World Literature: East Asian Literature Film Notes

2017190085 Kim, Joo Eun

Sweet Dream (1936) by dir. Yang Joo-nam
Characters
Major Minor
Ae-sun Chang-geon
Ae-sun’s husband Jeong-hee
Dancer
Opening
 The close-up of the bird cage represents the widely understood notion of the
housewife who is bound to the domestic environment
 Argument between Ae-sun and her husband represents the common imagery that the
husband back at that time looks down on the domestic housekeeper
Motifs
1. The concept of “new women”
 Considering the historical background of the film, Ae-sun wanted to become
one of the “new women”
 “New women” does not only mean that they are modernized in the fashion
and their appearances, but also actively seeking methods to fulfill their
desires and freedom
2. Clothing
 Clothing is one of the themes that demonstrate the change in Ae-sun as an
individual female
 Although she was keep wearing Korean traditional clothing, han-bok, she
later on changes into Western dresses
 This means that Ae-sun, as a “new woman” does not fear express her attitude
through her selection of clothing
3. Maternity
 Ae-sun has a daughter called Jeong-hee
 Although she is the mother, her first priority lies within the boundary where
she is trying to boost her position as a modernized woman, free from the
domestic environment and the role as a mother and wife
 Jeong-hee is the character that is consistently reminding Ae-sun of her duty
as the mother, trying to connect with her maternity instinct that is not so
obviously expressed
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Ending
 Ae-sun commits a suicide by drinking the poison
 When Jeong-hee and Ae-sun are in bed in the hospital, the background music played
shows a high resemblance to the lullaby
 The presence of lullaby has a strong connection with the ending scene how Ae-sun is
seem to be sleeping when she actually is dead from drinking the poison
 Also, the fact that the movie’s subtitle is “the lullaby of the death”, and the main title
is “Sweet dream”, it is as if the ending where Ae-sun dies claim that all her desires
she chased after were just part of the dream that will vanish
Mother and a Guest (1961) by dir. Shin Sang-ok
Characters
Major Minor
Mother Egg
vendor
Guest Housemaid
Ok-hui Uncle
Opening
 Cast names appear on the walls in the children’s handwriting, representing the
narrative from Ok-hui’s perspective
 Family introduction, and photographs are shown
 The opening suggests that the film and its main story line will be told from the
child’s eyes, Ok-hui’s perspective
Cinematographic Aspects
Narrative
 Ok-hui, as the observer provide innocent and honest opinion on the incidents
that are happening around her
 This therefore provide unbiased opinion on the social norm, for example how
widow’s remarriage cannot be accepted by many people
 Hence, the role of Ok-hui is to tackle the traditions and customs that were not
questioned before
Motifs
1. Religion
 Christianity is suggested as the religion playing the role of guidance and
standard in regulating the character’s behavior
 For instance, the place church itself provides the equal opportunity for
women to pursue the learning in religions area, but the seat is yet separated
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from men
2. The role of supporting characters
 The housemaid and egg vendor are represented as the characters who are in
similar circumstances, since the housemaid is a widow and the egg vendor is
a widower as well
 They were criticized by the people in the village but ultimately, they get
married
 This shows a contrast with the relationship of the mother and the guest, since
they couldn’t get remarried
Ending
 The guest leaves the house and farewell with the mother and Ok-hui
 The mother says that Ok-hui is the only one she has and therefore believes that
keeping the family is more important rather than pursuing her own happiness by
meeting a new husband that she loves
Madame Freedom (1956) by dir. Hang Hyong-mo
Characters
Major Minor
Seon-yeong Gwang-jin
Yun-ju Chun-ho
Tae-yun Tae-seok
Opening
 A family is shown in a small room
 There is a hint of the conflict since Kyung-soo who is the son is not receiving enough
care and attention from the husband (Professor Jang)
Motifs
1. Ballroom
 Ballroom is the place where the protagonist, Seon-yeong learns how to dance
and have opportunities to socialize with other people
 The dance is also the main theme that causes the change in Seon-yeong, as
she is able to enter the new social world where she dances with the partner
2. Western Cultures
 Considering the social and historical background, Western goods that are
imported were considered as “luxuries”, something that are worthy
 Therefore, the consumption of the Western goods was considered as
something that the high-class would do
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Ending
 The scene where the husband says to Kyung-soo that “she is not your mother
anymore”
 Possibility of showing the forgiveness by the husband, but in that case the freedom
The Housemaid (1961) by dir. Kim Ki-yong
Opening
 The scene where the family is together in the living room is shown
 The wife is preparing the meal, and the husband is reading the newspaper, reading
out the news article and talks about the man’s affair with the housemaid
 Foreshadows the affair with the housemaid
Characters
Major Minor
Mr. Kim Kyung-hee
Wife Chang-soon
The housemaid Ae-sun
Motifs
1. Rat
 The rat is representing as an organism that is unwanted in the household
since it is dirty
 The rat poison is used by the wife, but the housemaid beats him without
using the poison in order to kill the rat
 Hence, the rat shows the brutality and primitive features of the character,
the housemaid
2. Piano
 Piano is demonstrated as an object that is cherished by Mr. Kim
 It is the object that he enjoys to play as his hobby, but also importantly,
enables him to make money from piano lessons
 The housemaid also shows oddly strong obsession for the piano, possibly
representing the desire to belong to the middle-class, and escape from the
position of the housemaid
3. Desire
