Global film Flashcards
(28 cards)
What are Banjiha apartments?
Small basement apartments in Seoul, often lacking privacy and light.
Originally built as bunkers during the Korean civil war; became legal due to a housing crisis in the 1980s.
What was the impact of the Korean civil war on living conditions?
Led to the creation of Banjiha apartments, which are small and overcrowded.
Many people live in these conditions due to rising living costs.
What emphasis does the South Korean government place on education?
Promotes university degrees as a necessity, especially degrees from Western countries.
Sky universities are considered the most prestigious in Korea.
Define ‘Hell Joseon’.
A satirical term used by younger Koreans to describe modern Korea as akin to living in hell.
Coined around 2015, reflecting dissatisfaction with contemporary living conditions.
What is the Spoon Class Theory?
A social divide in South Korea between ‘golden spoons’ and ‘dirt spoons’ based on parents’ economic status.
Highlights perceptions of decreasing social mobility.
What was the Korean Economic Miracle?
Transformation from one of the poorest countries to one of the richest between 1953-1997.
Initially relied heavily on agriculture, with 40% of the population in poverty.
What are chaebols?
Family-run conglomerates in South Korea, supported by state-guided capitalism.
Examples include major companies like Samsung.
Define neoliberalism in the context of South Korea.
Market-oriented reforms aimed at reducing state influence through deregulation and privatization.
Includes eliminating price controls and lowering trade barriers.
How does Pan’s Labyrinth portray women?
Women are depicted as having little value beyond being wives and mothers in a patriarchal society.
Reflects the societal norms under Franco’s dictatorship in Spain.
What role does the church play in Pan’s Labyrinth?
Presented as corrupt and aligned with the oppressive dictatorship.
Highlights the church’s complicity in the regime.
What was the Spanish Civil War?
A conflict between the left-wing Republican government and right-wing Nationalists led by Franco from 1936 to 1939.
Resulted in Franco’s dictatorship lasting until 1975.
What is the significance of the film’s setting in 1944?
Set five years after the Spanish Civil War, during Franco’s dictatorship.
Reflects the ongoing repression and aftermath of the war.
What is the Pact of Forgetting?
A political agreement established in 1975 to avoid using the past as a political weapon.
Aimed at reconciling Spain’s historical divisions.
What is the Law of Historical Memory?
Passed in 2007 to revive the memory of those killed during the civil war.
Seeks to address historical injustices.
How does Pan’s Labyrinth modernize fairy tales?
Offers a darker, more gothic interpretation aimed at adults, integrating violence and complex themes.
Differentiates itself from traditional fairy tale narratives.
What challenges did Guillermo del Toro face in producing Pan’s Labyrinth?
Struggled to secure financing, being rejected by major US studios.
Ultimately produced as a Spanish/Mexican hybrid with a $15 million budget.
Parasite opening scene setting and decor
Cramped, overfilled apartment, dirty - reflects poverty, washing line and kitchen with boxes, rooms are multi-functional
sloping streets, window looking out so no privacy
comparison of the Banjihas to the Park’s home
Parasite opening scene Props
Scholar Stone - symbol in Korean culture of wealth and success, Ki-woo getting the stone and his obsession with it throughout the film reflect his strong desire for social mobility
Mrs Kim’s medal is second place, no success or never first
Mouldy bread - they have no luxury
their parasites feeding of free wifi and extermination
Parasite opening scene performance
The Kims close in on the pizza woman, pressuring and harassing her reflecting the ‘do-eating’ society of the lower class, how they work together and tear others down to survive
Ki-woo’s admiration of Min who is a uni student and the embarrassment of his home (avoids eye contact)
Parasite opening scene cinematography
Crane shot that lowers down from the street view of the window - reflects their physical level
Ki-woo is physically on the lower part of the slope during his conversation with Min
Crowded composition in the Kim’s home, often all in one frame together to show their closeness
Lack of natural lighting, artificial, green lighting that is dingy
Parasite opening scene Editing
cutaway shot between Mrs Kim waking up Mr Park from his sleep to tell him to do something then to the medal on the wall showing she’s the driving force in the family
A jump cut is used between the pizza woman counting their money to them celebrating expressing the importance of money and how they are rooted in capitalism
Parasite opening scene Sound
Ambient sound/diegetic sound of the street above them reflecting their lack of privacy
Non-diegetic score, building up of piano builds tension and inedibility for the journey the family are about to take
Ki-woo’s interview analysis
+ Make comparisons to Kim’s Banjiha apartment in the opening
Mise-en-scene
The cleanliness of the Park’s home, shoes off, abundance of windows, garden and greenery.
The wall of Mr Park’s successes, ‘Hit’s central Park’ - his success is dominated by Korean idolisation of the west and americanophile culture
Cinematography
Natural light and windows
Levels in the house and stairs, Ki-woo climbs up hills to reach the home, gated from the outside world with a security system
Ki-woo watches down at Mrs park foreshadowing future power dynamics, lines are physically shown as boundaries being crossed
Performance
Mrs Park doesn’t care about Ki-woos CV or experience only that he was recommended - nepotism
Pan’s Labyrinth Opening Analysis
Opening scene gives us clear exposition, the real world is blue and cold
Mise en scene
Imagery of the eye being a clear portal between the fantasy world and th real world
cinematography
Camera movement - pans up to the dark fantasy world (oppression) and up into the light - possible liberation
