A State of Mind

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Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Directed By: Daniel Gordon
Studio: Kino International
Release Date: 2006-02-07
Billed as "a complex exploration of one of the world's most closed nations," A State of Mind purports to offer unprecedented insight into life in North Korea, a country infamously cited by George W. Bush as a member of "the axis of evil." British filmmaker Daniel Gordon's beautifully photographed 2003 documentary certainly takes us deeper into the culture of this isolated land that any Westerner has been in the past half century. In focusing on two female gymnasts, aged 11 and 13, and their preparations for the "socialist realism extravaganza" known as the Mass Games, Gordon shines a light on their daily existence; although the people are hardly prosperous, life in Pyongyang, the capital city, seems reasonably normal (except perhaps for the state radio broadcasts that are pumped into every resident's home and can be turned down, but not off). What's more, the discipline and dedication of young Kim Song Yun and Pak Hyon Sun, as well as the thousands of others who participate in the Mass Games, results in a performance of astonishing skill and splendor (captured in A State of Mind's final and most impressive sequence). Still, it's safe to say that a government as secretive as North Korea's wouldn't have granted "unrestricted access" to a foreign film crew if they anticipated that anything controversial might be revealed. Indeed, what Gordon refers to as "an all-encompassing belief structure imposed on the people"--based on an unquestioning devotion to dictator Kim Jong Il (known as "the General") and the sublimation of the individual for the good of the state--comes through loud and clear in every interview. Even the few problems mentioned, like food shortages or nightly power blackouts in Pyongyang, are attributed to various national disasters or, most often, the wickedness of American "imperialist aggressors." Of course, with Bush's foreign policy having aroused the enmity of most of the rest of the world, it's getting harder for Americans to be scornful of those whom we have alienated. If anything, especially considering their nascent nuclear capability, A State of Mind shows us that North Korea is not a country to be taken lightly. --Sam Graham

The Power of Brainwashing
Of course, aside from politics, the spectacle that all of these highly talented individuals put on is truly amazing in the Mass Games ... of course, once again, everything isn't what they seem to be. In this case, communism-driven Mass Games.

I guess, in short, everyone (the kids, the adults, the elderly---all) is brainwashed by the government of the ever-ruling communist General. Seriously... controlled food, controlled leisure, controlled household, etc etc etc. How dare they (especially the kids!) hate us and call US evil, call US "Bloody Americans!" ... The kids are taught this hatred when young and it continues through the rest of their life! They are CUT-OFF from the outside media! They are informed? HA! Only through the government! And they only share what pleases their communist lives.

Nice talent. Pitiful ruler. Do they harbor this hatred because of the Korean War? I thought we attacked them because they invaded South Korea? In any case, this war was over FIFTY years ago. Times change AND people change. North Korea is a pathetic brainwash hogwash.

1984 has come and gone---or has it?
This film should be obligatory viewing for anyone who reads (or teaches) teaches Orwell's 1984. In many ways, the North Korean state is the embodiment of all the techniques of the totalitarian state that are described in the novel: the manipulation of history, the deification of the leader, mass propaganda, media control, the concept of endless war. However, it is also interesting to consider the North Korean instruments of control that Orwell did not anticipate: the beauty of the mass games, the obvious delight of parents in their talented children, the intensity of purpose that comes with idealism, however misdirected. High school students who are reading Orwell are riveted by this film, but you don't have to be in high school to appreciate this compelling film.

Highly Recommended for Middle School Kids
Please read the other reviews for more details about the film. I am writing, as a history teacher, to recommend State of Mind as an outstanding film for middle school aged kids. The film makers follow two North Korean gymnasts who are devoted to their country and leader, Kim Jong. One of the segments, showing a lesson given at a North Korean school was subtle and yet chilling. In another, the Korean family curses Americans when Pyongyang undergoes a power outage. A lot of great discussion was generated by this show in my classroom about propoganda, freedom vs. order, seeking the truth from media, etc.. And the filming is incredible -- the last scenes showing the performance of the Mass Games will blow your socks off. Teachers, pick up this film -- your students will be engaged and you'll have many rich topics to think about and discuss.

A State of Mind
With "Axis of Evil" nation North Korea suffering an image problem in 2003, British filmmaker Daniel Gordon was given an unprecedented opportunity to film his two school-age subjects without chaperones or censorship. Like their peers, Kim and Pak are skilled, accomplished gymnasts--and deeply patriotic, especially in their eerily genuine reverence for Kim Jong Il. Wisely, Gordon never burdens us with his judgments; instead, we watch the girls work, see them interact, and come to our own conclusions. "Mind" is never less than fascinating, but really delivers with its jaw-dropping sequences filmed at the Mass Games--a collective spectacle fusing Busby Berkeley's Hollywood with a Hitlerian Olympic rally.

An unprecedented glimpse behind the curtain
A fascinating and often disturbing vision of what the children of North Korea's elite will subject themselves to in order to please their "father", Kim Jong-Il. While I applaud the film-makers for their excellent work, I had to take exception with two points. First, they seem to accept without reservation the idea that the US would seriously consider invading North Korea. Second, their translation tones down the language that is used by their subjects to refer to Americans throughout the film. "Migungnom" is literally "American bastard".