The Host

Title: The Host
Director: Joon-ho Bong
Cast: Kang-ho Song, Hie-bong Byeon, Hae-il Park
Year: 2006
MPAA: Rated R for creature violence and language
Date of Review: February 14, 2008

Korean cinema has been at the forefront of international cinema for several years now. The film that really caught my eye and put Korea on the map, for me, was Oldboy. I continued to watch the films of Chan-wook Park, and was consistently amazed at his incredible sense of style. I remember wondering why it was that so many American releases lacked this flare. Of course, not all stories are suited to surreal imagery and rousing electronic scores - but it seemed like other filmmakers could really learn a thing or two from Chan-wook Park about how to compose a great shot. Then I saw Memories of Murder - a similarly stylish crime thriller, which managed to infuse the beautiful cinematography I had come to expect from Korean cinema with a true-life story which oozed realism and heartbreak.

Sometime in the summer of 2007, I heard about The Host, the next film from Memories of Murder writer/director Joon-ho Bong, and I was incredibly excited to see it. The reviews coming out stating it was “one of the greatest monster movies ever made” whet my appetite even further, and led me to order the official Korean DVD of the film. I was disappointed to say the least. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I just felt it lacked something. Perhaps it was because I was in the middle of a Godzilla-stint and I was in the mood for a little more building-crushing, but I doubt that’s the case. Let’s just say I wasn’t ready for what the film had to offer.

So after several months of deliberation, I decided to crack open the DVD case again in hopes that my $20 hadn’t gone to waste completely. What I got with this second viewing was the equivalent of going back to your old kindergarten class to find that your teacher was actually a sexy minx, and you simply hadn’t seen it due to your (at the time) undeveloped libido. The Host is an awe-inspiring film experience, and it does so much more with the monster movie conventions than any Godzilla film has done in many years.

Telling a story at once epic and microscopic, satirical and straight-forward, it is on one hand the story of an irresponsible father coming to realize that if he really loves his daughter and his family members, he needs to actually do something with his life and try to make something out of himself. He needs to fill that void where fatherly responsibility has been lacking for so long. On the other hand, it is a story of the sensational paranoia the media is capable of evoking in people, as it refers back to a real-life case in Korea in which an American doctor ordered a Korean intern to dump several bottles of formaldehyde down a sink which he knew drained into the Han River. In real life this case was blown hugely out of proportion - he did something irresponsible, yet it turned into an enormous incident between the two countries. This incident is the catalyst event for the creation of the monster - which, in itself, is the catalyst for the coming-of-age story of a grown man who has spent too much time living the life of a boy.

It would be deceiving to say that the monster is not the most important part of the film, since it is a monster movie, and at its most basic state that is what drives the plot. But there’s so much more to the story, involving human connection and some unexpected yet very effective humor. The first appearance of a Korean soldier wearing a HAZMAT suit is one of the funniest moments in the film, as he walks into a room full of civilians and is clearly trying to look as imposing and authoritative as possible, before suddenly tripping on his own feet and falling flat on his back. It’s a simple sight gag, but in the rather bleak context of the scene, it works very well.

Since the film has been out for nearly two years now, the monster is no surprise - simply type “The Host monster” into any image search engine and you’ll be bombarded with images of what could best be described as a mutant tadpole the size of a bus. But the monster was never really meant to be a secret or a surprise. Unlike another recent monster film, the trailers for The Host showed the monster in full right from the start. Again, this just reinforces the fact that the monster is not the biggest surprise to be found in the film. The plot twists and turns, characters change or meet unexpected demises, and the writing keeps everything engaging throughout.

But that’s not to say that the monster is insignificant. Its presence is strong and there are some surprisingly chilling scenes to be found involving the creature. Seeing it disappear under the water of the Han River and then only a dark figure swim to the shore before suddenly springing from the water to grab an unsuspecting victim is an unnerving sight. And the CGI used to create the monster is great. The textures look real and wet, and you can practically smell the fishy stink of its leathery, amphibious flesh.

It’s great to know that not only can monster films still be made well, but they can be taken seriously. The humor to be found in the film does not consist of self-deprecating winks at the audience, instead adding a great deal of emotional attachment to the characters. The Host is a solid film, and one that can be enjoyed by both monster-enthusiasts and movie-goers looking for a generally well made, well performed movie.

9 / 10