 The film is expressing the concept of desire in many ways
 First, it can be directly interpreted from the affair of Mr. Kim and the
housemaid, which destroys the family and result in the death of the
family members
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 Second, the housemaid’s desire to take over the position of the “wife” as
a woman is also shown
 She wants to intervene in the concept of the happy middle-class family, a
nuclear family in which they are taking care of each other
Ending
1. Bad ending
 Mr. Kim and the housemaid take the rat poison together and commit suicides
 Children die as well because of the housemaid
 The wife of Mr. Kim, even at the time when her husband is dying, works and
does not notice his death
2. Framed Ending
 The tragic ending scene where everyone dies then connects with the opening
scene and in the same setting, Mr. Kim breaks the fourth wall and directly
speak to the audience
 He conveys the main message that the affair should not be done, and men
especially should be careful of it
The Murmuring (1995) by dir. Byun Young-ju
Plot
In “the house of sharing”, six old women are living together. They carry out their
lives by farming, learning painting and han-geul. Simultaneously, they share the common
pain of forcefully served as the “comfort women” back in the colonization period. After the
war, they came back to their homeland but they were not welcomed. So, they had to leave
their hometowns and then living in “the house of sharing” together.
This documentary film also addresses how these women are deprived of the right to
live “normal” lives for more than ten years. The interviews carried out and included in the
film shows how they still have to live with the unhealed wounds in their hearts. The stories
they tell the interviewer, hence the audience encourage us to reflect upon the historical and
social context why the Korean women had to be sacrificed and still traumatized and
stigmatized in their own nation.
Significance
The film is the first in Korean cinema record that was screened in the theater
although it was a documentary. This film has attributed in increasing the awareness of the
“comfort women” issue for the South Korean citizens. In addition, through the success of this
documentary, director Byun Young-ju was also evaluated as the pioneering director who
challenged the limitation of the documentary.
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Ending
The ending shows the close-up of the body of the old woman. On the skin, wrinkles
are present, as if they are representing the unhealed wounds and scars left from the suffering
that the old women who served as the “comfort women”. The ending therefore provokes the
audience some contradictory feelings such as sadness yet a hint of relief, since the women are
finally set free.
The March of Fools (1975) by dir. Ha Kil-jong
Characters
Major Minor
Byong-tae Sun-ja
Young-chol Young-chol’s father
Young-Ja Police
Byong-tae and Young-chol’s university
friends
Character Analysis
1. Byong-tae
 He is a character who appears to be manly, and hence qualified as the “real
man” that the society idealize
 During the blind date, he meets Young-ja and grow feelings for her
 Being masculine in the appearance, but gentle in spirit
 This can be interpreted from the scenes where he goes through a series of
inner-conflicts when he doesn’t join the “cheer practice” and when the class
is canceled indefinitely
2. Young-chol
 Seems like he is lacking self-esteem and confidence, from the fact that he
murmurs when speaking and has never succeed any of the entrance exams
 Says that he wants to capture a “whale” in the East Sea, but also in his heart
 Falls in love with Sun-ja, but does not win her heart back
 Owns a bicycle that he regards as an “automobile”
3. Young-ja
 Very clever, she knows how to speak to someone’s heart in order to get
something that she wants
 Bold and open-minded, she says that “women have to sell themselves when
the price is at its peak, I don’t want to be the bargain sale”
 Unique since the characteristics of her go against the traditional image of
women in Korea, usually associated with “wise mother, good wife”
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Opening
 The scenes where males are going through health check-up for the conscription is
shown
 Detailed process of health screening and physical examination are shown: some of
them are disqualified because of their conditions, and some of them are praised
because they are healthy and in a good condition of health
 The scene where the males are running in line only wearing underwear is shown,
then the title of the movie is introduced (The March of Fools), showing a connection
of the opening sequence and the title
 Men are also smiling while they are “marching”, giving the audience an impression
that they are willingly and happily joining the army
 Opening sequence penetrates through the main theme of “conscription” and
“militarized nation” that the film is addressing
Motifs
1. Regulation on hair style
 Two protagonists, Byong-tae and Yong-chol run away from the police who
are trying to cut their hair
 Long-hair is censored because according to the police, “long hair creates a
feeling of aversion”
 Suggests the repressive atmosphere of the society
2. BGM
 When the boys are running away from the police, the music “Why do you
call me (Wae bul leo)” is played
 Although the scene is quite serious and shows the oppressive nature of the
society back then, the usage of this background music adds a hint of humor
and enlightens the scene
 The contrast is present between the selection of the BGM and the reality that
the movie is portraying
 The background music that shows a resemblance of military music is often
played
 It emphasizes the masculinity of the characters, for instance when Byong-tae
joined the drinking contest as a contestant from Philosophy major
3. Military Service
 Reflects the social atmosphere back them
 Byong-tae’s ultimate destination, as he joins the army and leave Young-ja
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 A unified standard in evaluating whether males are “real men”, in order to be

