Masculinity in A Single Spark

In “Post-Trauma and Historical Remembrance in A Single Spark and A Petal”, Kim Kyung Hyun mentions that Jeon Tae-il is portrayed in the film as both a “mythical figure”, who “seems more like a regimented soldier or a faithful worshipper than an ordinary human with internal conflicts and moral ambiguities” (117), and a “masculine, working-class hero” whose masculinity is not questioned since he does not need to hide his identity in any way (111). Alternatively, I interpret Jeon’s character to be less gendered than the male or female characters of The Stray Bullet and Madame Freedom because of his lack of emotional conflict and his mythologized presence; therefore his mythical qualities render him without a gender because his actions do not constitute the behavior of a man who is sure of his identity within the patriarchal system, but rather the behavior of a heroic man different from any other man or woman within society. In addition, the film’s director, Park Kwang-su, does not let the viewer witness Jeon’s intimate interactions with family or close friends, instead Jeon is only placed within the public sphere where he interacts with coworkers, government bureaucrats and journalists.

Where Kim Kyung Hyun finds traces of masculinity, however, I find nonhuman characteristics which create a mythical instead of a factual character. This leads me to question whether any male character without an internal emotional narrative that is driven and does not question his motives is interpreted as masculine or mythical.