The Host

The Host is a South Korean horror film that was made in 2006. The plot is centered on Park Hee-bong and his two sons, daughter, and granddaughter. Their lives suddenly take a plunge (no pun intended) for the worst as a sea monster from the Han River ravages their home and takes the granddaughter in its clenched mouth. All the meanwhile, the Korean government and American military believe that this “lizard-like” monster is the host of a deadly disease. The family must go on an expedition to find the missing granddaughter while the creature and the authorities are on their tail.

In the film The Host, as audience members, we are exposed to many aspects of Korean culture. In the opening scene, we see an American chemist instruct a Korean chemist to dump a toxic substance down the drains. This turns out to be the cause for the sea monsters creation, and it leaves the American in a bad light to the viewers. We learn from this that there is a lot of resentment in Korea towards American military occupation and influence in East Asia. After watching The Host, one can somewhat understand Korean humor through the jokes that were made in the film. From my analysis, it seems as though name-calling and self-derogation are the source of Korean laughs (the movie did have its share of funny parts).

Finally, as a bonus clip to the DVD set of The Host, there is a commentary by none other than the director of the movie himself. I really found this “extra footage” to be interesting and revealing. The director spends the entire 10 to 20 minutes apologizing to absolutely anyone he can think of. I am not sure if this segment was a joke or not, but it fascinates me how respectful and incredibly nice the director was to everyone.  For example, the director apologizes to actors who did not get their face viewed on screen as well as pedestrians and drivers who had transportation difficulties from filming a set. This tells me a lot about Korean ideals and values.

I can certainly make a cultural bridge between Korea and the United States. Both nations take high priority in defending their citizens if they are threatened by anyone….or anything. American military occupation in Korea means that both countries have similar militaristic interests. One last connection that can be made is that the U.S. and Korea are both pioneers and global leaders in technology, business, and production/manufacturing. I personally can relate to the many protagonists in this foreign film. They all experience their “high’s and low’s” throughout the film, something that we can all relate to. Also, I understand the feeling of struggle, loss, fear, and respect. Our cultures may be very different, but there will always be bridges to connect us.  

In conclusion, I will admit that this was my favorite movie from Global Film Studies class to-date. I loved the suspense, “horror”, and overall production. It was nice to see a scary movie from a different country for once. I guess it didn’t hurt that I could make a cultural bridge from this film.