Reflection on Reality

I was in Korea when Jeon Woochi came out in the theatres. It was screened at the same time as Avatar, which became the highest-grossing film in South Korea even till today. After watching both movies, I preferred Jeon Woo-chi over Avatar and recommended Jeon Woochi to friends who couldn’t decide which movie to watch. I found the fast pace, mix of past and the future, fantasy and the spectacle highly amusing, and overall it went well with my belief that movies should be entertaining. However, re-watching Jeon Woo-chi after a whole semester of EAST 313, I realized that behind the laughter, the movie was filled with criticism towards Korea’s capitalism and the increase of corporate power.

 As Chorangyi and Woochi walk the streets of modern day Korea, they are startled by all the light and technology. However what surprised them most was that there was no King to feed the people. To answer Woochi’s question, the priest-wizard tells him that corporates, modern day merchants, run the country and that they’re the ones who built the buildings. Then Woochi responds, “Merchants are corrupt fiends by nature. Yet you say they are feeding the people?” Along with his remark, we constantly see and hear news reports in the background about government scandals and corrupt deals behind the back. For me, this all became even more amusing after realizing that the president of Korea at the time was Lee Myungbak, former CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, and that the movie was funded by CJ, one of the biggest che-bol groups in Korea.

Even though Woochi criticizes such a state by saying that “Such a land is destined for grief and ruin” he does not seem to do anything about it.  He does not condemn the corrupted evils of the society like an action hero should. Instead, we see Woochi “materialize” booze, perfume and stylish clothes from the advertisements and enjoy the things contemporary Korea has to offer. He only seeks revenge upon the man who killed his master, and when that business is dealt with, he just lives on his life like the rest of the people, wooing his lover. Why did the director leave it at that? Why criticize with words but not act upon it? Is that also a reflection on reality?