The Host, Anti-American? Nawwww...

This is an expanded response to a post from a blog I like and read regularly – GI Korea: A Look at Korea and the World from Someone Who Helps Defend It.

I've gotta disagree with the post a bit here. I've seen the film, and I don't think it's particularly anti-American.

"...the origin of the 'monster' or the cause of turning people into 'zombies' or whatever is embedded deep in the 'grammar' of the monster/creature film."

Another film critic – and you'll hear him in my podcast in a couple of days – made an enlightening comment in response to this very question.

He pointed out that the origin of the "monster" or the cause of turning people into "zombies" or whatever is embedded deep in the "grammar" of this kind of monster/creature film. If you look at any zombie or plague or monster movie, the origin of the problem is always found deep within the laboratories of a secret government facility or nefarious research installation.

And this movie's no different. And the most nefarious and/or secretive place imaginable in a Korean context – and I think this is outside of the very obvious anti-American streak that is otherwise very obvious in Korean popular culture and the news – is the "secret research facility" that, according to the logic of a Korean horror film, would definitely lie deep in the imaginary (we hope!) recesses of Yongsan.

You might also note that Godzilla found his origins as the leftovers of American nuclear testing in the Pacific. Japan at the time was certainly not overtly "anti-American" as Korea is now often described, but the origins of the beast that is Godzilla that destroys Japan as the physical embodiment of the memory of a real nuclear horror makes perfect sense in 1950's Japan.

"...the film is far from an anti-American rant, and is in fact, far harder on Korean society than anything outside."

I'm one of the first people to say that I think superficial and politically-motivated expressions of anti-Americanism and even hatred irritate the hell out of me. I've blogged about it as well. However, I think you'll see not only from the overall tone of the film, but from a specific plot point that I won't mention here (no spoilers), that the film is far from an anti-American rant, and is in fact, far harder on Korean society than anything outside.

And the film is so shot through with elements of comedy and ridiculousness that even the jabs in the film are only half-serious. It's really a story about a family who has to deal with their problem – as imposed on them and made more complex by forces outside of their control – as a family. They gotta take matters into their own hands.

Trust me – if you take the scene along with the others, it's not an anti-American rant at all. It just makes you bristle a bit because it's the first scene, and the film hasn't had the chance yet to establish its tone and hit its rhythm yet.

If you actually look deeply at Bong Joon Ho's films, he is merciless in roving his critical eye over all sorts of aspects of Korean society. For those of you who'd like to get a sense of how he does this, Memories of a Murder is a great start, but go back one more to Flander's Dog. It's hilarious yet deeply, deeply poignant.

"Go see the film – Americans might bristle uncomfortably for a few minutes, but once you see what the film is doing, you'll forget all about it..."

This film is not much different, and completely in keeping with the style of filmmaking from his previous two movies. In the interest of full disclosure, Bong has been my favorite director in Korea ever since the moment I laid eyes on Flander's Dog back in 2002, but I this certainly has not blinded me to be easy on him about this particular point.

Go see the film – Americans might bristle uncomfortably for a few minutes, but once you see what the film is doing, you'll forget all about it and fall right into the place where this very smart director wants you.

And you might accuse me of being on this director's jock too much, but I feel justified in my glowing praise because I've been a fan ever since he was a first-time director of a movie about some dogs in an apartment building that most Koreans haven't seen. Now that he's hit the bigtime and has become an even stronger filmmaker, I feel like I gotta make the extra effort to represent.

For those of us who know Korea and are at times critical of it, Bong Joon Ho's our friend, not foe. His films are equal parts smart, biting, and funny. And no one gets ignored, even the US – I mean our country's military and policies are certainly not above reproach, right? – which I think, considering how hard Bong hits the Korean authorities as well, pretty fair.

Comments

[GI Korea]

I'll probably watch the movie at some point but the scene in question rubs people the wrong way because USFK is currently getting accused of polluting the vacated bases which is nonsense plus the incident in question he is spoofing is also highly controversial because it was a Korean who poured it down the drain not the US doctor who was blamed.

USFK facilities on the peninsula are a oasis in polluted urban jungles but this movie is going to contribute to the untrue stereotype that USFK pollutes the Korean environment.

