Ayushi Kalyani
20th Century History Through Film
Assassination (2015) and The Battleship Island: Serving the audience a taste of Japanese Colonial Rule in Korea
“The dramatic feature film, directed by the descendants of Griffith, has been and continues to be, in terms of audience and influence, the most important form of history in the visual media.” A declaration made by Robert A Rosenstone in his book History on Film/Film on History, as mainstream drama attracts a wide audience that may not be interested/knowledgeable in history but seek entertainment. Korean dramas are popular worldwide to have “the ability to elicit strong, immediate emotion, the emphasis on the visual and aural, and the resulting embodied equality of the film experience
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Unlike the plot line of Assassination, that engages the audience with recurring humor and melodrama shared between the characters, The Battleship Island focuses on struggle of the movement to make the audience to pick the side of the victimized Koreans and join their movement against the brutal Japanese. Beginning the film with the scene where a child labors in the mining factory along with numerous other Koreans and is forced back into a mining tunnel that was known to collapse due to the gas leak awakens a sense of anger towards the assailant, which is later further ignited as three kids try to escape the labor camp upon the instructions of popular Korean resistance leader Yoon Hak-cheol are killed by the Japanese soldiers. While one of them is shot early during the attempt, the other two are drowned to death by the soldiers who trap them in the net as they were swimming to their across the sea. There is conversation between the fellow soldiers where one asks the other “these Koreans are very annoying, should we shoot them and turn them off,” then he maniacally laughs as he throws stones at them (6:40). The military music plays in the background as they pull away the net with dead kids in the water. This scene dramatize the relationship between the …show more content…
While in Assassination, the General and the conglomerate are both killed and the traitor is also punished, In The Battleship Island, the Japanese leader and the traitor resistance leader are killed. Both the films show a numerous Korean casualties loss during the achieving the success and major characters that the audience have come to adore are sacrificed. This serves as justification for vengeance that drove the other characters to strive for success. Success being freedom from Japanese. The two movies, “persnalizes, dramatizes, and emotionalizes the past” to justify their perspective of history to the audience. It certainly provides the audience a glimpse to how Koreans remember their life under Japanese colonization and how they felt about them. John W. Dower writes about this experience in his book War Without Mercy justifying this hatred displayed in both the films. “Their government, commerce, industry, and agriculture had been almost totally taken over by the
This shows how complex Japanese and Korean interactions with each other are during this time period, because on one hand many people are experiencing extreme racism such as vulgar racism, while here a Japanese person is treating a Korean person with respect and kindness. This shows how nothing is black and white when interacting with people, however it can also be credited for this period of cultural rule and the government’s effort at assimilation with Koreans and Japanese. Kang Pyongju’s experience differs from Ulsu’s experience in which he did not have a close relationship with his business partner, however, the relationship he had with his work was subtle and affective racism where he observed racism and how it disenfranchise him and his people throughout his work. For example, he noticed that now the Bank of Agriculture now decided to let Koreans apply which benefited him and any other Koreans, however it has its flaw when the bank selected more Japanese than Koreans, regardless of how qualified a Korean is. He also noticed that although it appeared as if the salaries for both Japanese and Korean bank managers appeared to be the same, Japanese people received
They cannot freely and openly express their affecting to one another. If there strong passion for each other is ever known, both pairs of lovers will be looked upon in the midst of their families long and bitter feud. “From ancient grudge break to new mutiny…” (Shakespeare 9). “…my father was in the middle of a new row with my half-uncle, Angus Morton.” (Chrysalids 35). This illustrates the strained relationship
of this is the marriage scene. In the marriage scene of the play, Romeo and
It seems that evil is trying to succeed and it scares the audience that if this is happening in this play, why can it not happen in real life? How is such a couple united and bonded but at the same time filled so much
Koreans were under Japanese rule for a long time. It was officially signed as a colony on August 22, 1910, but Japanese had been planning this annexation from 1876 the Japanese-Korea treaty of amity. Japanese plan of annexation started with this treaty. This treaty allowed Japanese to come to Korean harbors freely and this marked the end of Korea’s status as a protectorate of China. Also later on October 8th, 1895, Japanese minister Miura Goro plotted the assassination of Empress Myeongseong. With the assassination, Japanese were able to control the economy and military power and made the Koreans sig...
