Three “ecological monsters” in Bong Joon-Ho’s films

Abstract

As Parasite wins four Oscar awards at 2019 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, more film scholars and critics pay more attention to the South Korean film industry, particularly to the film director, Bong Joon-Ho. Regarding biospheric harmony, the director depicts “ecological monsters” in his works, namely toxic chemical waste, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and cruelty towards animals, and the frozen earth caused by global warming. By having a close reading and textual analysis on The Host (2006), Snowpiercer (2013), and Okja (2016), the research will focus on those films directed by Bong Joon-Ho, which represent the horrific environmental issues. Particularly, the authors will investigate how the three films depict the discourses of ecological problems. The results show how strong messages regarding ecological issues are represented in the three films, metaphorically and literally and become valuable lessons for environmentalists and film scholars/filmmakers. The Host depicts a monster made by “biological terror”, namely toxic waste, which is the real threat metaphor in real life and based on the actual ecological disaster. Okja reveals the horror side of the meat industry, particularly the ones with GMOs, and issues of vegetarianism and animal rights. Meanwhile, Snowpiercer is a story of survivors that portray the impact of global warming in the cold and frozen ear.