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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.

Summary
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 overtime causes mutations in the fish.

We are introduced to “slow” Gang-du, his daughter Hyun-seo, and his family just before the monster attacks the riverside. In the confusion, Hyun-seo is taken by the monster and presumably 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. Nam-joo and Nam-il escape but Gang-du is captured.

Nam-il traces the call from Hyun-seo and locates the monster’s lair and communicates the location to Nam-joo. Nam-joo goes to the location and is unable to attack the monster, but she has told Gang-du where the monster is.

The decision is made to lobotomize Gang-du to find the virus, as he has clearly gone insane. However, the American doctor admits to his Korean colleague that the virus was made up and does not exist. Gang-du manages to escape by holding a nurse hostage 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 Se-joo. However, Hyun-seo died during the chemical attack. The siblings take revenge on the monster and kill it, despite its discomfort from Agent Yellow. The film ends with Gang-du taking Se-joo in while a news report plays.

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 little knowledge of the event as well. 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 regular people.
 

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