How Bong Joon Ho Crafted His First (Mostly) Happy Ending

by

Director Bong Joon Ho sees himself as an optimist, despite his work’s darker themes not always appearing so. As he explained through translator Sharon Choi, “Ignoring the grim reality and sweeping it under the rug isn’t effective. Instead, one must vividly depict the bleakness of our world to truly understand it. That’s the essence of optimism – no matter how small, I believe that’s the way forward.” This philosophy has given us a collection of films with some of the most hauntingly bittersweet conclusions this millennium, such as an aging detective grappling with one last confounding case and two children discovering Earth has survived an apocalypse. Bong’s characters aren’t traditional heroes; they are ordinary people struggling to dodge being crushed by the indifferent systems they must live within. This struggle is perhaps most evident in his latest film, “Mickey 17“, where Robert Pattinson plays Mickey Barnes, a gentle yet simple-minded individual who serves as a human lubricant in the machinery of space colonization.

In this novel by Edward Ashton from 2022, titled “Bong,” Mickey is repeatedly sent on perilous missions to a frozen planet called Niflheim as part of an interplanetary colonization project. Each time he dies due to testing alien atmosphere or radiation exposure during space walks, he’s reborn in a printing machine, only to face more danger. This constant cycle of death and rebirth creates a darkly amusing form of eternal drudgery for Mickey.

The story takes an unexpected turn when the 17th Mickey seems to meet his end inside an ice cave, leading to the premature creation of an 18th clone. This duplicate situation is meant to trigger the elimination of all clones, but Kenneth Marshall, the colony’s self-absorbed ruler (played by Mark Ruffalo), devises a different plan. He sends the clones as sacrificial troops in a war against the indigenous inhabitants – strange, tentacled creatures resembling pill bugs who turn out to be intelligent.

However, when the Mickeys choose diplomacy over violence and attempt to communicate with the natives, their peaceful efforts spark a human uprising that results in Marshall’s demise, the destruction of the printing machine, and the establishment of a more compassionate and collaborative future for the distant colony.

In a contrast to Mickey’s heartrending ordeal in the story, Bong found his triumphant ending particularly meaningful. He expressed sympathy for Mickey, who resembles his son’s age, and wished for him not to be swallowed by the turmoil. Reflecting on his past work, he admitted that he might have been too harsh with his character creations, but conceded it could have been essential. However, he emphasized that the film’s final act is not entirely uplifting. Before the destruction of the technology responsible for Mickey’s pain, there is a chilling scene where we gradually realize it represents Mickey’s dream. In this nightmare, Mickey encounters Toni Collette’s character, Ylfa, resurrecting her husband using the same device that had brought Mickey back to life multiple times. She insists an abusive autocrat is what the people truly desire. Bong intended this unsettling fear to pervade even the brighter scenes that followed, as he wanted to conclude the film with a lingering sense of unease about the possibility of recurring nightmares.

Since Bong completed writing the script for “Mickey 17” in September 2021, there’s been no shortage of topics to reflect on regarding society’s fascination with authoritarianism. This comes a year and a half after his last feature, “Parasite,” won the Best Picture award. In the US, Donald Trump was re-elected as president. Bong acknowledges that his film has taken on added significance, but he clarifies that the character of Marshall, a politician who turns to a church-corporation for support after losing two elections, is not based on Donald Trump. Instead, they discussed how both failed politicians share certain characteristics with dictators, such as being both horrific and endearing in their ability to manipulate people.

Bong has been pondering a great deal about the concept of charisma, given his own nation’s tumultuous history with military governance. He’s observed individuals who yearn for dictatorship, people he’s come across closely. In a chilling scene, Toni Collette exclaims, “You want it, I want it, we all want it“, which might sound absurd, yet it carries a grain of truth. This desire is what gives rise to dictators exploiting the political system for power, and those who seize control through elections rather than coups.

Recently in South Korea, President Yoon Suk Yeol attempted to implement martial law, a move that sparked public outrage and political resistance, eventually leading to his impeachment. Although things have largely returned to normalcy now, it’s crucial to question the reasons behind such an occurrence. Despite South Korea being in 2024 AD with Rosé dominating music charts, we must reflect on how and why this incident transpired.

For Bong, a longing for authoritarian rule coincides with an inclination to take responsibility for all the difficulties we encounter, a sentiment mirrored by Mickey who believes he deserves the cruelty he experiences because of something he did as a child. “The more you doubt your self-worth, the more guilt you carry,” Bong explained. “I see so many individuals blaming themselves for issues rooted in the system or society, and it’s always sad.” Bong admitted, “Sometimes I catch myself doing the same thing.” Despite his interest in exploring potential locations beyond Earth, he prefers to focus on making improvements here rather than, like the inhabitants of Niflheim or some high-profile billionaires, wager everything on starting anew. “The resources spent on those ventures would be more beneficial if used to enhance our planet’s environment.

In the film “Mickey 17”, the notion that characters would decide to destroy a human-like printer, despite recognizing that technological advancements can become monstrous and exceed ethical boundaries, might be its most hopeful aspect. This idea in Bong’s movie mirrors our modern struggles with AI generation. Bong remarks on how technology is enticing due to its convenience, especially for those profiting from it, but also warns about the dangers of rushing advancements without proper guidelines. He recalls an AI researcher who suggested a pause in development to establish safety protocols, but his plea fell on deaf ears as everyone was driven by competition and fear. Bong humorously adds that sometimes we need a hero like John Connor to navigate these complexities.

Read More

2025-03-08 00:30