Thoughts On Some Movies…
When I watch movies, I am not just watching it for entertainment. I am very detail-oriented and I find myself fascinated with underlying ideas, the peculiar use of set design, music background, as well as the opening scene designs that matches with the story’s theme and narrative. I know what you are going to say, just as many of my friends always say: Just enjoy the movie! Why are you making yourself so exhausted?
In actuality, I enjoy that mental exhaustion. I want to get something out of the movie rather than just saying, “Well, that was fun” and go on with my life. I want to be able to have something that I can take away from, whether it is historical, philosophical, cultural, or social — I want a movie to be appreciated to its fullest. After all, not only the actors and directors should be taking all of the credit of the production crew. From lighting, set design, costumes, to graphic designers — I find that many audiences always forget about them. Their hard work should not go unappreciated.
Filming technique and style have meaning. I am not a film student but since we are exposed to so many movies and television shows, why not try to look at movies with a professional lens?
Let’s talk bout the movie The Host. This is a Korean movie that is in disjunction, portraying American G.I as negative rather than positive. In other movies, especially the Western movies, the American G.I. are always the heroes. This only reinforces the idea of Western superiority. The Host portrays the American G.I. as rapists and murderers, sending a soft political message that is under the disguise. I actually find this to be very smart. The film is actually based on a true event, where the United States had gotten involved in the Korean War and their use of bioweapons. The film shows a montage between stock footage from the past and the actual movie scenes. The bioweapon, called “Agent Yellow,” was poured into the Han River, creating a giant monster that is attacking civilians. Even though “Agent Yellow” is made up, it was actually inspired by “Agent Orange,” a pesticide mixture that was used during the Vietnam War.
The United States currently has military base in Korea, and “Agent Orange” was certainly a serious and authentic history. For the audience watching the movie as entertainment, they may not even realize the many references to the United States, politically and historically. The film seeks to — with a very low-key manner — criticize America’s involvement in Korea. For those who watch the film with a more critical eye (i.e. me), I find that this film is used as a source of education. I actually took time to do research on America’s past and current involvement in Korea, as well as what the native Koreans think of the American’s involvement to come to the conclusion that the monster in the movie is not actually just a monster to kill — but rather, a symbolic representation of America.
