The Host Quotes

US Doctor in Morgue: Mr. Kim,

[running a finger along the counter]

US Doctor in Morgue: I hate dust more than anything.

Young Korean Doctor: Oh, I will clean again.

US Doctor in Morgue: You don't have to clean up now. Why don't you dump this first?

Young Korean Doctor: That's formaline.

US Doctor in Morgue: Formaldehyde, to be precise. To be even more precise, dirty formaldehyde. Every bottle is coated with layers of dust. Pour 'em into the sink.

Young Korean Doctor: Excuse me?

US Doctor in Morgue: Just empty every bottle to the very last drop.

Young Korean Doctor: It's just - They are toxic chemicals, and the regulations state...

US Doctor in Morgue: Pour them right down the drain, Mr. Kim.

Young Korean Doctor: If I pour them in the drain, they'll run into the Han River.

US Doctor in Morgue: That's right. Let's just dump them in the Han River.

Young Korean Doctor: But, you know, this is not just any toxic chemicals...

US Doctor in Morgue: The Han River is very broad, Mr. Kim. Let's try to be broad-minded about this. Anyway, that's an order. So, start pouring.

Park Nam-il: [Points his gun precariously at Gang-du, who is sitting on the other side of the room, sound asleep] Look at that... Isn't that amazing? In this situation?

Park Nam-Joo: Wake him up, there's no time.

Park Hie-bong: Let him sleep a minute. He needs to sleep every so often.

Park Nam-il: Should we leave him here? He's no help anyway.

Park Hie-bong: Kids, wait a minute. Sit down. In your view, is Gang-du really so pathetic?

Park Nam-il: Yup.

Park Nam-Joo: Yes.

Park Hie-bong: You wouldn't know it, but he was a really smart kid. For example, when he was two, he'd sit in front of the village store, and everyone walking by would ask him directions. That's how smart he looked. As you know, when he was young, I was out of my mind, hardly ever coming home, staying out all night. And this poor boy with no mother, he must have been so hungry. Going around, doing seo-ri all the time. Raising himself an organic farm. Whenever he got caught, he'd get beaten up. In this way, he lacked protein when he needed it most. So that's why, every now and then, he dozes off like a sick rooster. I think something up there...

[He gestures to Gang-du's brain]

Park Hie-bong: ...must have gone wrong too.

[Nam-il starts as he nearly falls asleep]

Park Hie-bong: Have any of you heard it? The heartbreak of a parent who's lost a child... When a parent's heart breaks, the sound can travel for miles. So I really need to say this to you. Be as nice to Gang-du as you can. Don't scold him, okay?

US Doctor trying to operate Gang-Du: [speaking to his colleague in private] The late Sgt. Donald, the first one classified as a victim of the virus, was given an extensive autopsy and no virus was found. He died of shock during the operation. Also, no traces of the virus were found in any of the patients quarantined. Simply put, so far, there is no virus whatsoever.

Park Gang-Du: [in English] Huh? No virus?

[in Korean]

Park Gang-Du: You mean there's no virus? Right? There's no virus!

Park Gang-Du: Let's have a cold one. Here.

[He hands Hyun-seo a can of beer]

Park Hyun-seo: This is alcohol.

Park Gang-Du: Well, you're in middle school now.

Park Gang-Du: Dad, am I dying?

Park Hie-bong: Don't say that! Just do what the doctors tell you.

Officer: Your daughter, Park Hyun-seo, a seventh grader at Dangsan Middle School. She's on the deceased list.

Park Gang-Du: Yeah, she goes to Dangsan School... she's deceased... but she's not dead.

[the officer laughs]

Park Gang-Du: I mean, she died, but she's still alive.

Officer: Now you're talking in circles.

Park Nam-Joo: [wiping away tears] She's so pretty in that photo.

Park Hie-bong: She looks just like... her mom in that photo.

Park Nam-Joo: Do you think her mom even knows that she died?

Park Hie-bong: Not a chance. It's been thirteen years since she popped out the baby and ran off.

Park Nam-il: [glares over at Gang-du, who is sprawled out on the gym floor, fast asleep and snoring gently] I'd run away, too, damn it.

[to Gang-du]

Park Nam-il: You asleep? Huh?

[He prods Gang-du with his foot, but Gang-du doesn't stir]

Park Hie-bong: Nam-il.

Park Nam-il: [to Gang-du] You can sleep at a time like this?

Park Hie-bong: What are you doing to your brother?

Park Gang-Du: [watching the news and seeing himself and his family as wanted fugitives] Hey, we should tape this and show it to Hyun-seo. Daddy on TV.

Park Nam-il: Jesus...

Officer: [moving in towards the dividing screen of plastic to insist to Gang-du] Your daughter never called you in the first place, okay?

[to Hie-bong]

Officer: Your son had a dream, but it was so real that...

