The study aims to identify phase of society and psychology of the masses changed by economic crisis. To this end, Korean horror films in the late 1990s were analyzed to figure out a relationship between ‘family’ transformed after IMF economic cris...
The study aims to identify phase of society and psychology of the masses changed by economic crisis. To this end, Korean horror films in the late 1990s were analyzed to figure out a relationship between ‘family’ transformed after IMF economic crisis and horror they faced. Therefore, the study interpreted relationship of change of society and the masses by analyzing <Whispering Corridors>, <Ring: Virus>, <Memento Mori> released in the late 1990s. And focused on family representation of Korean film <Ring: Virus>, the author investigated relationship between economic crisis experienced by the masses and ‘monster’ appeared in horror film.
Problems in the real world lied hidden at the bottom of psychology of the masses that revived horror film. The masses in the late 1990s saw horror film to relieve fear come from economic crisis. The masses tried to embody obscure fear which they faced in the reality through monster. Horror comes at a point where memory of unconsciousness meets present experiences and memory is a medium with which problems in the real world can be identified. So this study focused on memory of the masses that evokes horror through monster.
In the chapter2, ‘anxiety’ and ‘horror’ which coexist in fear of the masses were separated and ‘horror film’ was redefined. It would be difficult to define conceptual category of horror film because of its hybridity. This study focused on ‘horror film’ and tried to define ‘Korean horror film’ in a narrow sense. Since then, the author tried to identify aspects of audiences for a film. Audiences of horror film accept discomfort, which is different from audiences of other genre films. The study intended to investigate a relationship between ‘horror’ in reality and ‘horror’ in non-reality through a process to accept ‘horror’ provided by a film.
In the chapter3, the author tried to figure out a cause of horror that a family reproduced in <Ring: Virus> has through ‘monster’. ‘Horror’ cannot exist independently and brings ‘fear’ through connection with other object. Reason to experience horror was identified by analyzing relationship of ‘horror’ and ‘death’, ‘time’, ‘willingness’. Horror shown on such film is reproduced based on reality. Horror felt by audiences was brought by ‘something familiar’ in repressed inner side not by monster. The study intended to investigate real entity of horror felt by audiences by analyzing <Ring: Virus> based on ‘uncanny’ asserted by Sigmund Freud.
In the chapter4, the author tried to identify relationship of ‘monster’ in <Ring: Virus> and society. Monster shown on Korean horror film before IMF economic crisis symbolized repressed woman. But monster in <Ring: Virus> has an attribute which is similar to capital though the monster is the others. Furthermore, physical uniqueness of ‘mixed gender’ implies new appearance of the others. Changed relationship of a subject and the others after IMF economic crisis was investigated through concept of ‘family’.
Monster appeared on <Ring: Virus> takes different attitude from monsters in previous films. After economic crisis, Korean society suggested requirements of a new subject and existing subjects that could not meet such requirements faced a crisis that they can fall to the others. Because firm status of a subject became weakened, memory of repressed others disclosed distorted monster’s shape. Monster awoke desire as the others, hidden in unconsciousness of audiences and the audiences who identified this experienced horror together with delight.