Bride of Silence is an interesting film that depicts a fascinating legendary folk tale-like story while unexpectedly creating a defiant image of women. 200 years ago in Vietnam, Tuy, on his deathbed, tells his 17-year-old son Hien about his mother for the first time. Hien′s mother was ostracized by the village people for having become pregnant without knowing who the father was. She was ordered to throw the newborn baby away into the river. Just when the villagers were about to throw away the baby, thunder and lightening lit up the sky and in the midst of the confusion, a couple of the villagers are struck dead by lightening. At that point in telling the story, Tuy hastily breathes out his last breath. Starting off as a seemingly ordinary folk tale, Bride of Silence hides within itself an unexpected theme. It depicts the relationship of an ideal love between one woman and several men outside the realms of traditional society but it ends in tragedy. The interesting thing about the film is how heroine is portrayed in the process. It is especially inspiring in the way she lives with courage and strong sense of self outside the traditional ways demanded from society and men. (Kim young-jin)