qualified to join the military, males have to be healthy and they can only then
go through the training in order to become more tough
4. Foreshadow
 When Byong-tae and Young-chol are taking a bath, their locker numbers are
13 and 4
 Byong-tae goes through difficult times that was suggested by the meaning of
number 13 considered as unlucky
 Young-chol’s suicide was partially expressed as he gets the locker number 4,
considered as a number that represents death
5. Whale/Dream
 “Whale” is something that Young-chol wants to capture
 Symbolize the ideal person that he wanted to become as an individual male
 For instance, Young-chol was disqualified to join the military, so he was
emasculated
 In addition, under the strict and oppressive father, Young-chol feels trapped
into the reality where he is not fully carrying out the responsibilities neither
as a man nor a student
 On the other hand, Byong-tae continuously says that he has “Byong-tae’s
dream”
 Dwelled in the safe side constructed by the identity of a student, he is
reluctant what he has to do or how he should react to the society
 Both characters, Byong-tae and Young-chol has their own dream they pursuit
Ending
1. Young-chol’s suicide
 He commits a suicide by riding a bike (which he refers to an “automobile”)
and fall off the cliff to the ocean
 Symbolize the character’s attempt to achieve his goal of “capturing the
whale”
 Possible reason for his suicide: Probably because he couldn’t capture the
whale by continuing the life as the member of the society. He hasn’t fulfilled
the condition for a “real man” since he is disqualified for the military, not
smart, murmurs and also not supported by the family
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2. Byong-tae joining the military

 Since the class is canceled indefinitely, he now can’t hide behind the shield,
the identity of the student anymore
 Although he does not commit a suicide, he does not resume to follow
“Byong-tae’s dream” and just join the military
 Although not expressed in the movie, his joining in the army probably can be
considered as a representation of the young generation giving up and go
through the process of “unification” under the militarized nation
3. Young-ja
 She said she can’t even be friends with Byong-tae anymore, but she packs
lunch for him and runs to the platform where the train is in order to see
Byong-tae off
 Although she was depicted as a character that goes against the traditional
Korean female imagery, she says that “Don’t cheat on me!”
 This shows partial conformation of her to the social norm, where women are
idealized as submissive figure
Happy End (1999) by dir. Jung Ji-woo
Opening
 Bora walking down the aisle of the apartment
 It is unclear at the beginning whose house it is
 In other words, the domestic environment that Bora is entering is something unusual,
since most of the female characters are expected to be “housekeeping”
 Love-making scene of Bora and Il-beom suggests the affair that they are having
Characters
Major Minor
Bora Seo-yeon (Daughter)
Min-ki
Il-beom
1. Bora
 She is a successful career woman, working in an English academy
 Married to Min-ki but continuously in the affair with Il-beom, whom she
broke up with when he was serving in the military
 Maternal instinct is not strongly demonstrated, as there aren’t many scenes
that she takes care of Seo-yeon (Ex. she even makes her daughter to take
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sleeping pills when she goes out and meets Il-beom)

