The meaning of 'a nation' in movies
Sorry~ I wanted to write an article about this thing like two wks ago but due to my laziness and also a bit lack of time, now I am able to post this up.I happened to watch two movies a Korean movie, 괴물(The Monster) and a Japanese one, 日本沈沒(Sink of Japan).
The theme of each movie has some implications regarding what we talked about during the second session regarding the issue of self-defense force.
Koreans seemed to have stronger affiliation toward its nation whereas Japanese had the weaker bond to theirs. Maybe because of these different characteristics, the message these movies want to convey to the viewers were different as well.
KR movie 괴물 criticizes the inability of the KR gov (or all the public force)to listen to its people's voice. The gov does not believe the ppl and since they cannot rely on gov's help for the rescue , the ppl try to rescue themselves with their own hands.
On the other hand, JP movie日本沈沒 shows the jp gov's will and effort to protect its ppl from the disaster even while the jp archipelago is submerging. The movie seemed to convey the message of "the credibility in jp gov/public force.
As a viewer, apart from any consideration on one's nationality, one would have felt disappointment and distrust to KR gov in 괴물 whereas confidence and trust to jp gov in 日本沈沒. Do you think these kind of messages have something to do with some of the things we talked about during the session regarding nationalism?
I happened to read an article about the revision movement of JP's education law, which tries to emphasize education on patriotism, and it made me wonder what the implication of this would be.
Have u guys watched these films? any thoughts? ^^
posted by mayu @ 12:30 AM
2 Comments:
At November 19, 2006 8:51 AM,
Anonymous said…
hmmm. very interesting. I always enjoy what you write and think Dongin. I haven't watched neither of them, but I will^^ I saw the brief advertising proglams on TV,and i have some images on both though.
you made me think JP government is well aware of how poor his nation's love toward their country is. Probably, government is trying to encourage our passion toward JP to use them as their political purpose. I am sure if we are avdertised to raise up our patriotic feelings to JP, most of us would be contoled, easily.
It's easy to pull something that there aren't, whereas it might be very difficult to erase or restrain what already exist.
As long as patriotism work well to critisize own to make it better, or being interested in all those issues with foreign coutries to improve, i think its really good to have, but patriotism once lead lots of Japanese to die for the county by killing others from different countries. and still, i belive there are lots in JP who feel patriotism is something dangerous, something we should take distance, something make people crazy. This is why JP nations keep being cold upon all patriotic movement in other Asian countries.
I think we could have more love to our coutry in good way, but we need to be very careful to deal with it. We might not be able to control well with patriotic feeling(if we happened to have strongly) that should be a part of our identity.
I am curious why you are so aware of these isseus. You have the sense and the talent Dongin^^ I agree with your assumption that both movies, our new educational strategies and our patriotism have to do with each other. You made me notice and think. Thanks a lot for raising up your thoughts here. You are to be a diplomat, indeed.
At November 19, 2006 10:53 PM,
Anonymous said…
First of all, thanx for such compliment^^
We always argue on this matter, but in reverse, I thank YOU for paying great attention to my voice and thoughts and telling me your thoughts as well.
You asked me why i am so aware of these issues? the answer is simple.
cuz i'm interested in it!!^^
if you're interested in something, then u tend to think about it a lot and in that process, u come up with related issues and some usuful questions!!
i've been thinking about this a long ago, it's just that i had no particular person or group to discuss with.
and the argument u made there seems to be the issue of distinguishing patriotism/nationalism/chauvinism (which i think i've mentioned on my previous article)
patriotism gone too wild would be chauvinism. nationalism cannot be said either good or bad but too much of it would not be too good.
the one jp ppl worry about is chauvinism which was strong before and during world war 2. cuz of this disastrous experience, they are cautious on the revival of such phenomenon. yet some rightist or conservative style politicians think a bit more patriotism toward their own country is needed for the country's future.
the byproduct of such belief is the movement to revise "education law"
nobody can blame one's being patriotic but what's the use if such phenomenon is instigated by gov rather than feeling for themselves?
love toward one's own country cannot be coerced if done so, it's no longer patriotism but totalitarianism leading to militarist or chauvinist behavior.
in that context, it was worrisome to see a few teachers in jp being suspended for not standing during jp national anthem kimigayo(paying tribute to jp national flag). it made me think if jp gov is going too far as to force patriotism to its own nationals by law..
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