[Mark]

I agree GI, it just might be another stone in the stereotype pile. I've just noticed in the all the years that I've been here in Korea, that nearly everytime you see a westerner, it's rarely positive. The westerner is usually shown beating up Koreans, raping Korean women or doing all sorts of nefarious deads. Not just in movies but also (especially) in music videos.

If America showed Koreans doing the same things in such a high percentage of the time a Korean is portraid in America, I'm sure the Koreans would be pretty upset. I mean, just having a North Korean villian in one James Bond movie prompted calls for boycotts.

My question is, why did it have to be an American ran secret lab in Korea. It makes more sense that Koreans have many more Korean ran secret labs here. Military or otherwise.

[The Metropolitician]

Well, let's get real here for a sec, guys.

It's not like American movies don't do this, and do it all the time.

The "evil Russians" invading us again and again throughout the 1980's or behind everything (Red Dawn, Amerika, Rocky III) or the "evil Arab terrorist" in everything since the 1990's (Navy Seals, True Lies, and too many more to name).

Some variation of "Die for Allah!" usually preceded the plane takeover, the suicide bomb, etc., and the 99.99999% of the Arab-Americans in the US are pretty darn sick of that, wouldn't you say? I mean, look at it from the perspective of the many, many supersimplistic stereotypes given the Russkies or A-rabs. Or minority groups in the US - Long Duck Dong from Sixteen Candles, anyone? The Black guy always dying first in the every action flick? The Indian soldier with "mysterious" tracking and detection powers? I'm not reaching into the 1920's or something here, ya know.

I'm not defending stereotypes, but in this case, you have to at least admit that it's pretty easy to see a secret USFK lab as helping create a monster in a genre flick, no? Especially when it was based on an actual dumping incident? Yeah, yeah, I know that when it comes to the greater environmental harms done by Korean companies, it feels unfair – and I agree with ya – but let's also not forget that Koreans have been pretty mad and indignant about major chaebeols dumping waste and creating environmental catastrophes. It's not like the Korean public hasn't reacted very negatively to such things as well, and that this isn't on their minds.

Of course, you get the standard NGO crazies out there protesting and taking every single little chance to take a shot at USFK - but I think the general Korean moviegoing audience is 1) far more reasonable than the really irritating idiots who make the mosts noise and trouble for USFK, and 2) going to be also overwhlemed by the heaping helping of jabs and bombs tossed at the Korean authorities as well.

In terms of the "context" that you (and I) want to see USFK's responsibilities presented in, I think the movie does that in spades, actually. It's not "a Korean company dumped some chemicals, too, that helped make the monster", but it's clear that the troubles that ensue from the monster's appearance are mostly created by an incompetent, callous, and all-too appearance-concerned set of Korean authorities. There's more of that kind of context than one can shake a stick at.

I am one of those people – you can see from previous posts – that thinks the general reception that the Korean media gives USFK and foreigners is completely, unfairly biased. Yet, when I saw this movie, I was truly, truly not offended. I think if you see it, you'll see what I mean.

I've made a promise not to give away spoilers, so my ability to convince here with concrete examples is hampered – but I really think that if you watch the film, you'll see how layered and complex it really is with its critiques.

[Mark]

There's a difference, though. The Soviet Union was America's enemy. There's no denying that. They had missles pointed at the US. Their leader came to the USA and declaired that his country would stomp on America. America was attacked by Arab Muslims, and I'm not only talking about 9/11. I haven't seen a lot of Koreans hijacking airplanes and ships, so it wouldn't make much sence in showing them do that in a movie.

So why is America or the West in general almost always shown as being the bad guy? Why do nearly all white's and blacks in Korean movies rape Korean women?

Oh, and by the way, nowadays, nearly anytime someone wants to show an Arab or Muslim being the bad guy, they are forced to changed, whether by pressure groups or self-censorship. Take in point the movie "The Sum of All Fears", they changed the Muslim bad guys in the book to White Supremists for the movie. I read also where the show 24 has had to alter their plots because of pressure from the network, worried about angering people from the Middle East or Muslims in general.

So I appreciate your attempt, but I don't think it's a fair analysis. Russians and Muslims are shown in a lot of positive light in many American movies and TV shows. I haven't seen many Westerners or American's shown in any positive light what so ever in Korean media.

And let's be honest, all these Westerners that are mean to the Koreans are English speaking. No German or Italian or French. They're English speaking. They've got it really narrowed down.

