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Zachary Burgess

Mr. Phillips

Cultural Media Literacy Honors

20 December 2019

High Society

In America, the chances of foreign films having time in the spotlight in big theaters are quite

slim. Only a handful have ever played and stayed for a decent duration of time. The rest typically get

played for a week, or a special event then disappears. Recently, the film Parasite came from Korea into

the mainstream of American theaters. Although it did not stay long, it received ample praise and

performed outstandingly in theaters. Unfortunately, it did not last long enough for me to watch it, but the

film led me to watch High Society on Netflix. High Society both embraces and challenges Asian

stereotypes in film and shows the corruption in the upper-end of class in society.

High Society follows a curator of a large family-owned art gallery and her husband in their

attempts to reach the extreme-elite class (“High Society.”). Directed by the 53-year-old director, editor,

and scriptwriter, Daniel H. Byun, the film was filmed and brought to Netflix in 2018 (“Daniel H. Byun

(변혁, Korean Actor, Original Idea, Director, Scriptwriter)”). Daniel H. Byun, also known as Hyuk Byun,

has had multiple films selected in numerous film festivals and has “been multiprimed at the festival of

Clermont-Ferrand.” He completed his studies in directing at La Fémis and earned a doctorate in Arts,

Aesthetics, and Culture from the Sorbonne. Currently, he teaches at Sungkyunkwan University in the

Department of Film, TV, and Multimedia (“The Korean Filmmaker Daniel H. Byun in the International

Jury 2017.”). Byun’s mastermind creates a film that not only keeps viewers engaged, but makes the

viewer think about the corruption in a high class.

Korean films have become notorious for dramatizing events and scenes. Although this may stand

true for High Society, the dramatization only makes the idea of corruption that more prominent. Within

the first ten minutes of the film, a lot has to be broken down dealing with classes. Professor Jang gets the
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chance to speak on a news program where he argues that there is a way to help small business owners

from being driven out by large corporations. He brings up the idea of a civic bank or ethical banking. It

would give low-interest, long-term loans for small business owners. He then brings up the point that

although these small business owners struggle, the landlords that raise the rent are also just citizens that

are in a better spot in life. Jang shows his concern for all people, not just the people who are struggling,

but the idea of being fair. Not too long after this scene, Jang and Oh Soo-yeon, his wife, talk in their

living room. Soo-yeon goes on to complain about how people who have more money than her get to

control everything and she does not get to have any say in the discussion, no matter her qualifications.

She follows this by stating, “She’d be nothing if it weren’t for her money.” She refers to Ms. Yim,

someone with a slightly higher position than her in the art gallery they work. These opening points

brought up by the couple will soon prove to be ironic (Byun).

During a protest, Jang saves a man who set himself on fire from dying. Due to his heroic actions,

Jang gets offered to be the face of the Republic candidate for the upcoming congressman election.

Through the next sequence of events, the movie throws at the viewers, a shift occurs in both characters.

Soo-yeon begins to use the company she works for, to embezzle billions of won. Professor Jang has

become extremely popular and begins to make large deals for the civic bank. The power and money soon

go to their heads and they become the people they despise. Throughout the corruption of both characters,

they become involved in a cheating scandal. Soo-yeon hooks up with a Korean artist, Zio, and Jang gets

with a former student and current secretary. Zio records the dirty deeds he and Soo-yeon do and that

recording becomes blackmail against Soo-yeon. Word gets out that Jang had sex with his secretary and

that is also used as blackmail against him. Further, in the film, the rich Mr. Han is revealed to be

controlling both sides of the story. He is blackmailing both sides for his own personal gain. Han’s

character represents the true state of people in an extremely high class. The privilege he holds over others

is unrivaled (Byun).

In Korea, there is a caste system. Over time the validity of it has fallen, but the ideals around it

still remain. The Chaebol and Yangban sit atop all the other classes. The people in these classes consist of
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the elite in terms of wealth and government officials (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica.). In the

film High Society, all the people who oppose Jang and Soo-yeon reside in this class rank. Although Jang

and Soo-Yeon have decent incomes, they do not reach the same level as people like Mr. Han and his wife.

The film exceeds in showing how people in this Yangban or Chaebol class use their money to put others

down or use their money to scam others. The civic bank Jang tries so hard to create, ends up being an

elaborate plan by Han to save up money for his own use. The rich only want to get richer while everyone

else can only hope to catch up. Similarly to the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the idea that moving up in

class takes corruption and unethical approaches, still stands. The only way Soo-yeon and Jang get close to

the idea of moving up is through, cheating, lying, murder, and illegal actions. People like Soo-yeon and

Jang are punished more severely than people like Mr. Han due to Mr. Han’s extreme wealth. The film

focuses heavily on this extreme upper class, but the audience does not get to view the lower and middle

classes. The only insight the audience gains is during the protest. A bunch of small-business owners

protests the raising of rents which ultimately put them out of business. Viewers get both sides of the story

at this moment: how the higher class raises rent so they can make more and how the lower class begins to

struggle and fall apart due to the decision to raise the rent. No matter where one lives, they will always

run into a clash of classes, a struggle for power.

When dealing with foreign films, people typically run into stereotypes. Korean films are

notorious for being dramatic, hence the creation of Korean dramas. No matter how dramatic the film is

though, certain aspects shown can be taken stereotypically or traditionally. Asians have been labeled by

countless stereotypes including small eyes, good at math, etc. The film, unfortunately, does not try to

challenge any stereotypes. That is not the main point of the film, but an attempt to challenge a stereotype

on a platform like Netflix would be huge. One scene that can be considered a challenge against Asian

stereotypes is when Zio and Soo-yeon eat a Korean meal with a fork and knife. Asians typically are

depicted with chopsticks while eating. Although miniscule, it could be declared as something somewhat

important. Foreign films, especially ones premiered and shown on Netflix should begin making drastic
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efforts to combat stereotypes and racial discrimination in movies. That would be one huge step forward

into a better world.

The controversial film High Society should never be played in a school setting. However, the

themes behind corruption, scandal, and fraudulent in higher classes are vital in today’s world. People who

sit in the top few percent of the world’s wealth get to do away with what they want. Is it fair? No, but no

one can stop them from being successful. Greed is an important thing to not chase after, it only makes

people weaker. Just like the cheesy ending of High Society, all people need are people around them who

love them.

Works Cited

Byun, Daniel H., director. High Society. 2018.

“Daniel H. Byun (변혁, Korean Actor, Original Idea, Director, Scriptwriter).” HanCinema,

www.hancinema.net/korean_Daniel_H_p__Byun.php.
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Yangban.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., 27 May 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/yangban.

“High Society.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 29 Aug. 2018, www.imdb.com/title/tt8865580/.

“High Society on Netflix, a Stylish Take on Korean Social Climbers.” South China Morning

Post, 10 Feb. 2019, www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-

music/article/2185284/korean-film-high-society-netflix-offers-stylish.

“The Korean Filmmaker Daniel H. Byun in the International Jury 2017.” Clermont ISFF,

www.clermont-filmfest.org/en/the-korean-filmmaker-daniel-h-byun-in-the-international-

jury-2017/.