2018 South Korean film, High Society, was directed by Byun Hyuk who has noted appreciation for intricate human portrayals in cinema. The film showcases an upper-class couple who continue to chase the upper echelon of class society. The couple experiences unforeseen repercussions of their ambitions as they lose sight of their values.
High Society is a strong visual film that also has strong performances by the actors. The cohesive tone of the film also deals with the emotional exhaustion of status, ambition, and compromise for those who feel that they are simply doing what is necessary.
Summary of the Narrative
The film follows Jang Tae-joon who is a political science professor, and a well-known and respected figure at a leading college. Tae-joon has built a reputation as a caring social citizen, praised for both his charisma and strong social responsibility. Tae-joon’s wife is Oh Soo-yeon who is equally smart, confident and professionally ambitious as a Deputy Director at the National Art Museum.
Although the couple enjoys a comfortable lifestyle, they are both dissatisfied. For Tae-joon, the desire to step into politics stems from the hope to make a difference, not merely a change in his career. Regardless of her achievements in the art world, Soo-yeon feels unappreciated and wishes to advance to the position of director of the museum.
After the event when Tae-joon gained attention for his act of public service—saving a protester during a political demonstration—he becomes a sought-after contender for a political party with a goal of improving public relations. This popularity offers Tae-joon a genuine shot at running for office. For Soo-yeon, the political sphere seems influential enough to help her gain access to the high-end of the art world.
The more Tae-joon engages with the political world, the more he realizes that working with the powerful people of this world will take a lot of compromises. The decisions he assumes will reflect his principles get altered by the demands of public pressure, internal party politics, and the unspoken shadow deals.
Likewise, Soo-yeon feels the play of ambition in her life. To improve her position in the museum, she can only make so much effort. She can only make so much effort behind the scenes and so she begins to make more deliberate decisions in her manipulation.
The couple with time and distance from each other seem to distance from their ideals. Each of them try to succeed and climb the social ladders, and their relationship suffers. All for what? Each of them need to confront the social and ethical dilemmas which these pursuits present So what does success mean? In the end of the film, these questions seem to haunt the main characters.
Main Characters
Jang Tae-joon
Tae-joon seems thoughtful and hardworking and considering all the suffers in the world, a type of workaholic. He believes that the world can be a better place and tries to work for these ideals. In the beginning of the film, he tries to merge teaching with politics, which, he tries to convince himself, justifies his educational work. He is forced to make political compromises which affect his personal values, thus tempting him to justify his ideals. There, he works in the world of paradoxes.
Oh Soo-yeon
In the world of paradoxes, which seem to follow in the work of politics and art, Soo-yeon seems to function with more of a logical structure. Despite the internal politics in the museum, she tries to fulfill the goals of the exhibition and try to elevate the art world with good initiatives. In the end, Soo-yeon tries to grasp the goal of leading the exhibition. In this sense, she is the 21st century art professional.
Supporting Characters
There are additional characters in the film, including political aides, board members, fellow academics, and art collectors, each with different parts in the societal order that Tae-joon and Soo-yeon participate in. Each character illustrates in different ways the upholding, contesting, and misappropriating of power.
Themes and Messages
- Ambition vs. Integrity
High Society examines the duality that exists with regard to ambition and integrity as its core theme. The film advocates for ambition, however there seems to be inquiry as to whether individuals can maintain their moral code in the lofty arena of power. Characters make numerous compromises, as the film queries how much one can sacrifice to attain their goals.
- The Illusion of Prestige
Tae-joon and Soo-yeon both realize that holding a position of privilege can be one of the most meaningless. State and position are accompanied with influence and notoriety, yet there is the additional burden of stress, loneliness, and expectations that one is forced to grapple with. The film indicates that the pursuit of societal approval is alienating.
- Institutional Barriers
We learn from Soo-yeon about how some institutions are culture-bound and slow to change. Her work is evaluated not on qualitative metrics alone, but also on the social and political ties, or lack thereof, she possesses. The film also illustrates how those who do not conform to pre-established criteria, regardless of their qualifications, might be passed over.
- The Complexity of Relationships
In this film, the relationship of Tae-joon and Soo-yeon takes center stage. What starts as a collaboration based on mutual respect and shared objectives evolves into emotional detachment that stems from the pressure of ambition. The film asks, albeit quietly, whether a personal relationship can endure when both parties are preoccupied with an outside world of public success.
- Social Commentary
While focusing on the two protagonists, the story is also able to comment on broader issues such as inequality, corruption, and the disparity between one’s public persona and their private reality. “High Society” reflects the world of elite status but also the emotional and ethical cost of attaining that status.
Tone and Style
The film High Society is visually appealing. The cinematographer carefully and precisely frames various aspects of academia, art exhibits, press galas, and opulent houses. There is a sense of careful polish that, upon deeper reflection, masks the emotional turmoil that seethes beneath.
The emotional content is augmented by the quiet tension the film builds, the slow pacing, the lack of a dramatic confrontation, and the absence of quick plot actions. The lighting, the configuration of the furniture, the choice of architecture, and the use of space all illustrate the themes of isolation and the performance for an audience.
Conclusion
High Society is a mature, thoughtful drama that depicts the search for social recognition in a world that prioritizes superficiality. The film does not offer easy answers and invites the audience to contemplate the changes in people when they are strained. There is a lack of moral judgement. There is a lack of moral judgement.
The film depicts how Tae-joon and Soo-yeon highlight how the intersections of one’s career and relationships with self and others are determined by one’s decisions—and how not taking action can, paradoxically, be a decision of one’s own. The film is a splendid indictment of the costs of social ambition, directed with aplomb, and performed with a quiet poignancy that amplifies, rather than distracts, from the intended message.
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