“The Most Personal Is The Most Creative”. Bong Joon-ho’s Words To Live By.
It began as a feeling I had while working on my first screenplay. A feature length narrative entitled, ‘Now Serving’.
The project served, more or less as an exercise in developing concise formatting technique utilizing prompts such as Celtix or Final Draft while emulating the story structure(s) of my favorite writer/directors at the time.
I would ultimately have the great fortune of optioning that script shortly thereafter.
From then on, I developed an instant passion for screenwriting and with it, a responsibility I felt I had to tell stories of worth and merit.
Fast forward to the 92nd Academy Awards held on February 9th and Korean Filmmaker, Bong Joon-Ho’s underdog win for Best Director of ‘Parasite’. (In addition, he would further go on to collect wins in other major categories such as Best Original Screenplay, Best Foreign Film and Best Picture) .
But it’s his win for Best Director, in a category flush with names like Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), Todd Phillips (Joker), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon A Time…) and Sam Mendes (1917) that requires a thorough reflection of the significance of his win. It was Bong Joon Ho, whose name was proudly announced by none other than last year’s honoree, Spike Lee.
Now for those who have yet to see the film, I would generally describe ‘Parasite’ as a social thriller/commentary investigating themes of greed and class discrimination within society. (Themes which can be seen as recurring in Ho’s previous films, ‘Okja’ and ‘Snowpiercer ‘. Themes which Ho seemingly feels most comfortable exploring.)
But what I really want to focus on right now is what genuinely seemed to be the humblest of receptions from Ho as his named is announced.
It was with these emotions that Ho picked himself up and approached the stage for the second time in the evening. Upon receiving his Oscar from Lee, Ho steps towards the microphone alongside Sharon Choi, an independent filmmaker and the event’s Korean/English Interpreter for the evening —
“Thank You”, says Ho.
He continues in his native Korean by describing his early years in film school. Choi translates, “When I was young and studying cinema, there was a saying that I carved deep into my heart which is ‘the most personal is the most creative’.”
“That quote was from our great Martin Scorsese”, Ho concludes with a gracious hand extending his way.
The theatre erupts in harmonious rapture.
A second standing ovation is bestowed upon the legendary Martin Scorsese.
Two filmmakers at their proudest.
I personally remain spellbound by the wise words of both these men and furthermore feel a personal connection to what I believe to be a vivid and fundamental pillar of cinema.
Where ‘Now Serving’ for me represented a crash-course in the basics of structured storytelling modeled from the films of Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino; It’s been my most recent work as a writer which has satisfied my creativity the most. Stories that just so happen to be the most personal for me as well.
I suppose the point of today’s post is to say that I enjoy watching films which possess either a theme or aesthetic (or combination of both) that truly reflect a filmmaker’s personal relationship with their subject matter.
Am I alone here? I’m curious to see who else feels this way about their own work and would love to have that conversation!
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