Song Hye-kyo is All the Rage in ‘The Glory’

In her protracted acting career, Song Hye-kyo has collaborated with the top stars in Korean entertainment, portraying a specific kind of allure, whether as a damsel in distress, a blind socialite, a dogged cardiothoracic surgeon, an elite fashion designer or now as a devious teacher out for vengeance! Her latest offering, The Glory, is an intense revenge K-drama, in which Song’s performance adds a great deal of dynamism, making it difficult to take your gaze away from her. For the first time in a long time, we see her in a role that is a far cry from the characters we are accustomed to seeing her play.

The Glory features Moon Dong-eun (Song), an elementary school homeroom teacher. In high school, Moon was routinely bullied and violently assaulted by Park Yeon-jin (Im Ji-yeon) and her gang. She drops out of school as a result, only to return years later with a fully fleshed-out plan of retribution against the bullies and the bystanders. Released just a couple of days before the start of the new year, the series struck me as a morbidly gorgeous narrative that had me on the edge of my seat thanks to the painstaking plotline, directing, and stellar performances, with Song delivering her best.

Many of you may feel that Song especially excels in the romantic genre. She best fits the style because of the way she exudes feminine beauty in her face, body language, speech and temperament. But it’s essential to recognize how intricately Song has managed to embody Moon’s character in all of its distinctiveness while steadfastly retaining her own individuality. She emanates the rage that has built up in her heart over time as part of persistent abuse that has surpassed emotional frontiers, making her appear to be a femme fatale in all her glory.

The scenes of Moon being bullied mercilessly are quite upsetting, and her being failed by those who ought to have been by her side touches a nerve. In that sense, The Glory is truly a strong and emotive piece of work. The actress, seamlessly gliding into her skin, injects life into the victim. I believe Song must have been deeply touched while enacting the horrors that Moon encounters, since exerting that sort of effort both mentally and emotionally is an experience that really resonates with you.

Personally, I like storylines in which a victim exacts revenge for injustices done to them. And in The Glory, a character like Song’s works the best for me. The big draw is how authentic she appears to be in her vengeful spirit. She never tries to be realistic; instead, she has an unmatched capacity to elicit sympathy from the audience. And even though the plot takes a bit to get going, it’s worth it when Moon finally pushes things to the point where justice must be served. I’m excited for season two to see how she finally gets it.