Introduction
The film has traditionally been studied by various sciences, such as aesthetics, art history, philosophy, psychology, cultural studies, and sociology. Numerous books have been written about films, but paradoxically, knowledge about movies’ roles and social functions is still unconventional. The primary reason for this state of affairs is that, since its emergence, cinema has mostly been learned intuitively and haphazardly. Nowadays, it is customary to perceive films either as a product of the mass entertainment industry or as a way of comprehending the social reality of a group of film artists.
Sociology of Cinematography
If stepping back from the usual division of cinema, it becomes clear that it is related to sociology in numerous ways. The first thing sociology and cinema have in common is their cognitive function. As an instrument of cognition of social reality, a film can enrich society’s consciousness. For example, The Host allows its viewers to transcend the boundaries of the conceivable created by social norms of decency. The Host is a prime example of a movie that, despite its fantasy, addresses critical societal issues.
Sociological Themes in The Host
The originality of The Host picture lies in the fact that it does not lend itself to an unambiguous genre definition, combining seemingly completely incompatible elements of drama, social satire, and horror. The movie’s leading events begin with the fact that geneticists in a closed laboratory develop new types of weapons. By an absurd coincidence, some secret material gets into a river through a pipeline (Joon-Ho, 2006). A peaceful landscape turns into a bloodbath when a terrible monster crawls out of the water and starts to destroy everything around it and devour people. However, from the context of the film, it becomes evident that it is not a dinosaur but some creepy creature, the product of environmental pollution.
Social Cohesion
One of the messages of the film is to discuss the issue of social cohesion. Alone, the monster can destroy numerous people and cities, but only together can people stand against the ugly creature of the poisoned river. As a result of circumstances created by an American employee who ordered the discharge of formaldehyde waste into the Hangang River a few years ago, the creepy mutant sea monster drags Hypon’s granddaughter into the depths of the sewers (Joon-Ho, 2006).
Authority
However, the passive South Korean authorities, buckling under the U.S. military, instead of declaring a hunt for the monster, begin to hunt down people caught in the danger zone. In particular, they attack an escaped family who tries to save Hento with their resources amid inhumane government measures, outright lies, intimidation, and persecution of the population.
This component of the film carries the main ideological load and gives food for thought. No adequate measures can be expected from the authorities, and the family is the only reliable and robust unit of society. Only the force of invisible kinship and unselfish love can be enlisted to save a man and sometimes an entire city. The social and political slant of the picture is quite apparent. It is dictated by the desire of the authors to draw public attention to the criminally anti-people policy of the country’s government and the arbitrariness of the American armed forces stationed in South Korea.
Viruses and Conspiracy
However, the movie is not solely about a dinosaur and a family. There is a parallel storyline about a strange and supposedly very contagious virus. Everything to do with the virus is surrounded by a veil of mystery, as if it exists, but not everyone believes in it for some reason. Hence, there are protest demonstrations by those who disagree with restrictive measures like quarantine, masks, disinfections, and forced isolation of citizens (Joon-Ho, 2006).
It is especially valid in these times of a pandemic that society has been struggling with for several years now. Asians believe that viruses thought to come from Asian countries are caused by bacteria deliberately spread by American intelligence agencies to test on the people and animals of other continents, whose inhabitants they consider garbage. Unlike China, under American rule, capitalist Asian countries cannot talk about this openly.
Still, they carry it over in numerous films, and almost half of the Korean movies are aimed at denouncing Americans. That is why, in the film, soldiers instantly disappear when the monster appears, the hospital resembles a dirty barracks, and the professor insists on pouring waste into the river (Joon-Ho, 2006). The characters in the film encounter deaf and even active resistance from the authorities in their attempts to find the girl dragged away by the monster. That is why the military does all sorts of operations and pretends to catch a virus that does not exist. The film’s most iconic scene is the demonstration and the monster looking on from afar. This movie is symbolic from beginning to end, and nothing is unambiguous; it encourages reflection and the search for answers to societal issues.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that The Host is a poignant social legend about how a family of typical everyday people, drawn by the power of love alone, went through unimaginable trials. The four of them managed to do what the South Korean government and the heavily armed American troops were afraid to accomplish. Obviously, the real monster in this story is hidden not in the river but in the mutated minds and souls of those in power. This film is a real example of demonstrating the nature of epidemics and exposing the actual nature of American soldiers. It makes one think of the need for social cohesion and the need to confront global challenges in a relevant way.
Reference
Joon-Ho, B. (2006). The Host [Film]. Chockstone Pictures.