 The character who is involved in an inappropriate relationship, but can’t
escape from it
1. Min-ki
 Used to be a banker, but currently jobless, which highlights the
powerlessness and loneliness as a man who doesn’t fulfil the responsibilities
as a bread-winner
 Takes care of the most domestic work including child rearing, laundry,
cooking and others
 Wants Bora to be a “good mother to Seo-yeon”  Such idea suggests the
selfless feature of the character who does not want himself a good “wife”
 He shows a soft-hearted side by enjoying reading the romance novels
 But later, when he figures out that Bora is having an affair with Il-beom
2. Il-beom
 Bora’s ex-boyfriend back in college
 Owns many pictures of Bora than she does herself, suggesting that he really
loved her
 Has a strong attachment to Bora, supported by the scene where he waits in
front of Bora and Min-ki’s apartment after Bora has an argument with him
 Due to manipulation of evidence, he is pointed out as a culprit who murdered
Bora
Cinematographic Aspects
1. Lighting
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 The above is the scene after Min-ki notices that Bora is having an affair with
Il-beom.
 Through the window frame, the audience can see the contrast between the
two protagonists
 Bora is sitting under the bright kitchen light, avoiding Min-ki’s gaze,
pretending that she is focusing on the taste of dinner
 On the other hand, Min-ki is sitting in the dark living room, gazing at Bora
who is trying to dodge the topic of serious talk
 Overall, the scene gives the audience the feeling of discrepancy and tension
2. Foreshadowing

 Black clothing that Bora is wearing can be seen as the foreshadow of her
death
 Also, as seen on the third scene, Min-ki no longer reads the romance novels
he used to enjoy. Instead, he reads suspense novels.
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 Such shows the changes Min-ki is going through as he is exposed and forced
to accept his wife’s affair with another man
3. Camera Angle

 The above is the scene when Il-beom calls Bora to come out and meet him so
they can have a talk
 The camera angle changes as Bora gazes Seo-yeon and vice versa
 This repetition of camera work represents the relationship between the
mother and the daughter, and as seen on the left screenshot, the baby is
holding two objects which resemble the keys and telephone
 The apartment key that Il-beom gave Bora led Min-ki’s recognition, and the
telephone symbolizes the affair as Il-beom often calls through the domestic
telephone, it also shows the inner-conflict of Bora
Motifs
1. Polaroid pictures
 The polaroid pictures capture the moment, which can be instantly looked at
 Bora’s smiles and other happy moments captured by Il-beom
 Thus, the photographs, when discovered by Min-ki emphasizes the loneliness
of the husband and highlights his powerlessness as a man who’s trying to
protect the family
 There is also a contrast between old and aged wedding photo of Bora and
Min-ki and the polaroid photos of Bora that Il-beom took
2. Novels
 Min-ki is a emotional person who usually reads romance novels, watch soap
operas and even cry when there are sad scenes
 A shift in selecting the genre of novels from romance to detective novels, a
change in Min-ki’s inner thoughts is represented
 The mystery novels also encourage Min-ki’s desire to destroy and murder
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Bora
3. Female desire
 Bora, who is a successful and confident woman who earns money and does
outside business show contradiction of hedonism and nihilism
 As she steadily builds obsession on the relationship with Il-beom, she can’t
escape from an affair
 As she is murdered by her own husband Min-ki, the movie is expressing how
hedonism is terminated by the futility of the affair
Ending
1. Bora and the funeral lamp
 After the scene when Min-ki burns down all the pictures of Bora naked, Bora
is smoking a cigarette at the balcony alone
 All the sounds are muted, except for the gushing sound of the wind
 As she looks down, the funeral lamp is flowing and when she reaches out her
hand for it, it floats up and disappears
 The writing on the lamp, geun-jo shed a light on her death and the
discrepancy that such object is seen in the domestic area like the apartment
emphasizes how Bora’s death is meaningless
2. Min-ki and Seo-yeon in the living room
 Min-ki wokes up from the nap and Seo-yeon is peacefully asleep next to him
 The overall atmosphere of the scene is very peaceful, showing the “happy
end”, at least from the baby’s perspective
Bungee Jumping of Their Own (2001) by dir. Kim Dae-seung
Opening
1. Wide shot of the nature
 The forest, river, cliffs and other nature background are shown
 The camera is not fixed, and it is as if the scene is taken by the bird, flying
through the trees
 BGM is also very calm and peaceful
 Overall, the scene is even vibrant, clear and cool
2. Raining scene
 This is the scene where In-woo and Tae-hee first meet
 The pouring rain leads the two protagonists to share the umbrella together
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 Emphasizes the coincide encounter

