Park Chan-wook - Making Fun of the Audience
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- If you have ever watched a Park Chan-wook film, you will have seen a detail on screen and wondered: why is he showing this? And just at the right moment: That's why!
We are used to thinking that good cinematography is a display of the most various cinematic techniques. And filming details is very cool. However, it rarely helps the story in any meaningful way.
Today’s question is: when is the right time to show a detail?
When you want to study the use of details in cinema, you can look at Hitchcock, you can look at Kubrick, but I think the greatest master of this technique is a director who's still making films: Park Chan-wook.
And there is one trait in Park Chan-wook's use of details that always gets me: tragedy.
Films shown
- Stoker
- OldBoy (2003)
- Jackie Brown
- Kill Bill Vol. 1
- Seven
- Requiem for a Dream
- A Clockwork orange
- Decision to leave
- Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
- Lady Vengeance
- The Handmaiden
- I'm a cyborg but that's okay
- Joint Security Area
Press the CC button to display the films titles.
Visual details are to cinema what the prose is to literature. You can have the best concept for a story, but it's only gonna be great if you work on your visual prose. Like with the Cekhov's gun, every element must convey a sense of necessity. Solid video.
Great comment! I didn't mention the Cekhov's gun Just beacause I thought someone in the comments would have done it. And so it was. Thank you mate
Oldboy is my favorite ever, but I liked the detailed hints in The Handmaiden better.
The Handmaiden is like a Hitchcock thriller with the epistemic depth of Rashomon
Heyyy I must say, I thoroughly enjoy your channel, and I find all your videos to be exceptionally captivating. However, I have a question to ask you.The Handmaiden is my second favorite film of Park Chan-wook. And I had written a long review for it on Letterboxd and also gave it a 5/5 rating. It holds a special place as my favorite film of 2016. However, I've noticed that on the internet and among some of my female friends, The Handmaiden receives criticism for its male gaze. I've always tried to explain to them that this perspective is intentional and adds depth to the movie, as it is a part of its thematic exploration. I am curious to know your thoughts on this matter. How do you perceive the inclusion of the male gaze in the film's themes?"
I don't think the male gaze is a problem in itself. It becomes a problem when it is the only layer in a movie, and if so it can fall in the category of pornography. The Handmaiden is definitely not the case. Why? Because there are many layers in the representation of lesbian sex in the movie, so many that abstracting only the male "gazeness" of it, seems rather dishonest to me, without trying to understand why Park Chan-wook even uses it as one of the many layers in the movie. For example, why no one says that all the male characters in the movie come to a terrible end? Their ends are not at all male gazeness. Ultimately "The Handmaiden" is the story of a double emancipation from the male gaze, control and violence (the two girls are controlled by two guys and they eventually become free). The question we should ask is: when the so called "male gaze" about sex becomes the simply the neutral display of pleasure between two women? Maybe exactly when the males disappear: in fact the last sex scene is not shown. During the movie sex is an instrument of power. It is stereotyped, and maybe this is the reason why it looks like a porno. But it has to be so for a narrative reason, not to please the male audience.
@@fforframe Yes, I also believe that it was intentional in portraying the erotic and fetishized world of the film. The characters sexual encounters are heightened to the level of pornography, but they are not gratuitous. Instead, they serve as a means for the characters to connect with one another and escape from their oppressive lives.
Lady Hideko, who has spent her life being used for sexual purposes, finds a way to express herself and experience something genuine through her sexual encounters with her female lover, Sooke. The sex scenes in The Handmaiden are shot in an intensely eroticized manner, but they also emanate from a place of love and emotional connection. The characters utilize the Lady's perception of sex as a tool to convey their tenderness and affection for one another.
The film's layers of pretense and deception turn it into a game within a game, and the sexual encounters are a vital part of that dynamic. However, they are not merely an additional layer of deceit; they are integral to the story's structure and themes. Park Chan-wook, a brilliant director, infuses every aspect of his films with meaning and purpose.
Among the multitude of themes woven into the film's intricate fabric, the portrayal of explicit sexual content stands out as a notable component, depicted through the use of pornographic texts and graphic sex scenes. In the initial stages of the movie, as Hideko and Sooki indulge in intimacy for the first time, the scene evokes imagery reminiscent of the artful yet raw elements characteristic of the pornographic genre. However, as the narrative unfolds, the intricate and nuanced depiction of their intimacy transcends mere physicality and paves the way for a transformative and meaningful relationship between them.
The extended sex scene in the latter half of the movie is a testament to this evolution, showcasing a profound and beautiful connection between the two characters that extends beyond the physical realm. Additionally, the library scene acts as a catalyst for this metamorphosis, providing a glimpse into the depth of affection and devotion shared between the two protagonists. Through this poignant scene, the audience gains insight into the characters profound emotions, understanding the depth of their love and care for one another.
@@fforframe And do you have a Letterboxd account? I would definitely want to follow you there.
@@gchudasamadarshit9111 yes, search for channel’s name on there
Really great video, brother. He is my third favorite director ever. By the way, what are your three favorite Park Chan-wook movies?
I'd say OldBoy, The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave. Thanks for the comment :)
@@fforframesame ❤❤
@@fforframe
Heyyy I must say, I thoroughly enjoy your channel, and I find all your videos to be exceptionally captivating. However, I have a question to ask you.The Handmaiden is my second favorite film of Park Chan-wook. And I had written a long review for it on Letterboxd and also gave it a 5/5 rating. It holds a special place as my favorite film of 2016. However, I've noticed that on the internet and among some of my female friends, The Handmaiden receives criticism for its male gaze. I've always tried to explain to them that this perspective is intentional and adds depth to the movie, as it is a part of its thematic exploration. I am curious to know your thoughts on this matter. How do you perceive the inclusion of the male gaze in the film's themes?"