Analysis of korean film and article
Length: 400 – 500 Words, double-spaced. [Please respond to BOTH prompts.]
1. Film to watch(Madame Freedom (자유부인 – Jayu buin) is a 1956 South Korean film)
Prompt: Given the fact that the protagonist Sŏnyŏng’s social freedom and economic independence depends on her work at a Western luxury goods store, discuss her “transformation” in relation to the concepts explained in Cartwright and Sturken’s article such as commodity fetishism, commodity feminism, the rise of consumer culture, and self-improvement. First select 2-3 examples from the film (an example can be a scene, part of plot development, a dialogue etc.) and do a close reading of each example by utilizing the concepts from Cartwright and Sturken’s essay. This prompt is premised upon the connection between her “liberation,” or her transformation from a housewife into a working woman, on the one hand, and various kinds of material goods/commodities (food, clothing etc.) and Western cultural commodities (music, dance, English words etc.), featured in the film as part of the narrative development, on the other hand. You have to have a good understanding of Cartwright and Sturken’s article in order to respond to this prompt. Please make sure you also cite briefly ideas from Cartwright and Sturken.
2.Film to watch (A Flower in Hell (지옥화 – Jiokhwa) is a 1958 South Korean film directed by Shin Sang-ok)
Promp: Mulvey’s article discusses men as active controllers of gaze and women as image, constituting “beinglooked-at-ness” in the Western mainstream films. How do her ideas apply to “Hell Flower” in terms of its portrayal of Korean men in particular? You have to take into account the fact that the masculinity of Korean male characters in the military camp town is compromised or diminished by the presence of the US military and their wealth and dominance. Korean men in this context represent “racialized masculinity” vis-à-vis American servicemen. Analyze Yongshik and Dongshik in terms of their actions, their relationship with women, their behavior, and their gaze, considering Mulvey’s ideas in the article. Your essay should be an analysis of the film on this particular topic, applying, utilizing, and revising Mulvey’s ideas. Please analyze 2-3 examples from the film (an example can be a scene, part of the plot development, a dialogue etc.). Please make sure you integrate a couple of examples from Mulvey’s article into your analysis. (Cite her by briefly summarizing her ideas, 2-3 sentences, per example.)