 Close-up of the facial expression of In-woo also suggests the meaningfulness
of the encounter on the rainy day
Characters
Major Minor
In-woo Hae-joo
Tae-hee
Hyun-bin
1. In-woo
 Previously, he said he doesn’t believe in the love-at-first-sight
 But after he meets Tae-hee, he falls in love
 Even after he becomes a Korean teacher, he is
2. Tae-hee
 Someone that In-woo truly loved
 Reincarnated as Hyun-bin
3. Hyun-bin
 Reincarnation of Tae-hee
 He is one of the homeroom students that In-woo teaches
 Has a girlfriend called Hae-joo, but realizes that he is reincarnation of Tae-
hee
Cinematographic Aspect
Overlapping
 The time difference of 18 years when Tae-hee and Hyun-bin were each heading to
Yong-san station does not only emphasize the presence of reincarnation
 But also demonstrates the true love that has overcame the time and the strong
connection led to the reincarnation of the character and finally achieve the love
Motifs
1. Destiny: It is one of the main theme that is emphasized by the movie, especially since
the film is shedding a light on the love that overcame age, gender and even time.
i. Rain
 The medium that connects In-woo and Tae-hee together
 It has a significant meaning in describing the relationship of In-woo
and Tae-hee. Especially when there were unexpected showers,
sharing umbrella introduced each other
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 For Hyun-bin, who is reincarnation of Tae-hee, also experiences the

rain when he is with In-woo
 It has a significant meaning in describing the relationship of In-woo
and Tae-hee. Especially when there were unexpected showers,
sharing umbrella introduced each other
 For Hyun-bin, who is reincarnation of Tae-hee, also experiences the
rain when he is with In-woo
ii. Lighter
 The handmade lighter that Tae-hee carved her face on it is
discovered by Hyun-bin
 After Hyun-bin buys the lighter, he oddly finds that the face carbed
on it seems familiar to him
 Indicator that he is the reincarnation of her, and the object that
contributes to Hyun-bin’s recognition of reincarnation as well
iii. Habit
 Both Tae-hee and Hyun-bin have a habit of sticking out a pinky
finger when holding the objects
2. Teacher-student relations
i. Three-legged race
 It reminds In-woo of Tae-hee how she counted the beat when they
were practicing dancing that she learnt in the physical education
class during Arts major membership training
 As In-woo hears Hyun-bin counting the beat for the race,
ii. Rumor
 Another obstacle that is threatening the teacher-student relation is the
rumor
 As teacher-student relation is tabooed by the society, the protagonists
encounter the conflict against the social norm
 Also compared to how In-woo was considered as an “awesome”
teacher by the students at the beginning of the movie, the writings on
the blackboard emphasizes the changes of students’ perspective on
In-woo and thus the fall of his life as a mentor
3. Homosexuality
 It is one of the main themes that the film is addressing but the film is used as
how the concept of true love can overcome the obstacles from stopping them
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 Considering the fact that homosexual relationship is regarded as the

“minorities” and “abnormal”, the director is suggesting that the true love can
take different forms
Ending
1. On the top of the mountain
 It is as if the scene where In-woo and Tae-hee were at the top of the mountain
was continued
 It was Tae-hee who said that even if they jump off the mountain, it won’t be
the end, but with Hyun-bin, In-woo says that even if we jump, there would be
no end
2. Bungee Jumping in New Zealand
 They finally go to New Zealand, which is the place that Tae-hee said “you
can jump off the cliff”
 The close up of In-woo and Hyun-bin holding hands show the strong
connection of the relationship and willingness to protect it as they jump
 After they commit a suicide by jumping off, the closing connects with the
opening scene of showing New Zealand’s nature
 Narration talks how they can “wait again” in the next life, continuum of the
true love only for each other
JSA: Joint Security Area by Dir.
Opening

Characters

Cinematographic Aspects

1. 역순행적 구성

Motifs

1. The bridge of no coming back

2. The puppy

3. The concept of neutrality

4. Pan-mun-jom

 Described as the place “where hiding the truth can maintain the peace”

5. Ideology Clash

 Courage to put down the gun in tense moments

 Soo Hyuk says “we’re enemies after all”

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6. BGM

 Music and artists play the role of creating a bond between the North and South
together

 In other words, cultural exchange accounts for the close relationship

7.

