Director: Choi Yoon-tae
Starring: Lee Joo-young, Lee Joon-hyuk, Yeom Hye-ran
Country of Origin: South Korea
Running Time: 1h 45m
The pervading influence of baseball in South Korea is not to be underestimated.
While puzzling to outsiders, it’s not only a national obsession but a potent symbol of masculinity where only those with the strongest arms thrive.
Ten professional teams play a staggering 144 game regular season before even reaching the play-offs: an inescapable round robin of monotonous familiarity.
Fanatical fans memorise songs for every player conducted by zealous cheerleaders in stadiums, many television channels are dedicated to the game, kids throw balls around in parks with their dads and indoor screen zones offer a faintly realistic video game style version of the sport complete with real balls and bats.
Boys dream of playing for one of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) branded franchises from Seoul’s LG Twins to Busan’s Lotte Giants.
For girls, the avenues to play are limited, not least alongside their male counterparts.
Baseball Girl presents the hypothetical situation of a standout female high school baseball player who aims to make the big leagues.
It begins by stating the KBO has no rule which prevents women from playing for its teams. Joo Soon-in (Lee Joo-young) is the nation’s only non-male high school pitcher and has attained fame for her skills as well as her gender.
A new coach (Lee Joon-hyuk) initially dismisses her talent with brutal nonchalance before being won over by her indefatigable attitude.
Despite Soo-in’s slender frame and inability to throw fastballs of 150 kilometres per hour – which all but guarantees a professional contract – the coach matches the determination of his student and methodically teaches her a new style of pitching.
In the background Soo-in’s mother (Yeom Hye-ran) frantically pleads with her daughter to abandon fantasies of making a living from the game to get a job in the real world.
The story curves like an unpredictable pitch as Soon-in refuses to relinquish her dreams despite the almost impenetrable barriers standing in her way.
As a swipe at the prevailing patriarchy and statement on gender equality Baseball Girl manages to defy simple categorization.
Although there are several scenes devoted to the craft of pitching – an art which could send an insomniac into a deep slumber – it never becomes tedious and satisfying training montages accompanied by synthesiser music evoke memories of Rocky Balboa sweating it out in a snowbound log cabin.
Domestic tension adds an extra layer as ambition and reality clash, Yeom Hye-ran a dependable and plausible presence as a mother hardened by financial and marital problems.
Director and writer Choi Yoon-tae channels everything through Soo-in who plainly but powerfully states: “I won’t give up before even trying,” when she seems doomed to fail.
Displaying vulnerability and quiet defiance Lee Joo-young excels as the title character.
Unafraid to take challenging and controversial roles – she convincingly played a transgender chef in the excellent 2020 drama show Itaewon Class – it will surely lead to more high-profile leading parts.
Elevated by her courageous performance, Baseball Girl is far more than just a sports film, as it challenges long held social norms with the strength of a championship winning pitch.
Stephen Kasiewicz 