The King and the Clown as a typical LGBTQ movie in comparison to the western ones
Despite the general critics of the movie saying that The King and the Clown is a ‘gay movie’, it is not typical for the modern Western society. Surely, the main focus of the movie is the homosexual love between individuals, for the Korean society, it cannot be seen as a huge step in the political or social structure. Despite the intents of the director to underline the fact that views of some parts of the Korean population on homosexuality have changed, such a sensitive issue is not discussed in great lenghts. Moreover, if the movie contained the scenes with the implications of homosexual love, the success would not be as big. It is also evident that the director wanted to avoid any criticism related to this issue which is contrary to what a ‘Western’ director would do – attract as many controversial topics as possible for attracting the attention of the public.
Hello My Love as a ‘sugarcoat’ for the sensitive issue of homosexuality in the South Korean society
In my opinion, Hello My Love is a movie that attempted to show that no matter who you love, love can hurt you. On the other hand, the cast of young actors that brings the movie a very fresh look perpetuates the stereotypes that surround the sexual minorities, especially in the Korean society. The sugarcoating is seen in the way the characters are portrayed. They seem to act superficially despite attempting to convey an important issue that exists in the modern Korean society. The friendly tone alongside with the ‘trendy sheen’ are the aspects that flow on the surface, without contributing to the emotional aspect of the movie that lacks depth are the main components that make Hello My Love a sugarcoating of the important social topic.
The movies Influences on the Korean society’s views on the issue of LGBTQ community
Despite the fact that The King and the Clown and Hello My Love are polarly different in their stylistics and the manner of presentation, they still share the same themes important to the modern Korean society. Since both of the movies were well-received in the country, they have contributed to the further discussions that surround the concept of LGBTQ. The movies show that this concept should not be a matter of concern to the society as every individual has the right to self-expression. On the other hand, the history of the Korean society’s development shows that even if such movies were being produced every year, the public is not ready enough to embrace this thought and be open about it. Thus, both movies have become important contributors to the discussions about sexuality and its various expressions, opening the eyes of the population that a few decades ago did not realize that the concept of LGBTQ even existed.