"Yuzi": Maybe it was wrong to talk about a pig

Icie 2021-12-20 08:01:11

Among the well-known directors in South Korea, Bong Joon-ho may be the one who combines independence and entertainment the best. Most of the other directors on Chung Wu Road are clearly divided, with popular commercials and independent niche groups. However, Bong's films are often excellent in content and do not hinder public appreciation. The bold use of new technologies and pioneering practices of international cooperation starting from "Han River Monster" undoubtedly pioneered Korean local movies. The most worth mentioning is that his film history can be regarded as a good film, without any stains, but in 2017, "Yuzi" has caused considerable controversy.

The biggest controversy in "Yuzi" has nothing to do with the work itself, but with its "begin". At that time, the film was participating in the selection of the Cannes Film Festival, and the focus of the controversy was the contradiction between the digital media platform and traditional theaters regarding the film's premiere time. France stipulates that all movies that have been shown in theaters can be watched on sites like Netflix at least 36 months after their premiere. But for Netflix, as the only investor in "Yuzi", this violates its membership-based on-demand business model and is absolutely unacceptable. This is the beginning of the tearing with Cannes, France. Therefore, it was also met by the chairman of the Cannes jury. Modova's anger. Even in South Korea, it is not to be seen. The three major theaters (CGV, Rakuten, and Megabox), which together account for 92.4% of the total number of screens in South Korea, refused to release the film on the same day as Netflix.

In fact, "Yuzi" is just a victim of the dispute between Netflix and Cannes. What is behind the controversy is the impact of new media platforms on traditional theaters and the constant commercial interest in the chaos. According to this non-artistic factor, the film actually won praise after the screening in Cannes, and the director himself was nominated for the Palme d’Or. But it is undeniable that if we use a more comprehensive and objective perspective to examine this movie, rather than just treating it as a simple and warm science fiction children's film - Feng Junhao's ambitions must not stop there - then "Yuzi" is still full of unavoidable flaws.

From the look and feel, "Yuzi" is very cute and easy to be liked by most people. I have to admire Feng Junhao's ability to control various types of movies, from small crime thrillers to large-scale science fiction genres. Watch his seven feature films since his debut, "Kidnapping a Dog at the Door", "Memories of Murder", "Han River Monster", "Mother", "Snow Country Train", "Yuzi", "Parasite", whether it is theme expression or lens language , Or structural narrative, both have strong heterogeneity. It is difficult for you to find two works with very similar styles. This is in stark contrast to the "cruel and obscure" in Kim Ki-duk's work and the "dark and strange" in Park Chan-wook's work.

But even so, if you carefully study the subject matter and visual rhetoric of Feng's films, you can still find consistent characteristics: both have symbolic meanings of one and the other, allegorical rich in meaning, and the observation of the real society and the bottom class. Almost all of his feature films can be found as a metaphor for "monsters", either pointing to alienated people, or to solidified classes, or to rigid countries, such as the killer in "Memories of Murder" and "Han River Monster" The mutant monsters in "Snow Country Train", the trains and perpetual motion machines in "Snow Country Train", etc. These "monsters" with symbolic meaning have been portrayed as spectacles, highlighting deep and sharp complex meanings and references to reality. And starting from "Snow Country Train", this kind of reference has gradually broken through his attention to Korean national history and society, and has a global vision.

"Yuzi" is also generally the same. The monster in the film looks like the giant genetically modified pig Yuzi, but in fact it is a food company owned by Lucy Mirando. In the context set by Bong Junhao, one of the two contradictory opposites is the idyllic and rural life represented by the girl Miko and the giant pig Yuzi, and the other is represented by the Mirando company. Western transnational business machines that manipulate public opinion and cruel animals under the iron law of capitalism where money is supreme. The so-called duality of "good and evil" and "weak and strong" is quite clear, and it is easy to get the audience's approval. Coupled with the two spectacular shows in Seoul and New York, the scenes of moving clouds and flowing water, chaotic scenes with elegant slow motion, soothing country music, I am afraid that few people think "Yuzi" is not good.

However, as I said above, Bong Junhao has greater ambitions. The irony in "Tamako" can be seen everywhere, except for the girl Miko, almost all the adults in the film have more or less shortcomings, even the "Animal Liberation Front (ALF)" that appears in the image of a justice messenger also shouts. While rejecting violence, they committed violent acts such as arson, planting bombs, and personal threats. At the same time, in the end, Miko used a little golden pig to redeem Yuzi, indicating that the poor (third world countries) also have to agree and abide by the rules of the game of the rich (capitalist world). On the contrary, it is more realistic than relying on force to be strong. . However, once a movie fails to fit the director’s ambitions, it will also lead to negative consequences. Genetically modified foods, ecological terrorism, and modern people’s indulge in brand packaging and commercialized shows, all want to say that everything is bound to "chew more than you can chew" and make the work. Flow on the surface, lack of depth.

