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Okja
Animal Liberation Front (ALF) Members
Red
Jay
“We are animal lovers.”
Jay is the leader of the ALF group in the movie. He is a firm believer in the ALF’s credo, or their values and ethics. As a result, he will allow no deviations from their credo, even when it seems convenient to do so. This is evident when he asks for Mija’s consent to carry out their mission. It is also evident when he beats down K for breaking the credo. Jay’s character shows what a leader can do when they are sincere in their beliefs. But it also shows that sometimes ideology can go too far - this feeling is evoked when he is beating up K.
Paul Dano plays the role of Jay convincingly, showing off Jay’s personality through his manner of speech and soft facial expressions.
K
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“She agrees to the mission.”
K is a member of the ALF who desperately wants to advance the cause. Because of this, he mistranslates Mija inside the truck so that they can continue the mission. As a result, Jay kicks him out of the ALF. But he later returns, with a tattoo that reads, “Translations are scared.” He is always looking to prove his worth.
Steven Yeun plays the role of K well, portraying the Korean-American well through his language. His acting shows off K’s well meaning demeanor.
Red
“Don’t be so selfish. This isn’t about you or us, and she is Okja’s family. So of course we need her consent.”
Red is a member of the ALF who has a confidence in her ability to get the job done when it needs to be. She also expresses remorse at times, especially after realizing that they sent Okja into a place where she would be tortured.
Lily Collins plays the role of Red well, with a certain confidence that exemplifies Red’s character.
Blond and Silver
Blond (left) - “I’m so sorry we hurt you. It wasn’t our intention, okay?”
Silver (right) - “No compromise!”
Blond and Silver are a gay couple within the ALF. Both echo the sentiments of the organization. Silver’s specific role in the ALF is unclear, but Blond is seen hacking things behind the stage towards the end of the film.
Silver as a character, however, seems to question the foundations of vegan ideology, refusing to eat even a tomato at one point in order to leave “the smallest footprint he can.” According to Silver, “All food production is exploitative.” This is indeed true - even in non animal agriculture, living beings are abused in the process of production. At the same time, this statement questions the effectiveness of limiting any sort of consumption under capitalism, since there is no ethical consumption under capitalism.
Daniel Henshall and Devon Bostick play their roles very well, and their characters side remarks at points add humor into scenes.
Kim
“Yeah. Mirando is completely fucked.”
Kim is a driver for the Mirando Corporation who quits after the ALF hijacks his truck. However, he doesn’t really care about it, since it is just “company property”. In the after credits scene, he has joined the ALF, and is seen talking to Red, who seems to show some interest in him.
Woo Shik Choi plays Kim incredibly well. His acting truly shows that Kim does not care about the Mirando Corporation at all.
© 2020 by Joseph Nestor Yu Tan. EGL121 - Kay Sohini
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