Okja (2017) - Analysis & First Impressions

Okja was directed by Bong Joon-Ho, and was released in 2017 during the Cannes Film Festival. I've heard that it caused quite the controversy due to it's connection through Netflix, and people actually boo'd the film because of this. It's interesting seeing the progression of what is considered "real films" as recently The Irishman by Martin Scorsese premiered by Netflix and was more accepted. The times are quickly changing!

The film begins with an inauthentic speech made by the head of Mirando Corporation, Lucy Mirando (portrayed by Tilda Swinton) setting the tone. She may be spewing claims of ethical care, but the demeanor and the gaudiness of the presentation behind her screams otherwise. It was an unsettling remark to hear her speak how countless murders and blood shed was performed right where she was standing. going on about how much care is going into the livelihood of these pigs, only to end the scene saying "they better be fucking delicious" really shows where her intentions are set.

The introduction of the film's protagonist began with an enchanting opening with very saturated colors, a lush forest, and a quaint family raising this super pig. It gives off a Studio Ghibli-esque sense of wonder and surrealism, similar to My Neighbor Totoro (Dir. Heyao Miyazaki; 1988).

An orphaned girl, Mija (Seo-An Hyun) is being raised by her grandfather (Hee Bong) after her own parents passed away from unknown reasons three years prior. This sets up a parallel later in the film where two parents lined up at a slaughterhouse have the intelligence to save their young child, allowing it to be adopted by Mija and Okja. That scene brought me to tears, understanding that those parents are moments away from death.

I really enjoyed the grandfather character. He reminds me a lot of my own grandfather, with the way he speaks and the little remark of giving her a chewing stick for the plane ride to America. It was obvious that he cares for her, despite her temper and stubbornness. My heart hurt for him when Mija continued to make a mess and run away. He seems to be very sweet intentioned, but with a rowdy child, disobedience is inevitable (perhaps not exactly to this degree). He knew she would hurt when Okja was being taken away, so he thought of bringing her to her parents' grave so she didn't have to watch it happen. His care showed when he couldn't buy Okja, so he used the money to get her a pure gold pig, a thoughtful and valuable gift. When Mija breaks her piggy bank as part of her stunt of running away, while she is focused on gathering money, he is trying to clean up the ceramic shards, telling her to stay back.

A common theme seen in Bong Joon-Ho films (or at least the 2 other films I have seen) is social class. With Snowpeircer (2013), the further back of the train, the less human you are treated. In Parasite (2019), the workers of the family are treated as if they are disposable. This theme follows through in this film, although perhaps a bit more subtly.

From small to big; the truck driver of the Mirando Corp obviously doesn't care for his job because he is underpaid and uninsured. With this, he has no hesitation quitting his job on the spot when things turn out to be above his pay grade. I assume it is almost as if working for a retailer. You can only care so much for minimum wage.

The Mirando Corp is a prime example of the wealthy class- and it feels very telling that Joon-Ho would use Americans as this example. One of the final scenes, when the twin sister takes over, she is shown heartless and extremely money driven. Kill the pigs because it will bring in cash. Save that pig because this piece of gold is worth more.

Money can and will make people blind to the inhumanity right before their eyes. And this is reflected in real life as well, seeing how Jeff Bezos runs his corporations, as one example. How Google provides company housing so a person's whole livelihood relies on staying loyal to their job.

I loved that the end didn't involve the liberation of the super pigs or any indication of such a thing was shown. It made the movie feel more real, in a way. It mirrors how the world works. You can save one, but it is going to take more than a small group of people to make a change. And even then, as long as the money comes in, corporations have no reason to slow down.

Which brings us into the ethics presented in the film. Although it features fictional animals, the construction of the facility was very real. I have read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, and have watched several documentaries on the subject. The depiction of slaughter houses are accurate. And to put this in a film was an incredible way to get people to see a reality they aren't ready to see.

Which finally brings us to the last point of focus: the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). They showed the fine line of good intentions with bad results. Them "saving" Okja in Seoul caused so much mayhem. Their credo of not hurting an animal or human is definitely circumstantial rather than a promise. A part that stood out to me was the leader going "we did not intend to harm you". The intention may not have been there, but harm was done. He went as far as beating one of his own team for mistranslating for the sake of their Mission. Flaws aside, it was clear that they were more trust worthy than those from Mirando. Seeing what happened to Okja while in the facility showed that they truly are fighting for a cause while bringing up the moral question of whether it was okay to put Okja through such suffering in the first place. It's the classic trolley problem: kill one to save four others. The answer is different for everyone.

Finally, the main character. Seo-Hyun Ahn did an amazing job. Her character was tough and persistent and didn't take any shit from anyone. A strong, young female lead that I always love. I love she is dressed in bright colors to remind us of her youth. Her stubbornness and selfishness also brings to light her young age. While someone as myself may have understood the Mission that ALF were trying to do, she, without hesitation, wanted her pig back home in the mountains where she believes they all belong. Overall, she is a strong character who's persistence brought her and Okja exactly where she wanted to be, with a new friend adopted along the way.