My Sassy Girl

My Sassy Girl, a South Korean produced romantic comedy, is well known on the international film scene. The movie centers around a man who chooses to enter into a relationship in which he has no free will and that is very difficult for him. This love story is extremely different from the traditional relationship, in that the role of the man and the woman seem to be switched as according to traditional Korean relationships. The man is submissive to the woman throughout the plot of the movie which is making an obvious statement or push for increasing feminism in Korean culture. This may be why My Sassy Girl gained so much popularity in South Korea, the challenge to traditions likely drew interest of local cinema goers, especially the younger demographic. However, the movie likely gained popularity on the international scene for different reasons. In countries which already have strong independent figure established for women, such as America, this movie is simply seen as a comedy, possibly just a humorous exaggeration of some relationships. Despite the different affect on different cultures, this movie clearly has been influenced by growing globalization, due to the fact that it has gained global recognition. Globalization is another growing issue in South Korea, along with the previous mentioned feminist movement. Because the government still has affect over on the films that are released in South Korea, cinema is a very crucial form of expression for movements, such as the feminist movement, of culture in South Korea. My Sassy Girl is a perfect example of how South Korea is attempting to lead social movements utilizing the cinema outlet.