But I forget, if you ask the average college student who the greatest enemy of Korea is and they'll say it's the USA. So I guess it's only natural that they'd always portray American in a negative light. After all, they don't need to fear North Korea or China; only the USA.

[Mark]

"I am one of those people – you can see from previous posts – that thinks the general reception that the Korean media gives USFK and foreigners is completely, unfairly biased. Yet, when I saw this movie, I was truly, truly not offended. I think if you see it, you'll see what I mean."

That may be true. My comments were not aimed at this movie, just the Korean media in general. Something I've wanted to bitch about for a while and finally found something I could react to.

[del]

"Some variation of "Die for Allah!" usually preceded the plane takeover, the suicide bomb"

I think you mean 'Allah hu Akbar'. If you are making a film about hijacking or terrorism, it would be pretty unrealistic for the terrorists not to be Muslims, and for them not to proclaim 'Allah hu Akbar'.

Why could the first scene not have included the Korean military dumping the toxic chemicals?

[bulgasari]

Having watched the movie, the fact that the USFK scene (which is a very clumsy, badly written scene, to be honest) happens at the very beginning helps you to forget all of it by the end of the movie. Everything after that involves potshots at Korean authorities, the story of a family trying to find their 'lost sheep' against all odds, and some genuinely scary moments involving the monster. You don't even remember the opening scene at the end of the movie - the fact that it's at the beginning helps obscure it.

[Andrew Kim]

Enjoyed your great review and comments. Just so you know, I happpened to read an article about this movie, that the USFK scene was actually based on a real incident in year 2000, where civilian mortician Albert McFarland, employed by the USFK, ordered his staff to dispose of about 120 liters of formaldehyde down a drain at Yongsan base. Their converstation in the movie (and even the number of emptied bottle) is also based on the testimony of one of the McFarland's staff.

Sad event... but I hope this scene doesn't rub Americans in the wrong way.

[GI Korea]

Andrew you need to read this link below:

http://www.usinkorea.org/2nd/environment/2000/dumping.html

20 gallons were poured down the drain by Koreans. The doctor gave the order but where is the responsibility of the Koreans involved? Plus Koreans regularly pollute the Han and other rivers in Korea and next to no one cares. The link has other links to other environmental damage done by Korean companies and the trashing of the Korean environment is so bad Lost Nomad blog has a Trash Tuesday post every week documenting it.

It is one thing to demand that USFK be held to the same standard as Koreans, but it is far different when Koreans demand that USFK be held to an incredibly hypocritical, negative double-standard to the rest of Korea.

It is not just the environmental issue either. It is just about every issue dealing with USFK and Korea.

[Andrew]

GI Korea, I couldn't agree with you more. Although it resembles the scenes from Japanese Gozilla movie being born out of nuclear leftovers from US Army camps, this scene is more "political" in that it is based on real incident.

Actually Director Bong Joon-ho confessed he's a little worried about the misintepretation of it. And I personally think that is why he purposefully inserted in the next scene a US Army soldier who sacrifices himself for Korean citizens.

Yes, Koreans seem bent on criticizing U.S. Army stationed here. But don't think that the silent majorities are never thankful for your efforts.

[Mark]

Yeah, it's just one more reason why I think it's just best if the USA were to pull out of Korea. Of course, this is consistent with my belief that we should pull out of a lot of other countries as well. Germany and Italy come to mind immediately.

[Philip Gowman]

Just to say many congrats on the subtitles Michael. The highest compliment I can pay a subtitler is that I didn't notice them.

[gordsellar]

Subtitles?

[gordsellar]

Ooops, I listened to the podcast. Cool that you did the subtitle tidying. :)

[Johnny]

I'm an American, and I find it funny how almost all Americans can not take the slightest bit of criticism from a foreign movie. This is a Korean movie, made primarily for Korean audiences, that fictionalizes a real event merely as the catalyst for a monster movie - but Americans just can't have that. They have to treat it like an attack on their country, coming up with factoids about how Koreans are more ethically challenged, incompetent, less environment-friendly, etc.

Everytime an anti-defamation group protests the portrayal of an asian or middle-eastern in an American movie or show, we roll our eyes and think they should just lighten up, don't we? Why can't we just lighten up?