filmbore pick of the week - The Host

The Host (Gwoemul)

Director: Bong Joon-Ho

Screenplay: Bong Joon-Ho, Ha Won-Jun, Baek Chul-Hyun

Starring: Song Kang-Ho, Ko Ah-Sung, Bae Doo-Na, Byeon Hie-Bong 

Year: 2006

Language: Korean, English

UK rental release: March 2007

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It's been a while since I've talked about a film from my favourite country in world cinema, South Korea. The variety of output from this inventive nation may not suit everyone's palette, so lets have a look at a piece that can be enjoyed by all. Something for a Saturday night, something to make you laugh, make you jump, make you feel like you've watched something unique. And with the recent release of Pacific Rim, I thought this week, we could look at a decent way to attack the creature-feature, with The Host.

Gang-Du (Song Kang-Ho, Memories Of Murder, Thirst) is a complacent soul. He has to work at a snack bar on Seoul's Han River owned by his father, Hie-Bong (Byeon Hie-Bong, Lovely Rivals), with a slight reluctance. However, keeping a steady job in the family business keeps things afloat so that he can look after his daughter.

Hyun-Seo (Ko Ah-Sung, A Brand New Life, Snowpiercer) is upset with him, however. Because he's been sleeping on the job, he's missed yet another parent-teacher meeting at her school. Her frustration is fleeting though as in moments her auntie, Gang-Du's sister, is about to take part in a national Archery championship. Nam-Joo (Bae Doo-Na, Cloud Atlas, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance) is hesitant and slow, but is skilled with a bow and is arrowhead's breadth away from winning the semi-final. 

There's no time to watch the competition though, as there are customers waiting. Gang-Du attempts to deliver some squid to some hungry visitors to the park, when a commotion starts. Something peculiar is hanging from the river's bridge; something vast and unnerving. In a flash, it unravels itself, dropping into the water. A moment goes by, while Gang-Du and other bystanders throw food and drink into the water to see if it'll take the bait. But then the interest dies down. This is oh so brief, however, as just then the creature launches out of the river, onto the bank and begins its hunt.

Slipping and rolling through it's momentous chase, ravenous for meat, the locals scream and dash to reach for safety from the blustering beast. Chaos ensues, as spurious attempts to fend it off fail. Gang-Du is fleeing with the rest of the rabble, attempting to help some of the victims and retaliate with nearby objects. Yet, none of this can slow down the monster.

Hyun-Seo finally decides to step out from the snack bar, for some moments unaware of the calamity that surrounds her. In his haste, Gang-Du grabs her hand to lead her away from the behemoth in-chase. But with a slip and a bit of confusion, he loses his daughter, only to watch in terror as she's whisked away by this cruel visitor.

Distraught from the loss, but believing she may still be alive, Gang-Du cannot give up hope. Joined by his despondent brother Nam-il (Park Hae-Il, War Of The Arrows), along with Hie-Bong and Nam-Joo with bow and arrow in hand, he aims to find Hyun-Seo and stop the beast before its rampage can continue. 

Beyond the intro, with its blatant exposition, the following opening scene to The Host in particular is an impressive vignette. It encapsulates everything that this film delivers in eight minutes, summarising the array of flavours that will be served to you over the course of the movie.

This key scene also demonstrates some incredible filming. The timing before the big kick-off, with its light-hearted patience, is perfectly engineered. We're blessed with a wonderful tracking shot of our lead as he attempts to flee the predator amongst the foray, leading into an intense and enjoyable action-fest. Intriguingly, the cocktail of comedy and thrills in this opening gambit still has time for some seriousness and a touch of the dark, especially in its closing moments of the capture of Hyun-Seo. The screams subside, and silence takes over, allowing the slow-mo visuals to lay the spine of the overall plot.

There are some brilliant set pieces to be found elsewhere too. There are no restrictions in the delivery of some of the battle and chase scenes. Yet, the upstanding genre of this categorical concoction is comedy. 

The humour is well balanced, yet, not so much as in the amount of laughs opposed to the moments of terror, but with an equilibrium set between eastern and western comedy. A great example of this is when, just after the astounding first encounter with the creature, the family gather in the recovery centre and start to grieve over the recent loss of Hyun-Seo. Delicately shot, it begins as a touchingly sad moment at Nam-Joo's arrival, evolving into anguish as truth sets in, then finally, and surprisingly, over-exposing the emotions into comedy, as they all wrestle on the floor in an exaggerated fashion. This is a hard mix to get right, but incredibly, and thankfully, Bong Joon-Ho has managed it superbly.

There are still some obvious laugh out loud moments throughout too, that pierce the tension with precision, of which some of the credit must go to our actors. The cast are fantastic. A great collection of South Korean stars, they attack the script with gusto and really get into their parts. This is a great achievement, especially when considering the different genres at play here. They really hit the mark on the more emotional, touching scenes and get really into the rambunctiousness of the comical moments.

Stand out, of course, is our lead, Song Kang-Ho. A real star in South Korea, he was a clear choice as our reluctant hero, Gang-Du. Driven by his need to find his daughter when being such a poor father in the first place, you ride this journey with him: through his heartbreak and despair; amidst his drive to overcome this tragedy. He's an enigmatic performer in any film he is in, but I find him the most joyous in The Host, due to the spectrum of his portrayal as Gang-Du and his indomitable spirit as a strong character actor.

There is one final character that cannot be forgotten - the leviathan of the Han river. Our behemoth. Our beast. The special effects are decent and blend nicely into the movie in parts but aren't necessarily there to impress. Sometimes realistic for a genuine feel, at other times a bit more freeing with less attention to the fine details of its compositing, this allows for character traits in our rampant beast to shine through. This liberating method still leaves room to show off some interesting textures when close up, while allowing the animation of its movement to emphasis its persona.

It's interesting how its motion alternates too. Naturally, in water it swims with absolute elegance. On land, it's clumsier than a puppy clambering across a polished laminated floor. Then, it displays incredible acrobatic skill in using its tail to traverse and swing from buildings and ceilings in near silence.

The monster itself is a fresh design too. An aquatic fiend, with relentless drive but an unusual gait, it proves that you don't have to copy the many other critters that have littered creature-features over the decades, all the way back to the original Japanese Kaiju movies. With a little original thought, you can birth a being that stands on it's own (or gallops with a waddle as ours does!).

Without a decent demon, The Host would still be a great film. Yet, the addition of the craftsmanship in its conception, and the admirable treatment of its personality elevate this picture from "righteous cool" to "well deserved awesome". Other filmmakers must take note...if you're making a monster movie, then make a monster that works first!

Most people can enjoy creature feature, making this an approachable piece for many from the off. Yet, there is more at play here. Not only does its blend of humour from both a western and an eastern mentality to make it a refreshing laugh-fest, and the fact that it is a world cinema piece brings it more kudos, but it is fascinating to see how great it sits within its genre. Most monster movies just aren't as good as The Host. They're nowhere near. It takes the format, flips it, spices it up, throws it around the room a bit, sticks it on a whoopee cushion and slaps you in the face for good measure. Such a wonderful plethora of cinematic aromas is hard to ignore, and even harder to not enjoy. Highly entertaining!

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