When Bong Joon Ho accepted his Golden Globe award for the best foreign-language film for Parasite, he said something profound that would touch the hearts of Koreans, the millions of people who love Korena content, and anyone who consumes media in a language they don't speak.”Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films”
Since its September 17 debut, this show has gone on to become one of the top 10 ranking shows in the US, the first Korean show to do this ever and according to #TedSarandos, #Netflix’s co-chief executive, this show is now primed to become the most-watched original series on the platform! More significantly, characters and elements of the show are becoming the subject of popular memes and #TikTok videos and almost spurring a new pop-culture with political overtones!
The Front Man has the remote folks. Pass_Me-The_Remote reviews the show that everyone is talking about, #HwangDongHyuk’s Korean video-game-meets-bloody-thriller saga #SquidGame on #Netflix.
Seong Gi-Hun (#LeeJungJae) is a good man but a compulsive gambler and is stuck in a losing position in life. Loan sharks are pursuing him and his ex-wife is moving to another country with his daughter. A man who desperately needs a win. He signs up along with 455 other people crushed under extreme debt. All 456 willingly sign up to play a winner-takes-it-all series of childhood games. Spread over nine long episodes, only the game concepts are about childhood; the rest of the show is about a competition where losing means death! On the flip side, they are competing for a game where the winner takes 45.6 billion won (28 million pounds).
The show is visually stunning. The first episode has a pig-tailed doll that turns its head and spots the weak links . The effect is simply chiling ! The jackboots, hot magenta jumpsuits and the dominance of the primary geometric shapes - the circle, triangle and square make for a fascinating watch. Spoiler alert but if you sit through the first episode, the end of that particular episode alone is enough to keep you going through the rest of the show.
The childhood games have taken the meme and short format video world by storm. From Red Light, Green Light to Tug O War and game of marbles, the juxtaposition of the kiddish games with the sinister plot underpinning the games makes for a very pirmal, visceral emotion.
Then there are the political undertones that talk about the class conflict. Cinema in recent times has espoused this discourse with #ToddPhillips' #Joker and #BongJoonHo’s #Parasite showcasing the conflict between the rich and the poor. In the real world outside, the contestants beg and are humiliated but once inside the game arena, they are all equal with a chance of success. In fact, there is one sequence which is especially crafted to underline this theme!
The set design, music and production design all work very well to complement the drama and make it cant-look-away quality. The character delineation is what takes the cake though. Besides Gi-Hun, there is O Yeung-So, the old man with the brain tumour who finds an ally in the game, only to be tricked later. There is Ali, the Pakistani who has his own backstory of a suffering family. Ali is played by #AnupamTripathi. Jang Deok-Su (#HeoSungTae) plays the surly gangster with a gun tattoo on his face. And of course, the Frontman with a different mask, #LeeByung.
Watch out for one episode #Gganbu… I think this one emphasizes how we human beings behave when it comes to our attitude towards others when faced with the dilemma of financial rewards. It is a simple and brutal take on class warfare.
The last episode is a bit of a let down though. I wish the final twist was eschewed and the show let the viewers ruminate in their thoughts. The caucasian VIPs who watch the contestants from behind the screens are caricaturish and some of the dialogues seem amateurish. Perhaps this is intentional.
#HwangDongHyuk says “The year 2008 was actually right after my debut. That was a time when I frequented comic book stores. As I was reading a lot of comic books, I thought about creating something like a comic book story in Korea, and I finished the script in 2009.”
I wonder what makes this brand of spectacle and entertainment stand out though. Why are audiences across the world lapping this brand of spectacle and entertainment? Is it only the novelty of a new format after hours of lockdown inspired binge watching? Or is it the morbid fascination of watching the helpless fight each other for survival? Are we like the VIPs watching the show from behind the glass screen? Or are we part of the 456 hapless contestants? The jury is out on this one but my personal take is that the class conflict discourse against rampant capitalism will only become stronger in the post-covid world. Then again, this could lead to potentially violent conflict in the immediate aftermath, but perhaps this is how the medium term will see values like compassion and empathy gain much needed priority in our lives.
Truly a fab show. Did you notice the red and blue paper origamis they had to choose during the slap vs money game? I guess the ones who chose red were the soldiers. #spoilerforseason2