This blog post examines what Korean cinema is missing in order to move beyond imitating Hollywood and develop its own unique romance, by placing “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Wolf Boy” side by side.
The Brothers “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Wolf Boy,” Conceived by the Mother of Romance
Following Tim Burton’s “Edward Scissorhands,” a hairy-handed scissor-wielding character appeared in Korean cinema too. It was director Cho Sung-hee’s film “The Wolf Boy.” Many viewers sitting in theaters watching “The Wolf Boy” likely had moments where “Edward Scissorhands” vaguely came to mind. In this way, “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Wolf Boy” resemble each other like siblings. Could the reason be that they were both conceived by the mother called romance?
Most romance films possess certain formulas that signal their genre. These include the relationship between a man and a woman who fall in love, the appearance of villains who obstruct their love, and a happy or tragic ending. One could say these films are built upon such formulas. “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Wolf Boy” also showcase these very formulas. For instance, the story unfolds through the grandmother’s recollections in the opening sequence; the meeting is initiated by the mother; the man and woman fall in love and share their hearts despite the interference of those around them; and a villain blinded by jealousy appears, ultimately causing an event that leads to their separation. However, simply grouping these two films together as mere romances feels somehow too loose.
So what explains their similarities?
The reason lies in 「Edward Scissorhands」
The reason lies in 「Edward Scissorhands」. In the film, Edward, born with scissor hands, was created by an inventor. Left incomplete after the inventor’s death, he is abandoned in the world with his scissor hands. Edward, with his scissor hands, cannot mingle with people because of them and lives alone in a secluded castle, accompanied only by loneliness. One day, he is accidentally discovered by Kim’s mother and brought into Kim’s home.
Though his scissor hands made him an outcast, paradoxically, they also allowed him to win the townspeople’s affection through his skills as a gardener, dog groomer, and human hairdresser. Then, he sees Kim returning from camp and falls in love. Because of this, he is deceived by Jim’s scheme, believing Kim wants it too, and is ultimately framed. Through this process, Kim also develops feelings for Edward. However, Jim, blinded by jealousy, drives the situation to a tragic conclusion where he ends up dead, leaving Edward alone in the castle once more.
This romance could only unfold because Edward was a monster with scissor hands. Yet this very pattern is almost exactly repeated in the film “The Wolf Boy.” The only difference is the setting: instead of a person with scissor hands, it’s a werewolf. In the film “The Wolf Boy,” the werewolf Cheol-su was born as a result of a scientist’s failed experiment. He was unable to speak. Unable to mingle with people, Cheol-su lived alone in the mountains like a beast. One day, he was discovered at Soon-yi’s house and taken in by her mother, who took pity on him.
Cheol-su gradually opens his heart to Soon-yi and her family. His exceptional athletic ability wins him the affection of the village children, and he is slowly accepted as a member of the community. As he grows closer to Soon-yi, however, Ji-tae, consumed by jealousy, slanders him, branding Cheol-su a threatening presence. Ultimately, Cheol-su reveals his true nature before the villagers and is banished back to the mountains to live alone. Except for the absence of scissor hands, the two films are astonishingly similar. I believe grouping them as ‘monster romances’—stories where the monster is the protagonist—is a far more elastic interpretation. The story unfolds precisely because they are monsters, and it reaches its conclusion precisely because they are monsters.
‘Wait’, CJ’s Creative Imitation
If ‘Edward Scissorhands’ was conceived by its mother as a monster romance and created by Tim Burton, then I believe Jo Sung-hee’s ‘The Wolf Boy’ is less a sibling of ‘Edward Scissorhands’ and more a creative imitation born from CJ’s pursuit of Hollywood. Rather than merely being a copy, it’s a ‘creative’ imitation, and for that, I want to applaud it rather than just shake my head.
If asked to name a famous line from the movie “The Wolf Boy,” most would probably recall ‘Wait’. This single word ‘Wait’ truly holds a wealth of meaning. Korea has historically centered on agricultural life, fostering collective living within extended families where people helped one another. In contrast, Western society has developed a lifestyle centered on individualistic nuclear families. I believe the character Cheol-su from “The Wolf Boy” best embodies this distinct Korean characteristic, different from the West.
As mentioned earlier, within the monster romance genre, “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Wolf Boy” are remarkably similar. Aside from the Wolf Boy not being Edward Scissorhands, they are almost identical. However, focusing on the line “Wait,” one realizes anew how creatively CJ’s Hollywood imitation was crafted.
In the film “Edward Scissorhands,” Edward’s hands are scissors, but his approach to forming relationships isn’t fundamentally different. However, in the film “The Wolf Boy,” Cheol-su isn’t just physically a werewolf; his mind is also closer to that of a beast. Therefore, Soon-yi ends up teaching Cheol-su, one by one, the various skills necessary for human society. Through this process, the two grow closer. Among these lessons, the most frequently repeated is ‘wait’. Soon-yi teaches Cheol-su how to wait, and the more he learns this, the more affection she pours into him.
This dynamic resonates particularly strongly with Korean audiences, especially female viewers. In our society, which has long maintained collective living and extended family cultures, maternal instincts have historically operated relatively strongly. Within this social context, the command “Wait” naturally evokes maternal affection toward Chul-soo. And Chul-soo gradually becomes tamed by Soon-i, and by extension, by the audience. In this way, CJ created a character perfectly suited to Korean sensibilities, using a method entirely different from Edward’s. It truly is a creative imitation.
Yet this very point becomes both the strength and the fatal weakness of The Wolf Boy compared to Edward Scissorhands. In the romance genre, the most crucial element is ultimately the emotion of love shared between a man and a woman. In Edward Scissorhands, Edward and Kim exchange feelings as human to human, understanding and enduring that love despite the danger it poses to themselves. In contrast, the relationship in The Wolf Boy is closer to the process of taming a handsome puppy, so to speak. Ultimately, in the process of adapting Edward Scissorhands to suit Korean tastes, CJ ended up missing the very essence of the romance genre: the emotion of love.
How long will CJ continue this game of catching up with Hollywood? While the attempt in The Wolf Boy was certainly meaningful, it seems they haven’t quite overcome the limitations of a sparrow trying to follow a stork. Perhaps it’s time to pause and ‘wait’ a little longer for CJ’s imitations.
