It is hard to recall another film that has divided opinions to this extent. This is the story of director Na Hong-jin's film "HOPE." Opinions are particularly split over technical aspects such as cinematography and computer graphics (CG).

Reporter Lee Joo-hyoung takes a closer look.



Audience reactions to "HOPE" seem to go beyond mere box office performance.

Reviews range from a score of 1 to a perfect 10, standing at opposite extremes.

The so-called polarization of reactions toward "HOPE" stems largely from its technical aspects.

Those who praise it as a great entertainment film highly value its thrilling action cinematography.

The film brought together cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, who worked on "The Wailing" and "Parasite," along with XM2, an Australian specialized filming company.

XM2, which participated in the "007" and "Mission: Impossible" series, created incredible velocity and visual pleasure in "HOPE" using drone cameras and bike cameras.

[Hong Kyung-pyo / Cinematographer of "HOPE": Camera movement was also important, so we moved the camera almost without stopping.]

However, regarding the CG, opinions remain sharply divided over whether it is sufficient or falls far short.

Roh Chul-hwan, a professor who teaches film at university, commented on the CG in "HOPE" as follows.

[Roh Chul-hwan / Professor, Department of Theater and Film at Inha University: It is true that HOPE failed to satisfy audiences at that point (CG). (However), if we look at how a director uses the technology of CG to convey their imagination so that it resonates with the audience, I do not believe HOPE is a failure at all.]

Not everyone shares the same view, however.

Ryu Gi-deok, a former vice president of a gaming company, sat down in front of his computer right after watching "HOPE."

[Ryu Gi-deok / CEO of Iromix (Former Vice President of Wemade): To my eyes, it just felt like a game. Rather than focusing on messages like in director Na Hong-jin's previous films, I thought it would be fun to turn this into a game, so I just made it for fun.]

The response to the video, whipped up in just an hour using AI, was explosive.

This reflects both the heavy criticism and high level of interest directed at the CG.

The Academy introduced the category for special effects back in 1939, proving that film and technology are inextricably linked.

Modern audiences are accustomed to visual effects (VFX) technology that rivals live-action, as well as AI-generated imagery.

They demand more sophisticated technology while, paradoxically, also searching for something human that technology cannot fill.

This is the issue that "HOPE," with a surrounding situation that has itself turned into a black comedy, raises for the future of cinema.

(Video Editing: Kim Byung-jik, Design: Kang Yun-jung, Footage courtesy of Plus M)