Welcome to ‘The Wider Screen’ a series of endorsements of films in the international sphere of cinema. In the past, I have been guilty of ignoring the potential of non-English speaking cinema and as I experience more international films, I can pass them onto you. Oscar Winning Parasite director Bong Joon Ho stated “Once you overcome the 1-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films” and in line with this notion, I hope I can do my bit to introduce you to some of the great international films that I have seen.
Whale Hunting
is the third film by legendary Korean director Bae Chang-ho, largely considered
as one of the most influential figures of the Korean Cinema movement. Whale
Hunting depicts a student (Pyong-Tae) who struggles to impress the opposite
sex. The 1980’s was a crucial point in the history of South Korea, with the
country going through severe mechanisation. All of this whilst moving on from a
dictatorship, Pyong-Tae and friends go on a journey to find meaning in their
lives. Whale Hunting highlights the worries and anxieties of Pyong-Tae, a naive college student who strives to find a ‘whale’ after failing in his
efforts of courting a female schoolmate. From Pyong-Tae’s own struggles comes
the problem of a postcolonial and swiftly industrializing nation. The film
represents a man going through a crisis of identity that is perfectly aligned
with his own country’s identity struggles.
A crisis in identity is not a rare thing at all, as we have
learnt from the world’s crisis in masculinity for many years. A battle in
coming to terms with what being a man really means is essentially what has troubled
people all over since the beginning of time. Pyong-Tae suffers from this same
problem in his own way. Korea’s past has been plagued by oppression and
therefore people like Pyong-Tae cannot solidify a masculine identity that is true
to themselves. From a Chinese invasion, to a Japanese invasion, to a USA
invasion. Each time Korea had to fight to stabilise themselves and adopt a new
form of individuality. The confusion expressed in Whale Hunting demonstrates
what the average male in Korea was experiencing.
We find Pyong-Tae at a formative period in his life,
frustrated with his lack of social skills he sets off on a ‘whale hunting’
mission. Not in the literal sense, but as it means in Korea – desiring things beyond
your means. An ideal placed on people to not get their hopes up in life. This is
not enough for Pyong-Tae as he goes on a journey to do something meaningful in
his life.
This meaning arrives in the form of a homeless man named Min-Woo,
a man who represents something completely opposite to Pyong-Tae. Even though he
is homeless, his life is fulfilled, Min-Woo acts outwardly, seeking enjoyment
in other peoples happiness before his own. Pyong-Tae knows that to complete his
‘Whale Hunting’ mission he must do good for someone other than himself, just
like Min-Woo. This leads him on a road of redemption to return a disenchanted
ex-prostitute back home to her family with the evil brothel owners in fast pursuit
to stop them. If Pyong-Tae succeeds his ‘Whale Hunting’ mission will be
complete.
Whether it is the buddy comedy feeling or the heart-warming
conclusion of Whale Hunting that makes it such an effective viewing
experience. For me, there is always something charming about someone who looks
past the limitations of their background and looks outside the box. Pyong-Tae
not only provides a stronger future for himself but represents a brighter
future for South Korea in general.
A country that previously never had the chance to create its own identity now blossoms as one of the developing world’s brightest stars. Whale Hunting was only the beginning.
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