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The Host

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The Host is a 2006 South Korean monster film that gives a body to pollution, similar to the Godzilla franchise, The film is also a critique of various controversies and mistakes of the government, mainly the United States.

The movie opens with a scene of formaldehyde being poured down the drain by an American doctor’s assistant. The waste ends up in the Han River and over time causes mutations in the fish. Gang-du, his daughter Hyun-seo, and his family are in their shop just before the monster attacks the riverside. In the confusion, Hyun-seo is taken by the monster and is presumed dead. The monster is the host of a virus and while quarantined, Gang-du and his family escape the hospital to find Hyun-seo, who they know is alive now. 

After unsuccessfully searching for Hyun-seo, the family heads back to the shop, where they notice the monster near the riverside and go out to deal with it. Gang-du miscounts the bullets necessary, leading to his father’s death by the monster just before authorities arrive. Gang-du is captured but his brother and sister escape and find the location of Hyun-seo and the monster.

The decision is made to lobotomize Gang-du to find the virus, as he has gone insane. However, the virus was made up and does not exist. Gang-du manages to escape and makes his way to the location. He sees the monster running away with Hyun-seo and chases it as it makes it way to the river, where many people have gathered to protest the government’s release of Agent Yellow, an American chemical weapon to take down the virus and monster.

When the chemical is released, the monster is incapacitated and Gang-du is able to drag out Hyun-seo and another child. However, Hyun-seo died during the chemical attack. The siblings take revenge on the monster and kill it, despite their discomfort from Agent Yellow. The film ends with Gang-du and the child from the attack eating.




Family Connections
Throughout the film, we see the dysfunctional family let go of their animosity towards each other and overcome personal obstacles so that they could work together to find and rescue Hyun-seo. Her father Gang-du rose above everything that was against him - judgment from family and society and mistreatment from authority figures. His brother Nam-il, who seems to be an alcoholic college graduate that is lost in life, was able to find "purpose" in doing what he could to save his niece. The sister Nam-joo, who is a skilled bow and arrow archer, faced many obstacles of cracking under pressure. Finally, at the end of the film, she was able to attack the monster with perfect timing. Their father, Hee-bong ending up sacrificing himself so that no one else in his family could be attacked by this monster. This movie was effective in depicting the importance of fighting for the good of your family. 

Anti-American Sentiment
The premise of the movie is based on events in 2000, where Albert McFarland, who ran an American military base morgue in Seoul ordered the dumping of formaldehyde down a drain. The waste ended up in the Han River and McFarland was convicted and given a suspended sentence. The film opens with a version of these events and the viewer is aware of the monster's origin before the characters find the truth.

There are many more satirical or critical moments of American involvement in Korea, including:The director makes it very clear the Americans are to blame for many things going wrong in the movie, however, the South Korean government is also a target of subtle criticism. Throughout the film, the government's search for the monster is fruitless, and the officers are happy to defer to their leaders or the Americans. An example is the scene in the hospital where the authorities turn on the TV to answer the crowd, as they are acting on orders and have been thrown into a difficult situation. In the end, the only people willing and able to tackle the monster are the people willing to go against both the American and South Korean government, largely due to the leaders underestimating the public.

A Different Style of Ecohorror Film
The Host is not the typical monster film. The monster is shown in all its glory in the first couple of minutes and is not the main focus of most of the film. The Americans in the movie are more intrinsically villainous than the monster, starting from the poisoning of the river to the covering up of the virus and the release of Agent Yellow. The Host is an example of how pollution can be used as a tool of a film, rather than its main message.
 

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  1. Introduction Tiffany Chung

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