Synopsis
High Society is a South Korean socio-political drama film about a couple, Jang Tae-joon and Oh Soo-yeon, who traverse through the lavish and corrupt intertwining world of wealth, politics, and art. The film depicts the price of ambition and the moral erosion which can accompany a relentless willingness to ascend the social hierarchy.
Jang Tae-joon is an esteemed professor of economics. He becomes an emblem of compassion and political hope when he saves an elderly protester from attempting self-immolation during a televised rally. Shortly after, a conservative political party becomes intent on recruiting him for office so they can use his “citizen bank” proposal as a populist tool. Tae-joon embodies an idealistic politician who believes the system can be reformed from within. The more he becomes politicized, the more he learns the depth of corruption.
His spouse, Oh Soo-yeon, holds the position of deputy director at a renowned art gallery which is owned by a leading corporate conglomerate. Driven and clever, her ambition is to become the next director of the gallery. However, her willingness to abandon her principles after realizing that influence and sexuality is often exchanged for career progression causes a drastic shift.
With every attempt Tae-joon makes to progress in his campaign, he seems to be losing the storyline. The political elites that supported Tae-joon are now demanding that he fall in line and do as he is told. The party that he was intent on reforming goes on to manipulate, lie to, and ultimately betray him. Soo-yeon, on the other hand, is caught in the middle of a power struggle in the gallery and as a result, gets tangled in the most corrupt part of the art world, chairman Han. In what seems to be her most desperate attempts to gain power, she decides to seduce the chairman only to be caught by his wife. From that point on, she blackmails the couple by telling them she has hidden recordings of the couple’s private moments.
Through his political campaign, Tae-joon also discovers that the so-called ‘elderly man rescue’ was part of a performance that was meant to gain a large audience. In a state of disillusionment, he decides to expose the party’s corruption and withdraw from politics for good. On the other hand, Soo-yeon decides to take a different approach as she stands to celebrate the grand unveiling of her gallery, as she decides to play her own recorded tape and label it as art, which, to her, is a public confession and a rebellious way to free herself from the chains of expectations. This act garners applause from the elites who do not seem to understand truth from performance as they indulge in her bold moves.
After the events, the couple transforms their lives, with Tae-joon establishing a grassroots citizen bank and Soo-yeon setting up her own gallery, free from the conglomerate’s control. They are still sorely hurt and morally conflicted, but they begin to carve out some space within a world of rampant power struggle.
Cast & Crew
Director and Writer: Byun Hyuk
Byun Hyuk employs a sharp critical lens to the South Korean elite, interweaving political and emotional narratives. This film was one of the reasons he resumed directing after a lengthy period of inactivity.
Main Cast:
Park Hae-il as Jang Tae-joon: An academic with a strong moral compass, he is an active scholar turned morally tempered politician.
Soo Ae as Oh Soo-yeon: A gallery curator who is forced into a string of morally and ethically vexing decisions because of her plunge into the need to be acknowledged.
Yoon Je-moon as Chairman Han: The art collector and businessman who ruthlessly manipulates Soo-yeon’s career as a puppet.
In supporting roles, Ra Mi-ran and Lee Jin-wook deepen the political and artistic elite spheres.
Cinematography: Park Se-seung uses wide angles and shadows to isolate his subjects, creating a geometric visual portrayal of their moral captivity.
Music: Jang Young-gyu’s sparse but purposeful underscore highlights the characters’ mental and emotional freefall rather than climactic moments of the story.
Themes and Analysis
Ambition and Moral Collapse
High Society focuses on the price one pays morally in the pursuit of status and power. Tae-joon and Soo-yeon have a moral center but are quickly seduced, used, and compromised in the pursuit of their personal agendas. His politics and her art and socialite status reflect the different ways ambition manifests in their lives.
Both of their stories reflect a deeply tragic journey: the hope of “changing the system” into the realization of being systemically changed.
Gender and Power
Focusing specifically on Soo-yeon, her character exemplifies how women have to deal with patriarchal structures. She encounters glass ceilings, coercive power, and deceitful manipulation. Rather than beautiful romance, the film focuses on harsh reality that poses limited options to women. Her final, and perhaps the most outrageous, act of turning a sex scandal into an art piece is a critique of patriarchy, an act of social commentary and patriarchal defiance rolled into one.
The Illusion of Integrity
Betrayal is the most pivotal point in Tae-joon’s downfall: betrayal from the people who recruit him, betrayal from the institutions he places his trust in, and most dangerously, from himself. His symbolic act of “rescuing” an elderly man and the “rescue” is the superficial expression of a political gesture devoid of meaning. It is politically meaningful to the point that even genuine acts, devoid of appropriation, become political.
A renowned bank project that he views as a pivotal opportunity for change in society is seized by much more powerful individuals and is repurposed as a populi based public relations campaign.
Art serves a dual purpose in the film as both a means of freedom and a means of exploitation. In the film, Soo-yeon’s closure of her exhibition by showing her sex tape serves to force the audience to critically examine the interplay of authenticity and performance, shame and spectacle. It’s radical, and it’s an act that reclaims her narrative, although the reclamation comes at a heavy cost.
Reception and Box Office
The reviews for High Society were quite mixed after its release in 2018. Fans and Critics alike praised its acting, especially Soo Ae and Park Hae-il’s performances, along with the film’s visuals and industry level ambition. However, its pacing and narrative density were frequently mentioned as particular points of criticism.
The film started strong in the South Korea Box Office because of its mature themes and controversial subject matter. The film’s explicit and frank portrayal of sexual politics drew both criticism and considerable attention.
Despite a strong opening, the story gave rise to divided opinions. While some appreciated the bold social critique, others criticized the the film for lack of clear moral direction, emotional resonance, and heavy handed storytelling approach.
Final Thoughts
While High Society is certainly not a feel-good film, its value lies in its refusal to romanticize the pursuit of power. The film offers no redemption for its deeply flawed characters and instead, artfully exposes their relentless and insatiable desire for power. In a nutshell, the film is a moral drama wrapped in critique of politics and art.The film challenges us with questions like: How far are we willing to go to achieve influence? Is it possible to navigate through a deeply flawed system without being tainted by it?
By the film’s conclusion, Tae-joon and Soo-yeon have shed the “high society” status they once yearned to attain. But, as it turns out, their loss might be a gain as they achieve something more genuine.
If you appreciate politically poignant dramas, moral intricacies, and character-driven, leisurely paced films, you’ll find moreover captivating reflections in High Society, a politically charged film that stays with you long after watching.
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