Ending

1. 사건의 재구성

2. Epilogue

 The message Gyeong Pil leaves for Soo Hyuk, a whistle

New World by Dir.

Mother by Dir. Bong Jun-ho
Opening

 The movie starts with the scene where the female protagonist is wandering in the grass
field

 Background music suddenly begins to play: The music involves strong percussion
rhythms, creating the impression that the scene is almost ceremonial

 The usage of music combined with the character dancing altogether creates

 The focus is on the female protagonist: Rapid facial expression changes (Ex. from smiling
to troubled look), covering eyes and mouth

 A sudden scene change, from the grass land where the mother was dancing to the scene
with the title shown

 She stares right at the camera, hiding her hand in the coat

Characters

Major Minor
Do-joon Jin-tae
Mother Ah-jung
Character Analysis

1. Mother

 Very protective for her son, as suggested in the early scene where she is using
the cutter but still fixes her eyes on Do-jun

 When he gets into a hit-and-run accident, she runs toward him right away

 She also confuses that her son is bleeding, but it is actually from her fingers
from the cutter  The shop lady says “I knew it! This is your own blood!”,
suggesting that she has been protective for a quite long time
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 Treats his son like a baby: From making sure he drinks the medicine daily, eating
well, coming back home early

 “Even if you killed her, you should deny it!”  Suggests the strong and 변질된
maternal love

 Even shows up for the funeral of Ah-jung, a victim of the murder

 Initiates her own crime investigation: The scene where she goes to Jin-tae’s
house and takes out the plastic gloves when encountered the golf stick with
lipstick stain is noteworthy  Since it suggests the “monstrous” aspect of the
mother to protect her son

 IMPORTANT POINT FOR THE DISCUSSION: Why is the mother not referred with
a name?

 Possibly because the protagonist represents the mother figure itself who
would go through any difficulties for her child, thus cannot be restrained into
a certain individual?

2. Do-jun

 Shows symptoms of autism, yet take the word “retard” very seriously  Possibly
due to the negative stigmatization of the autism and

3. Jin-tae

 A person of the character who provides fuel to burn the mother’s anger toward
the police and crime investigators, and all the other people who are trying to
take Do-joon in charge of the murder

 Very clever, since he turns the doubt of the mother heading toward him to other
people with few minutes conversation. He even sounds almost godly when he
says “You go out and find the real killer”

 Hence suggested as a character who is 여

Cinematographic Aspects

1. Camera work

The mother hiding in Jin-tae’s house

 The scene where the mother is hiding in the behind the curtains in Jin-tae’s
house

 The camera uses a close-up of the eye of the mother and shows

The old man witnessing the murder

 The 재구성 장면 is shown from the old man’s perspective

 The sight is not clear because it is shown through the dirty window of the
abandoned house  But it adds the realistic feeling and enable the audience to
be more engaged in the film, from the old man’s perspective
 Kim 19

2. 역순행적 구성

 The scene of a young boy holding a “Bacchus” bottle staring at the camera is
placed between the movie  Gives the audience an impression that the scene
doesn’t belong to the right place since there is no context given

 However, the scene connects later on with Do-joon’s account, where he

remembers that the mother tried to kill him by giving him a “Bacchus” drink with
the insecticide in it when he was five

 Such editing of the scene represents the fragments of the memory form Do-
joon’s perspective, where he experiences amnesia possibly from autism

Motifs

1. Golf Balls

 They are something that Do-joon consider as high-value goods

 He collects it and keeps them carefully, saying that he would give it to the
woman he likes

2. Acupuncture

Ending

 The background music stops, and the protagonists’ facial expression is not
shown in the scene as well, apart from her silhouette

 The atmosphere suddenly changes, right after she completes the acupuncture,
she dances as if nothing happened and joins the group of parents for the trip

 Here, the background music is the same music that was played in the opening
scene as well

