The Relationship between Magic and Technology

The film Jeon woo Chi: The Taoist Wizard, directed by Choi dong-hoon who also directed other successful contemporary Korean films such as The big Swindle, follows the story of a Taoist wizard who strives for ambition more than a sort of enlightment.  Through the magic he utilizes from his introduction to the film and the action sequences are all made possible with the technology available today.  One very neat camera technique was used to demonstrate how Jeon Woo Chi is able to break space and time by a series of distorted image use, camera panning, and editing.  Another notable and impressive sequence takes place in the fight against the two demons where Woo-Chi makes multiple copies of himself which is interesting how they composed such an elaborate scene to provide such an illusion.  and there are many more I have not mentioned and these special effects are no doubt the selling point of this film and it goes to show our admiration to such fantastic powers we know that does not exist.

It is interesting to note how old folklore are excavated and reformed into a modern film that appease the masses and the inverse relationship of how magic, an ancient notion, is being portrayed more and more realistic, as one would say, with the new technologies becoming available to film makers.  But out of all the magic Woo-Chi uses, the most prominent one I find is the ability to bend time and space, which is seen when he is able to interact with images to the extent of entering it, switching clothes with it, or taking food or drinks from it.  This particular section reminded me of cyber-punk elements where characters find themselves in a sort of virtual reality in cyberspace where they are able to interact with the images around them like Woo-Chi did.  And in a way, this space-bending interaction stays true even within our society today, with the use of internet and other media-involved technologies.  As one has stated in the past, an over-developed technology could sometimes be seen as equivalent to magic.

Lenin Amaya