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“Along with the God” and Korean Movie―A Study on the Cause of Success Based on the Visual Style of Death Drive and Life Instinct in “Along with the God”
Journal of Popular Narrative
2018, 24(3),
pp.478-509
DOI :10.18856/jpn.2018.24.3.014
Publisher : The Association of Popular Narrative
Research Area : Interdisciplinary Research
DOI :10.18856/jpn.2018.24.3.014
Publisher : The Association of Popular Narrative
Research Area : Interdisciplinary Research
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This paper analyzes the film styles and visual spectacles that are articulated with the audience’s ‘way of seeing’ “Along with the God”. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the success of the movie with regard to the problems of desire and impulse which are connected with such formal elements. The film consists of various sequences that turn the sinners in hell into inanimate objects. This dynamic intensifies towards the latter part of the film and stimulates a sense of anxiety in the audience. The protagonist, Ja-hong, is confronted with conflicting feelings of temptation or rejection of his punishment. As a result, he wants to return to being an inanimate object like the sinners in hell. The film provides a variety of visual styles that stimulate and induce his conflicts. The spectacle of death drive corresponds visually with the desires of the Korean audience that suffers from the reality of ‘Hell Jo-Seon(헬조선)’. On the contrary, the words and actions of underworld characters such as angels of death, kings of Hell and Su-hong are overly lively and are directed as living figures. The customary sequence/style of Hollywood movies that are being introduced in recent Korean blockbuster movies makes that visual directing more verisimilar. On the other hand, it also acted as a deterrent to the narrative completeness of “Along with the God”. However, the familiarity and déjà vu of the visual form caused by certain scenes can be seen as attracting audience response. Furthermore, the introduction of existing familiar styles restricts the possibility of the Jouissance that the spectacle of death drive caused. In addition, directing all the characters in the film do not die, and the dream of ending provides a visual reassurance that has led to the audience lives and does not punishment. It means that the viewer can stay inside the pleasure principle related to life instinct. This paper contradicts the general argument of the existing argument that the success of “Along with the God” is due to the successful application of elements of Sin-pa(신파). First of all, we have highlighted that Korean movies are not merely influenced by their content elements, but that this is a complex issue related to various factors such as the visual form, the desire and drive of the audience, and the surrounding cultural context. In addition, the style of Hollywood blockbusters that is introduced and borrowed in Korean cinema today leads to the a sense of familiarity of the audience and reveals the complex interaction with the desire of audience and reality of Korean society.
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