 It can be interpreted as that the opening scene was right after she murdered the
old man (junk collector) and burnt down his shelter  Connects with the rapid
changes of emotions appeared on facial expressions

 Also, the fact that she has placed acupuncture can be inferred, as she is dancing
in the grass field, just like she did before dancing in the bus

The Truth Beneath by Dir. Lee Kyung-mi

Opening

 Background music: Someone (female figure possibly, from the voice) humming melodies

 The female protagonist staring with the blank expression, head slightly tilted upward

 Wind is blowing strongly

 Soon changes to the scene of the driving car on the road, with the voice of a news
announcer explaining the news about the election

 The scene of cooking is inter-spliced-the camera moves to the space of someone’s house
 Kim 20

Characters

Major Minor
Kim Jong-chan Noh Jae-soon
Kim Min-jin Choi Mi-ok
Yeon-hong
Character Analysis

1. Jong-chan

 A politician running for the election

 Stands up for his wife and daughter, Min-jin when they get insulted by his
supporters for the election

 Does not use honorific language to the 형사 s who came to investigate the
disappearance of his own daughter: Suggests that he is a typical patriarchal and
ambitious person who wants to gain power. He even uses his own daughter for
his political fame

 On contrary, he uses a strong accent of dialect when giving the speech to his
supporters

2. Min-jin

 The daughter of Jong-chan and his wife

 She is seen as a “troublemaker” (Ex. goes clubbing which was captured in the
photographs and been on the newspaper), already has experience of running
away from home for a few times

 Disappears after she said that she would meet her friend “Ja-hye” for her Art
assignment

 Later revealed that she was being bullied, as an outsider in the school

3. Yeon-hong

 Usually wearing the jacket for the election, and the face of daughter Min-jin on
the back of it since she went missing

 Portrayed as a female figure who progressively turns into a monstrous figure

who aims for the revenge

 As she finds out that Jong-chan’s cruelty and how he killed Min-jin, she resorts
that letting him live is the cruellest way of taking a revenge

Cinematographic Aspects

Visual Techniques

 The scene where the daughter sits on the swing and leaves to meet her friend,
taken from the wide shot soon turns into the scene where it starts to rain

 Shows the time change, from early afternoon to night

 Kim 21

 Foreshadowing as the daughter cheerfully hops and leaves outside the camera
angle and the black car comes in: Contrast between the bright atmosphere of
peaceful afternoon and rainy, dark night

 The creaking sounds that swing chair makes is playing a role of foreshadow as
well, since the camera uses the close-up of the empty swing chair after she
leaves

Motifs

1. Dialect

 The characters use the dialect, except for the female protagonist who is
considered as a person from “Jeon la-do”: This fact was concealed by her
husband, Jong-chan

 Others characters around her all use strong Kyong-ki dialect accent, which
reinforce the impression of marginalization for the female protagonist who
doesn’t use any dialect although she comes from the area where people use one

2. Flower Patterns

 Throughout the movie, flower patterns can be found in Yeon-hong’s clothes (Ex.
Dress that she was wearing in Min-jin’s funeral) wallpaper, and other fabric

 Flower patterns start to appear in the film as Yeon-hong starts to investigate on

the murder case of Min-jin on her own: Possibly suggesting that the true color
of her as the mother and also a female individual was hidden by other
oppressions (Ex. Wife of an election candidate, wealthy housewife)

3. Revenge

 One of the main themes that the film addresses is revenge

 It can be taken into account by two different parts:

1) Revenge of Yeon-hong: As a wife of Jong-chan and mother of Min-jin, it

seemed like she was a bridge that connected her husband and daughter
together to create a happy family. However, she only recognizes as the
movie progresses that she really knew nothing about her family.

2) Revenge of Mi-ok: She is a best friend of Min-jin, therefore she cannot

forgive how their arts teacher, Sora from the fact that she was in an affair
with Min-jin’s father.

 From the revenges of these two female characters, one significant commonality
can be found-that they both use “violence” as the main method when taking
revenge.

