot go against his family shows how heavy the standards that people instill on others can really be. When you cannot fight it, you just go along.

Despite being mistreated by Orlando's family, Marina doesn't let that stop her from trying to say goodbye one last time, and she stands her ground when it comes to her identity. Even though the world is cruel to her, Marina is a powerful person. Her power isn't about status, but comes out of her dignity, resilience, and emotional strength. We see her exercising, boxing, and hitting bags, but Marina also shows her power through perseverance and calm resistance — such as the moment when she tries to go into the bathhouse to see if Orlando left anything there, even though as a transgender woman she risks being vulnerable at any moment.

When all these cruel things happen, when people insult her or try to push her away, Marina doesn't give up on her own identity as a woman. She doesn't disappear; she stays present, demonstrating that she has the power to control her own life. You cannot help but feel a great sense of respect for her — like when she walks against the wind but keeps moving forward, symbolizing the social pressure she faces as a transgender woman while maintaining her stride.

(Jiyoung, Yingyue, Samuel, Sinbi, Gahyun, Yoo, Nawoo, Crist, Michelle, Jeonju, Joohee, Justin, Lilo, Haeun, Yuna, Soojin)