A familiar theme caught my attention as I browsed reviews about the movie “Along with the Gods” (신과함께-죄와 벌). This is the cinema adaptation of a popular web toon (I have not seen a translated version available as of now).
My initial reaction is “Divine Comedy in CG!”
It was already shown in Korea and Taiwan so I can surmise there is already a copy of this movie somewhere. I will not give in to instant gratification though and will wait until the movie is shown on the big screen. To understand context though, I am writing about some of the key terms that were supposedly mentioned in the movie. I will blog about the movie after I have watched it…
Disclaimer:
The key points mentioned below are based on the online trailers I have watched.
Judgement after Death / Reincarnation
“Life arises from deaths; death arises from life”
~Sahngjehnim
Judgement after death is a prevalent theme in most of the world religions and spiritual practices. One can conclude that this belief is what makes us human. Although the goal of having the judgment after death varies from a religion to the other, it can serve as a beacon as we traverse our lifetime. This gives us a reason to believe in good and strives to live good in this life.
In some practices, the belief in the judgment after death offers a chance to redeem one’s self through reincarnation. In “Along with the Gods”, the concept of reincarnation was visually presented when the main protagonist had to undergo judgment through seven trials where he had to prove that he has lived an honorable life. Only after passing the said trials will he be able to reincarnate.
Vengeful Spirits
“All disastrous events throughout the world
are instigated by vengeful spirits”
~Sahngjehnim
This is another concept that comes in different forms or representation. In the book “The Eight Teachings”, this is defined as embittered spirits who embody intense bitterness and grief, which they suffered at the hands of others during their human lifetimes. To exact revenge for their bitterness and grief, vengeful spirits torment the descendants of those who wronged them. A pretty self-explanatory term actually. These spirits are out for vengeance and something that humans would have to overcome.
Guardians of the Afterlife/Grim Reaper
Now this one warrants a separate blog post on its own. This is perhaps the most recognisable entity in this movie, especially for those with background on mythology (or even the modern anime). In the recent years, the grim reaper has been made visually appealing and more human than how they were portrayed in the past. In the movie, they were the main protagonist’s guardians and even “lawyers” on his judgement for reincarnation. This is very human compared to the Western personification of grim reapers as skeletons with a scythe until Joe Black of course. In the East, the most recent image of this entity is fixed on Lee Dong Wook (Goblin)
Based on the trailers that I have watched, I am looking forward to watching the full film. I hope it doesn’t disappoint 🙂
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