Ending

 Yeon-hong does not murder Jong-chan, but she still sends No Sun-jae, his opponent the
videoclip of Sora and him having an affair

 One can interpret that Yeon-hong is having mercy on Jong-chan because she doesn’t kill
 Kim 22

him even if she could, but from the fact that she complete destructs his life as a member
of a legislative council still accounts her attempt for the revenge

 Yeon-hong lies down on the “Wild rose hill” (also the place where Min-jin’s dead body
was found), and meet Mi-ok-where they both hug each other and cry

 This scene, plays a role of epilogue since two female protagonists. It’s because the scene
finally puts a stop on these women’s anger and demonstrate what heals their wounds is
feeling sympathy for each other as same “females”
 Kim 23

The Bacchus Lady by Dir. Lee J-yong

Opening

 Background music of 복고풍 music is being played

 The scene of a female protagonist going to the 산부인과, then a young boy is captured
in the camera as he is waiting for his mother

Characters

Major Minor
Yoon So-young Do-hoon
Min-ho Tina
Character Analysis

Yoon So-young

 An old lady who used to work in the U.S. military camp

 Earns the living by prostitution for old men (also known as the “Bacchus lady”)

 Has a son and sends him his tuition fee from the money earned from
prostitution

 Meets Min-ho who is half Korean and half Philippine and takes care of him

 She first helps Mr. Song, who used to be her old customer to end his life, by
making him drink the insecticide

 Then she becomes the woman who “helps” to die, for those people who want to
end their lives

Characters Suggesting the Social Minorities

Min-ho

 A child born between a Filipino mother and Korean fatherAn example of

“Kopino”

Do-hoon

 Works as a figure maker

 He has lost his right leg below the knee

Tina

 A transgender woman who works at the bar

Motifs

1. Prostitution

 One of the main themes that is addressed in the movie

 Associated with the female characters in the movie, for instance So-young used
to prostitute for American Soldiers, and also for old men later. Tina, a
 Kim 24

transgender woman also works at the transgender bar

2. Death

 The concept of “death” is also highly connected with deeper social issues in
Korean society

 For instance, the old population, despite the fact that they have families (children
and even grandchildren) suffer from loneliness and it seems like nobody cares
about their deaths

 The issue of dying alone (go dok sa) is indicated as a common social issue

 The key point is that death is portrayed as something not fearful, but something
that people are desiring because they simply do not want to live anymore

3. “Kopino”

 Min-ho, the young boy who is born between a Filipino mother and a Korean
father is an example of “Kopino”

 He further suggests the issue of Korean men involved in prostitution and

neglecting the Filipino women and children who are born

Ending

 So-young goes to the jail and ends her life there as well

 The last scene shows the columbarium of the remains without any connections

 There are only few words written on her box, her name, the place she dies (the location
of the jail) and how she has no families or friends

 The scene also has no background music, provoking vain and empty feelings from the
audience  It does not signify So-young’s death

Alice In Earnestland by Dir. Ahn Guk-jin

Opening

 Female protagonist, Su-nam riding a motorcycle on the road

 The sound of motorcycle engine feels the background noise

 Possibly representing how she has pushed herself to keep move forward throughout her
whole life, as she was being “earnest”

Characters

Major Minor
Su-nam
 Kim 25

Character Analysis

1. Su-nam

A wedding is a promise, but a house is a vow

2.

Cinematographic Aspects

역순행적 구성

Visual Technology-Surrealistic Portrayal

Background Music

 Muted where there is a scene Gyu-jung (Su-nam’s husband)’s fingers are cut off

Motifs

1. Happiness/House

2. House/Monetary Values

Ending

Punch by Dir. Lee Han

Opening

Characters

Major Minor
Wan Deuk Father
Dong Joo Min Koo
Lee Suk Hee
Character Analysis

1. Wan Deuk

 Seen as a trouble-maker in the school

 Lives with his father and uncle Min Koo

 Later realizes that his mother is a Filipino

 Although the way he acts and speaks seem very wild, he is a soft person:

 From the scene when he sees the shoes that his mother is wearing and later
buys a new pair of shoes for her

 From the fact that he plans out the trip so his mother and father can reunite
and have a talk

 Visits his homeroom teacher Dong Joo when he gets arrested

2. Dong Joo (“Dung Zoo”)

 He is a homeroom teacher of Wan Deuk’s class

 Kim 26

 He is very different from the widely known concept of a “teacher”:

 He does not emphasize his authority as a teacher

 Mainly, he acts like student-teacher relationship is not distant

 This is shown from his use of foul languages when talking to students and other
behaviors that demonstrate how he genuinely cares for his students, including
Wan Deuk

Cinematographic Aspects

1. Use of Monologue

2. Use of first point perspective camera angle

Motifs

Ending