Okja
Directed by: Bong Joon Ho
Written by: Bong Joon Ho and Jon Ronson
Starring: An Seo Hyun, Paul Dano, Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Giancarlo Esposito, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, Byun Heebong, Daniel Henshall, Devon Bostick, Shirley Henderson, Yoon Je Moon, Woo Shik Choi
Action/Adventure/Drama - 118 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 27 Jun 2017
Written by: Bong Joon Ho and Jon Ronson
Starring: An Seo Hyun, Paul Dano, Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Giancarlo Esposito, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, Byun Heebong, Daniel Henshall, Devon Bostick, Shirley Henderson, Yoon Je Moon, Woo Shik Choi
Action/Adventure/Drama - 118 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 27 Jun 2017
There are two ways to look at Charlotte’s Web. On one hand, Wilbur was quite the pig capable of acrobatics and looking quite humble. Then, there is the farmer who sees livestock, the circle of life, and a means to support his family. Lesson number one on the farm, do not name the animals. This thread of thinking also hints at cultural differences. What one culture deems food, another domesticates as beloved pets, think dogs, cats, and any number of species in between. Here’s one, would you eat an animal if it could cry? Yikes. Bong Joon Ho’s follow-up to the mind-blowing Snowpiercer (2013), Okja touches on so many themes it is almost overwhelming and it delivers such a scorcher of an ending, Okja will be recommended and discussed for years to come.
The Mirando Corporation is looking for a facelift. Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton, Doctor Strange), promises to move away from the napalm products of the past and focus on one of Earth’s most pressing dilemmas, food scarcity due to overpopulation. Mirando’s introductory speech promising the magnificent things to come will go down in cinematic history as one of film’s most memorable speeches. Lucy lisps through braces, disowns past mistakes, looks to the future to save humanity, and promises the results “must taste fucking good!” Mirando discovered a super pig. They will distribute the pig across the globe to see which farmers can raise it the best, and will then begin the mass production of cheap, safe, non-GMO, and environmentally-friendly super pig products. Okja is the super pig delegated to a South Korean farmer and his young granddaughter, Mija (An Seo Hyun).
The Mirando Corporation is looking for a facelift. Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton, Doctor Strange), promises to move away from the napalm products of the past and focus on one of Earth’s most pressing dilemmas, food scarcity due to overpopulation. Mirando’s introductory speech promising the magnificent things to come will go down in cinematic history as one of film’s most memorable speeches. Lucy lisps through braces, disowns past mistakes, looks to the future to save humanity, and promises the results “must taste fucking good!” Mirando discovered a super pig. They will distribute the pig across the globe to see which farmers can raise it the best, and will then begin the mass production of cheap, safe, non-GMO, and environmentally-friendly super pig products. Okja is the super pig delegated to a South Korean farmer and his young granddaughter, Mija (An Seo Hyun).
Mija and Okja grow up together in a personal Eden. High in the mountains away from noisy and complicated humanity, they fish, play, and look out for one another. Mija recognizes Okja’s anthropomorphic characteristics. Okja understands when Mija talks to her and accomplishes complex tasks as they experience their daily adventures together. When Mirando’s goofy TV zoologist, Dr. Johnny Wilcox (Jake Gyllenhaal, Nocturnal Animals), shows up and takes Okja back to the factory, Mija embarks on a mission to get Okja back even if it takes navigating mega-cities like Seoul and New York all by herself. You’ve never seen a Gyllenhaal performance like this one; perhaps heard is more apt. His voice is high and nasally-pinched. His words sounds like squeals at times. Dr. Johnny is far more of a supporting character with limited screen time than a character Gyllenhaal would normally play, but this shows how much actors line up wanting to work with Bong Joon Ho.
Bong sets up an action scene in downtown Seoul as Mija jumps on top of the truck transporting Okja action hero style. Blindsiding the audience even more and forever shaking us out of our mountaintop reverie, the borderline farcical Animal Liberation Front, led by the soft-spoken Jay (Paul Dano, Youth), plunge into the situation as they try and liberate Okja from a company they accuse of unspeakable atrocities. According to the ALF, Mirando genetically mutated pigs to produce the super pigs and breed them in the worst conditions imaginable. The ALF’s ideals frequently undercut their plans as one member lacks energy to fight because “all food production is exploitative.” He won’t eat anything he did not grow.
Bong keeps us on our toes where all of a sudden we expect a brawl, he cuts to slow motion and cues the soundtrack to John Denver’s “Annie’s Song”. I remember how the audience gave up guessing during Snowpiercer knowing anything at all could happen and Okja, while a bit more predictable, follows the pattern. It’s amusing to watch the ALF attempt to fight as non-violent as they can, but in the end, idealism usually succumbs to fists, clubs, and bullets. Okja and Mija end up in New York and as any CEO would recognize, exploiting Mija for PR purposes is a goldmine. Reunite kid with her beloved animal friend and MIrando will be able to cover-up any transgression because all eyes will be on the joyful reunion.
Okja taps into contemporary organic trends and consumer fear of genetically-modified food and the desire for anything that clucks or moos to be cage free. Lucy Mirando stares off in the distance and says, “It’s not our fault that the consumers are so paranoid about genetically-modified food.” What she means is if only they would just shut up and let us feed them; why care about where the protein comes from? As fresh and unique as Okja’s story is, the camera work by cinematographer Darius Khondji (The Lost City of Z) behind it all keeps up with the enthusiasm. What looks like drone footage charts the utopian forest beginning while the camera descends down to Okja’s and Mija’s legs during an underground, chaotic chase scene.
Adding heft behind his final gut punch, Bong ends Okja on a business note. “Daddy was a terrible man; a real horror, but by God did he know about business.” The idea that being good at business excuses any and all ethical lapses and sins is even more topical than the organic food theme. The businessman earns respect and unlimited chances because business and the profit motive trumps all. “This is business” is the ultimate excuse for crimes against humanity and super piggery. Okja looks more like a cross between a manatee and a hippopotamus than a pig, but there is sentience behind those eyes. The climax sequence as Mija leaves the factory may actually break some people in half. Okja is one of the reminders we run into a couple times a year of where our food comes from. Take advantage of this film, sit back, and take some of time to think about it.
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