“The Host,” directed by Bong Joon-ho, is a movie that is centered around the Parks, a lower-class family that attempts to save their youngest family member from a monster that emerged from the Han River. On the surface, the movie seems to center around familial bonding through hardships. However, the movie also heavily focuses on the impact that a foreign nation, namely America, had on unsuspecting innocent civilians through reckless interventions in South Korea. Throughout the past century, Japan and America have had a heavy influence over South Korea. Japan impacted Korea in its rule during World War II. Then, when Japan lost the war and control over them, Korea was divided in half, where the North was set to be controlled by the Soviet Union while the South was controlled by America. Due to the heavy uprising that South Korea experienced over the past century, native citizens of South Korea have been heavily divided on whether or not foreign influences should have such high stakes in South Korean affairs. “The Host” leans toward the idea that foreign influences, in fact, lead to further controversies among countries, which in turn harms innocent civilians. Bong conveys this theme through subtle nuanced details throughout the movie, along with the use of visual features, auditory features, and mise en scene.

In the first scene of “The Host,” Bong uses the positioning of the actors along with an allusion to a real event to symbolically convey the power balance between South Korea and America. In the image, viewers are introduced to an American scientist and a South Korean assistant, along with showing the laboratory that they are working in with a wide long shot. The set is designed with no windows and no contact with the outside world. Through this shot, there is a feeling of isolation and secrecy, which establishes a feeling of awkwardness and distrust towards the characters who are working in the laboratory. The negative feelings of these characters are further warranted by their reckless behavior of knowingly disposing of hazardous chemical waste to a sink that connects directly to the Han River. This scene is, in fact, a recreation of an ecological controversy that took place in the early 2000s, where the American military in Seoul dumped a hazardous chemical known as formaldehyde down the drain into the Han River. This allusion sets up the scientist as representing the American military and, in turn, the foreign influence. Also, by the distant positioning of the scientist along with the command to the assistant to dump out the waste, the scene is referencing America’s distant yet commanding presence over South Korea. Through the symbolic interaction between the scientist and the assistant, Bong is able to show the viewers that America has a strong presence over South Korea and that their reckless behavior is what created the monster that appears later in the movie.

In the second screenshot, Bong uses a form of dramatic irony to convey America’s method of control along with the helplessness of the citizens towards the presence of America. In the shot, the viewer is presented with protesters speaking out against
the yellow machine that is set to disseminate Agent Yellow among the population of Seoul as a method of controlling the population. America states that Agent Yellow is supposed to function as a countermeasure for the virus. However, the viewers
now realize that there was no virus in the first place, and was a myth spread by the government to control the population. The fact that the South Korean population
is unaware of this fact shows dramatic irony, along with America’s extreme control over South Korea as a whole. Also, even with the public outrage against Agent Yellow, its eventual release shows the people’s helplessness over the overwhelming presence
of America. This destructive gas being produced by America is once again showing a form of foreign intervention. By showing the pain to which the South Korean citizens are subjected once they inhale the gas, the viewers see the destructive and harmful consequences of a foreign nation with too much power.

In the third screenshot, Bong uses blocking of the citizens who are watching the news about the virus and the agents in hazmat suits to accentuate the helplessness towards the presence of America. In this screenshot, the camera is focused close to Park Hie-bong’s face, showing his surprise toward the news being broadcast on the television. Since the news is a government-regulated media, close to everybody who is being forcefully escorted to the hospital is inclined to believe each and every word. However, the knowledge that the audience has regarding the virus being fake only furthers the audience’s frustration on how helpless the South Korean citizens are when opposed to the all-powerful American government, characterizing the American government as being overly controlling no matter the method. Close-up shots of Park Hie-bong’s face establish a more personal connection to the citizens of South Korea. Then again, in the background are agents in yellow hazmat suits, watching and controlling each and every movement that the people make. This inclusion of the agents in the background is to once again show the overwhelming presence of America over all the actions that South Korean citizens take.

Even though the South Korean title of the movie is “Monster,” implying that the monster is the main villain of the story, the true hidden villain of the movie is America and their reckless, oppressive intervention in South Korea. The Monster could also, in a way, be taken as a metaphor for America’s destructiveness to South Korea, since technically, the dumping of chemicals in the Han River from the recklessness of the American scientist is what created the monster. Overall, throughout the movie, there are many scenes that suggest that America is the true antagonist of “The Host.” One noteworthy example of Bong suggesting the negative nature of American intervention is when the monster first emerges from the river. In this scene, an American attempts to attack the creature instead of fleeing. This characterization of an American is shown to metaphorically represent America’s unneeded interventions. Another example is in the office scene where Park Nam-il is betrayed by his friends for a bounty that was placed on his capture. This scene shows how America’s control over the minds of the citizens has even managed to turn them against each other. This toying of the citizens’ mentalities once again shows America’s destructive nature of South Korean citizens and their relationship with each other.

In conclusion, Bong’s “The Host” shows the audience the harmful effects of foreign intervention in the affairs of smaller nations such as South Korea and how their actions are unjust and will only cause further suffering for the smaller nation and its people. Examples of this include the Korean War, the Vietnam War, as well as American interventions in Iraq. All of these cases include America involving itself in foreign conflicts, causing more harm than if it was left alone. The anti-American message that “The Host” sends to its viewers relates to any large country in the world that is involved in foreign affairs and how it will most likely lead to further damage instead of help.