Japan was imperializing late nineteenth century to early twentieth century. Korea was a Japanese colony. After World War II, the Japanese had to get rid of the colony. North Korea became Communist. South Korea wanted to be democratic. Later North Korea crossed the 38th parallel and entered South Korea. The United States answered by telling the United Nations to help South Korea. The United Nations did and they pushed North Korea so far back they hit the northern tip of china. China went into the war to protect their borders. At the end of the war they went back to where they were in the beginning. Neither side won. Between 1992 -1995 North Korea did many good things. It says on BBC News Asia that North Korea became involved in the United Nations and they agree to freaze nuclear weapon program those where the good they did but then there was a huge flood that created a food shortage this was also on BBC Asia. In 2002 it say in BBC Asia that nuclear tension increased in North Korea and United States. The North Korean communist nation controls the citizen’s religious beliefs so they have to belief in jushe which is a belief that they have to look up to North Korean leaders. The North Korean leaders make sure the citizens of North Korea belief in it if they don...
‘ Two households, both alike in dignity’. From ancient grudge to new mutiny’. And then in the middle of it all there is a pair of lovers. both from different families and backgrounds. The way in which the conflict and the brawl, which makes the violence.
Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, depicts an ancient feud ended by a pair of star-crossed lovers’ deaths. A lord and lady from warring families seek a forbidden love with guidance from a friar and nurse. Due to a tragic course of mischances and fateful errors, their attempt of eloping led the lovers to a tragic end. Because of rash decisions, the four characters are torn apart by miscalculating events and misunderstandings. Ultimately, the four characters encounter a heartbreaking ending, as a result of their hastiness.
The Author begins the story by introducing the scene since it will have great significance in understanding the many symbolisms he will be using later. Some experts say that “Although there is a situation, there is no plot” (Henningfield, 2002).... ... middle of paper ... ...
The Korean War was said to have started in 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea, but in fact in Cumings book he explains that the Korean War started before 1950 with Guerrilla troops attacking South Korea and also the South provoking North Korea which lead to not only the Ongjin battle, but many others. The film Welcome to Dongmakgol directed by Kwang-Hyun Park was accurate for the most part in depicting what was going on in Korea at the time and how other countries like the United States were involved in the war. In the start of the film the South Korean soldiers entered the peaceful village which the villagers had no idea that there was a war going on. In addition, the villagers were also surprised at the fact that the war was between the North and the South and not against the Japanese or the Chinese. The film was interesting to watch because the director had an interesting way of illustrating the conflict between the North and the South.
The three characters are consumed in jealousy for different reason. And the reasons for the jealousy of the characters contrast. But the jealousy of the three in the end of the tragedy compare because the jealousy becomes a means to the characters demise.
...y say that I was able to get a good overview of Korean history with a strong sense of knowledge gained. What I specifically gained was a better sense of Korea as a unique cultural entity with its own sense of excellence and its individuality. I have also learned that regardless of the hardships Koreans have suffered in this century, they have successfully endured every worst situation a nation can ever experience. From Japan's colonial rule to the heavy influence Korea felt from Russia's communist state and America's democracy, Korea was able to withstand all these instabilities and overcome to what may be a healthy and modernized nation. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who would like a broad yet thorough overview of Korean history because; this book is precisely written and sectioned accordingly to not make learning history difficult or confusing.
In the tremendous play of ‘Romeo & Juliet’, Shakespeare’s ways engages the audience straight away. The astounding methods he uses hooks the audience into the play and allows them to read on, wondering what will happen. The tragic love story of Romeo & Juliet, as mentioned in the prologue, sets a variety of themes throughout Act 1 Scene 5. Many of the recognisable themes are: youth and age, revenge, forbidden love, fate, action and hate. The main idea of the play is a feud that had been going on between two families, The ‘Montagues and Capulets’, the son of the Montagues and the daughter of the Capulets fall in love and the story tells us how tragic, death, happiness and revenge find them throughout the play.
Trust is important to love because trust is the foundation of love. Trust is earned by demonstrating loyalty over time. Having trust makes you feel secure in a relationship. It gives us the opportunity to share our emotions, feelings, memories, and oneself. . The presented model depicts how hurt Claudio is when he finds out that Hero isn’t trust worthy. The hurt and longing for hero is shown in the tears of Claudio’s eyes while the anger is shown by the act of Claudio turning his back to her. Hero passing out shows her sadness and confusion from all of the commotion. The out reached arm conveys that she is still longing to be with Claudio despite the fact that he doesn’t trust her. When hero passes it shows that having trust involves a level of vulnerability, which Claudio also shows is the play.
Two lovers destined to seek each others comfort, only to be hindered by an ongoing feud that in essence began before their inception. love is to lose the entire entity of oneself. There are times when one must choose a path that will lead towards sacrifice in order to achieve a greater acceptance of the reality that is life. Our life reflects upon the ability to understand the ongoing struggles of human nature. The late William Shakespeare truly understood the conflicts that occurred in the mind and body of man.