MovieChat Forums > Gwoemul (2007) Discussion > First 5 minutes are good, the rest is cr...

First 5 minutes are good, the rest is crap

posted 12 years ago by Redux006
9 replies | jump to latest

Only the beginning of this movie was intriguing and original. The creepy scene where the American mortician goes nutty over the dust and forces the Korean assistant to dump all the bottles down the drain. If the entire movie had kept this eerie tone, it would have been an instant classic. Unfortunately immediately following this scene, the film instantly degrades into a completely cliche cheesy slapstick "cute foreign film" type movie. The only non-Koreans I have met who liked this movie are those types who like anything foreign simply because telling people they loved it makes them feel worldly and hip.

[–] Tastentier 12 years ago

Well, now you've met another non-Korean (German) who loved this movie :) Not because it makes me feel worldly and hip to watch foreign movies, but because I like the social MO of East Asian people.

You have to understand that what you call cute or cheesy is the typical body language and social conduct in East Asian cultures. They didn't overact or perform slapstick, that's just how people in this culture interact and display emotions.

They feel equally alienated by Western manners and usually find Western people ill-mannered, rude and obnoxious. If you watch a lot of East Asian movies and then step out of the door in your home country, you'll understand why. We people of European descent really are loud and rude, and at the same time we almost act autistic when we display emotions like affection or sadness. East Asians are more polite and yet also more emotional and honest, and I find that very refreshing.

[–] Redux006 12 years ago

I lived in China for over a year. While there I saw a lot of movies I liked. I'm a big fan of Japanese film and have the complete Kurosawa collection. I stand by my statement, The Host sucked, and the only non-Koreans I've met who enjoyed it are those who think one movie somehow represents the entire Korean film industry and therefore not liking it somehow makes them xenophobic and racist. Which in a sad twist, actually makes you seem very racist. You do realize there are both good and bad films/people to come out of every culture right? One movie does not represent an entire people. According to my Korean cousin, the only Koreans who liked it are equivalent to Americans who like the Transformer movies, ie anything big budget. You seem pretty racist to me, using stereotypes like "cute" and "cheesy" to describe Asian people. Is this seriously how you view us?

[–] jschergen 12 years ago

I stand by my statement, The Host sucked, and the only non-Koreans I've met who enjoyed it are those who think one movie somehow represents the entire Korean film industry and therefore not liking it somehow makes them xenophobic and racist.

I feel quite differently. Similar to Bong Joon-ho's Memories of Murder, The Host fuses tons of genre elements into it's plot creating something very much unique (and filled with tons of social satire). For me personally, the film has tons of rewatchability due to the layered nature of the film. I also certainly don't believe The Host represents the Korean film industry. The Host is a very unique film that stands out from most all South Korean films I've seen and is more a byproduct of Bong's vision than the Korean film industry as a whole.

According to my Korean cousin, the only Koreans who liked it are equivalent to Americans who like the Transformer movies, i.e. anything big budget.

Contrary to what you've heard about Koreans reactions to the films, the film was quite well received. Not only was The Host nominated for a number of awards globally as well as locally (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Host_(2006_film)#Reception). In a poll surveying Korean critics, journalists, writers, and directors, The Host was named as the #5 Korean film of all time (Memories of Murder was #1). The list had been traditionally been dominated by Korean classics from the 1960s and 1970s, such as the original Housemaid and Aimless Bullet. Clearly, the film had a large impact in Korea beyond the big-budget audience.

As a side note, I also have several Korean friends that love the film (and no they don't just like Transformers).

[–] thorsail 11 years ago

I guess I'll just go with this thread,it comes closest to my feelings.
sorry guys,but...
I just don't get it.
.
A)I will say this, I DID like that the creature came out right "in your face"
at the beginning of the film,as opposed to the usual dragged out "whats killing
at these people/whats happening here" plot device of monster movies.
B)I thought the little sister was TERRIFIC -the role itself and the youngster that played her...when she got grabbed by the monster's tail when trying to
escape totally freaked me out-great scene. but-don't ask me WHY the monster
did that(put her down unharmed, I mean)
.
but that's it for me-I really don't get there was ANY humor in this,totally
knew the archery sister (the reason I watched this in the first place is
because DooNa Bae was in it)was gonna take down the monster at the end with one bow shot.
dunno-maybe I need a lobotomy too. I'll look into it.

[–] jschergen 11 years ago

Certainly not an unusual reaction. I've had friends that have had very similar reactions to you, finding the humor untraceable or simply too silly/ridiculous.

I had the advantage of watching this in a movie theater filled with a highly-involved crowd and have always found it to be a rewarding and very funny experience.

[–] Redux006 11 years ago

What annoyed me about the older sister character is how underused her archery was. They should have had her be more like Legolas in LOTR, letting arrows fly like crazy with precision accuracy, or one crazy difficult that shot she nails beautifully. Instead there is all this build up of her archery skills, then when she finally utilizes them the scene is very anticlimactic. The movie really wasted a lot of its best assets.

[–] Venus As A Boy 9 years ago

I second your post.

After the part you named "A" the movie bored me or was way too silly for my taste. I like horror comedy like "Shawn Of The Dead" or "Evil Dead", which I found already pretty strenuous to watch, because it had so much over the top silliness. However, I found the Host even dumber. It was just trying too hard.
I could appreciate the "hidden" remarks at the political and social ways of western culture and I think it was fairly to well done.
I don't know many Asian films, but I remember "Oldboy" and I loved that movie. I just looked it up and it also seems to be a Korean movie (director and actors are, so I assume it is ;).
It was thrilling, had some disgusting moments and was funny at times. I like awkward movies like that. But the Host wasn't that artistic. It just hadn't had the depth of Oldboy. Yes, it touched many genres, but it didn't connect them in an artful way. It all seemed so forced.

[–] Rena_Mahone 10 years ago

I agree, but the first 5 minutes were crap too.

Boycott movies that involve real animal violence! (and their directors too)

[–] ccoombs-1 10 years ago

I'm non-Korean and I loved it. Not every movie has to fit into the Hollywood cookie-cutter format. I liked the mixture of Horror, social commentary, comedy, and dysfunctional family drama. I don't want to see the archer aunt become a 'Legolas' sharpshooter, making spectacular shots throughout the movie. It is more interesting to me to see her miss, fold under pressure, until the final moment. It is more interesting to me to see the uncle drop the Molotov cocktail at the crucial moment. I wouldn't call that anti-climactic. It's more anti-climactic if she IS 'Legolas' throughout the movie because then there is no suspense or drama at the end.

The performances were all great, especially the young girl and her inept father.
The special effects were as good as any Hollywood movie.
The creature was interesting, unlike most western monsters.

It is nice to see movies that don't follow the same tired formulas over and over.
I love American movies, but it is nice to see something different once in a while.