The
Host is one of those deceptive films, defying categorization by
taking on
numerous genres and skillfully shifting amongst them to the point that
it can’t
reasonably be pinned to any one without the others.
Sure, it has action, comedy, drama, political
commentary and, of course, a monster, but these labels only give a
small
indication of what you’re in for. That
the highest grossing film in the history of South Korea could also get
American
critics panties in a wad speaks both to the universality of its message
and the
broad appeal of its genre hybridization.
The
film begins when a U.S.
military scientist needlessly forces a hapless Korean doctor to pour
dozens of
formaldehyde bottles down a drain which leads to the Han
River
in the heart of Seoul. The fact that they were dumped simply because
they’ve gathered a bit too much dust immediately announces one of the
films major
themes – the tendency of governments to overstep their bounds often
leads only
to shortsighted actions that spiral into uncontrollable destruction. The monster formed from this act, appearing to
be a bizarre mix of a frog and a Tyrannosaurus Rex with the mouth of
Predator,
terrorizes the nation while the media and military drive everyone into
a further
frenzy by playing off the paranoia.
What
at first seems like a postmodern retread of Godzilla becomes far more
interesting as it spirals further and further away from its pointed
though
simplistic initial commentary. While
Godzilla, the film and the monster, retained a direct correlation to
the fears
of the nuclear age, its limited scope prevents it from saying much more
than its
surface, humanistic message suggests. That’s
not to say it wasn’t an effective genre
piece, but The Host makes much bolder moves,
refusing to equate its monster to any specific real world
entity. Instead, its initial situation
is merely a stepping stone to a more damning critique of the atmosphere
of
paranoia looming over the world in these post-9/11 times.
Bridging
the gap between the personal and the political nearly as deftly as it
shapeshifts
from one genre to another, The Host
follows the goofy, immature yet somehow loveable Gang-du as he tries to
rescue
his daughter alongside his father, brother and sister.
The odd family dynamic makes for some
brilliant comic moments that highlight the film’s more dramatic aspects. How many films can transform a grieving
session into an outright wrestling match and retain its melancholy tone
even
while you’re laughing? This begins to
get at what makes the film so original and effective.
It never loses sight of the seriousness of
the situation, even in its most hysterical moments, and the deaths of
characters in the film are not simply shrugged off as the hunt
continues. The emotional weight of the
monster’s
destructive acts and the frustrations caused by pointless governmental
interference follow the characters throughout the film.
The
absurdity of excessive bureaucracy impeding the rescue of people
directly affected
by a tragedy immediately conjures up memories of Katrina, but the film
remains
ambiguous enough to speak to all cultures and the worldwide climate of
paranoia
created by hype-driven media saturation and overzealous governments. If it sounds like the film takes its shots at
the United States
recent foreign policies, it does, but not without putting a good chunk
of the
blame on the South Korean government, media, and even the public’s
misguided
notions of protest. At its core, The Host is about the devaluation of the
individual in the face of catastrophe in the modern world.
Not only does everyone, aside from those in
danger, overreact but they do so in a way that continually shifts the
concerns
away from human suffering and towards an illogical, yet almost
universally
accepted, fear of the unknown. While the
monster is the catalyst for the tragedy occurring in the film, it is
the
culture of paranoia that becomes the titular “host”.
Before
going too far and making the film sound deadly serious, I should
mention how
wonderfully it integrates action, and surprisingly impressive special
effects,
into the fabric of the film. Just as its
familial drama is enhanced by its perfectly placed comedic touches, so
its
socio-political commentary made both more digestible and immediate
through its
many thrilling action sequences. It’s
exciting to see a genre film deal with such complex issues yet never
remain
anything less than thoroughly entertaining. However,
unlike the typical monster/disaster film
(which I hope I’ve show
this is anything but), The Host
doesn’t use its commentary as a vehicle for an array of visual effects,
instead
putting its story, characters and social message first, which
fortunately
leaves plenty of room for the action and suspense to naturally enter in. That all of these elements are incredibly
well-formed and developed is reason enough for me to call this the
first great
film of 2007. The universality of its
message coupled with its effective balance of comedy, drama and action
makes me
more inclined to say its one of the best genre films in recent memory.
Cinematic
Reflections