More importantly, the ultimate values ​​conveyed by Feng Junhao in "Yuzi" are chaotic and untenable. As he himself said: "Today's money-centered society makes people feel exhausted. I think Miko and Tamago show us something that has not been destroyed at the moment." It can be seen that the core of this film is people and nature, and people. The relationship with animals. The problem is, you can promote a back-to-the-nature lifestyle, love animals, and don't maliciously harm living things, but talking about a pig will make the taste of the movie a little strange.

The primary basis for the advancement of our human society and the improvement of productivity is food, which starts from filling our stomachs. Human ancestors developed from gathering and hunting to learning to grow and domesticate poultry and livestock, thereby obtaining a stable and sufficient source of protein and energy to feed more labor. And our food has always been composed of plants and animals, each with its own nutritional components, and unlike cows and horses and other animals that provide animal power, the main purpose of wild boars being domesticated into domestic pigs is for food. What's more, energy is originally a cyclic process of swallowing and consumption. Every link in the natural food chain is destined to be one animal feeding on another animal. This is a natural law of nature.

However, "Yuzi" uses pigs as the object of speech, which is tantamount to destroying what has always been established in nature. In particular, it deliberately designed a sensational scene in the slaughterhouse. A pair of genetically modified pigs (couple) struggled to push their cubs out of the fence. The meaning below is "Pigs will be eaten when they grow up, how pitiful pigs are". We can skip the shark fin, bear paw, cat or dog meat, but if we can’t even eat pork — it can even be deduced from the logic of the movie that no animal can eat — such a value is Isn't it too hypocritical?

Including the so-called "dog lovers" in our society, it is true that dogs love dogs, but once the individual's feelings for pets are amplified for no reason, and therefore stand on the moral high ground, it will become very hypocritical. Dogs are animals, aren’t other chickens, ducks, fish, and shrimps animals? They may cry for the cats and puppies that died on the side of the road while feasting on steak and lamb chops at the table; perhaps they have never thought that the more than five hundred purebred dogs are based on human desires and likes and dislikes. It is artificially bred to the extent that many dog ​​breeds carry various diseases and endure great pain throughout their lives. Isn't this a sinful act of human selfish desire? Therefore, if "Yuzi" is only regarded as an adventure about a girl and a pig, then it certainly does not meet Bong Junhao's expectations. And if "Yuzi" is understood as a call to everyone not to eat pork (not to eat animals), then it will appear hypocritical and powerless. So... This is embarrassing, isn't it?

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Extended Reading
  • Roderick 2022-03-27 09:01:09

    Sister - Guanhai, sister - Emperor Chuan, capitalism is not about treating guests to dinner, and only solving real problems with money

  • Reginald 2022-04-24 07:01:13

    At least there is a lack of continuity in the subject matter, and it ended hastily with a blank face. And this pig, it still has to look like a pig.

Okja quotes

  • Jay: Translations are sacred.

  • [first lines]

    Lucy Mirando: [to camera while descending industrial stairway] Oh, thank you! What a terrific crowd! Welcome to my inauguration! I'm Lucy, Lucy Mirando, of the Mirando Corporation. Welcome to my grandfather's old factory. Now, I know, we all know, that Grandpa Mirando was a terrible man.

    [crowd laughs]

    Lucy Mirando: We know of the atrocities he committed in this space. We know these walls are stained with the blood of fine working men. But today, I reclaim this space, to tell you a beautiful story. Now the rotten CEOs are gone. It's Mirando's new era with me, and with new core values, environment, and life. Awesome.

    Employee: You're much more fun than the last chief executive.

    Lucy Mirando: Well, former CEO Nancy is my sister, but, uh... we're very different people. We have very different ways of being. We have very different business ethics. But she's totally ignorant about humanity. She lacks vision beyond her next round of golf.

    [crowd laughs]

    Lucy Mirando: The world's population is at 7 billion. 805 million human beings struggle with hunger every day, including 30 million right here in the United States. The world is running out of food, and we're not talking about it.

    Lucy Mirando: We needed a miracle. And then we got one. Say hello to a super piglet. This beautiful and special little creature was miraculously discovered on one Chilean farm. We brought this precious girl to the Mirando Ranch in Arizona. Our scientists have been raising her with love and care ever since, observing and performing various studies. And we've successfully reproduced 26 miracle piglets by nonforced, natural mating. They are like nothing on Earth!