Train to Busan

[Heidi Kwalk]

Marcos, I too have watched this movie on Netflix. I thought it was very much a westernized version of a horror movie or as Koreans might call it in Korean, a "ghost story."  And for those who did not watch the movie, I do not mean "westernized" movie as in cowboys and Indians. What I mean by "westernized" version of a scary story is that the idea of zombies shown in the movie is more a western culture. There were a lot of horror movie cliches, probably purposefully done. Their intended message of the movie is clear though. Koreans like many other Asian culture value family unity and  respect for older generation. In this modern Korean society, the long standing traditional Korean values are fading as modern life style with modern technology push aside the traditional values of family unity. Koreans also traditionally respect nature. The film highlights the environmental damages in current affairs; this is done subtly by showing the newsfeed on the internet that the main character looks at in his office in the scene where he's eating his lunch at his desk.  Perhaps this "westernized" version was intentional by the film makers to emphasize the western/modern culture pushing aside the traditional values. For classroom purposes, students can compare and contrast the modern lifestyle between Korean and America: Korea is also a modern country. What is same and different about modern life in Korea and modern life in America.