[Nam-joo interrupts him by placing the flat of her hand to his chest]

Park Nam-Joo: You don't believe anything we said?

Officer: Now you're obstructing an officer in the line of duty.

Park Hie-bong: [Gently pushing his daughter away] Step back, Nam-joo.

Park Gang-Du: Officer, should I explain it again? The way it happened was...

Officer: I know, I know, I know. You yourself saw your daughter die. But she called you in the middle of the night? Does that make any sense? That's completely ridiculous.

Park Nam-il: A servant of the people, talking back like that?

Officer: Then what's your problem?

Park Nam-il: You fucking...

Park Gang-Du: Stop! This is...

[He holds up a cell phone]

Park Gang-Du: This is my daughter, Park Hyun-seo. My daughter. I'm the creature.

[He puts the phone into his mouth]

Park Gang-Du: I ate her. Okay? And then...

[He spits the phone out into a small plastic bin]

Park Gang-Du: [Choking back sobs] It happened like this. This is a sewer. You don't understand?

Se-joo: What would you like to eat?

Park Hyun-seo: Beer. A cold beer.

Park Gang-Du: [Strapped to an operating table, his head encased in a strange looking protractor-like contraption with a needle attached to it] You're talking about a virus that doesn't exist. Mister, they said there's no virus. So, you should let me go now.

[He starts to sob]

Park Gang-Du: My daughter Hyun-seo is under Wonhyo bridge.

[Panicked]

Park Gang-Du: I need to go quickly. Please let me go. Okay, mister, huh?

[Suddenly, angrily]

Park Gang-Du: You shitheads! You bastards!

[Panicking desperately again]

Park Gang-Du: Please, mister, I beg you, let me go. I'll give you my food stand, okay? I'll give the rights to you.

[One of the doctors begins drawing a pencil mark on either side of Gang-du's forehead]

Park Gang-Du: What are you doing? Please, mister! Wait!

[We hear drilling, and Gang-du half-cries, half-quavers]

Park Gang-Du: Fuck! This is driving me crazy! I really need to get to Hyun-seo!

[He hyperventilates]

Park Gang-Du: Mister! Please, save me! What is this? Please!

[as the needles edge further to his head, Gang-du sobs hysterically]

Park Gang-Du: Hyun-seo, I'm sorry. Daddy...

Park Hie-bong: I received a complaint from Mat Number 4. Their squid had only nine legs. Did you eat one?

Park Gang-Du: No.

Park Hie-bong: Don't deny it. Why touch other people's things? Think of it from the customer's perspective. A squid. The torso tastes delicious, but the legs, especially the longest one, has something special, right?

[He pulls a half eaten squid leg out of the pocket of Gang-du's hoodie]

Park Hie-bong: [Thrusting a tray into his son's arms] Take this to Mat Number 4. Tell them it's on the house.

Park Nam-il: [grabbing a grieving Gang-du by the arm] So you screwed up, huh? I heard everything. You grabbed some other girl's hand?

[He claws at his brother's head]

Park Nam-il: You left Hyun-seo on the ground?

[He takes another swipe at Gang-du but Hie-bong holds him back]

Park Nam-il: Your own daughter? You call yourself a fucking father?

[as he says this he manages to kick Gang-du]

Park Nam-il: You son of a bitch!

Park Gang-Du: [bawling] I thought it was Hyun-seo's hand!

Girl: Daddy!

[the sound of her voice wakes Gang-du from his sleep at the counter. He looks around, dazed]

Park Gang-Du: Huh? Hyun-seo? Hyun-seo?

[He finds that the voice is instead from a young girl, not his daughter, walking past the counter with a popsicle]

Girl: Wait for me!

[Gang-du sighs and lays his head down at the counter]

Park Hie-bong: [annoyed] Now that you're finally awake...

[He hurls a packet at his son's head]

Park Hie-bong: I need three squids for Mat 4.

[He bends down to get a can of beer and mutters to himself]

Park Hie-bong: God, how much sleep can a body take?

US Doctor trying to operate Gang-Du: [to Gang-du, in English] Now, Mr. Park... I heard that your daughter is still alive.

Young Korean Doctor: [translating in Korean] "I heard that your daughter is still alive".

[Gang-du looks up at the doctor. Finally, someone believes him!]

US Doctor trying to operate Gang-Du: [in English] Is she really alive?

Young Korean Doctor: [in Korean] "Is that true?"

Park Gang-Du: [slowly but desperately, in Korean] Yes! My daughter is... now... in the sewer under Wonhyo Bridge...

Young Korean Doctor: [in English, to the US Doctor] He says his daughter is in a sewer near Wonhyo Bridge.

US Doctor trying to operate Gang-Du: [in English] Jesus! Why didn't you report this the police, or the military?

Young Korean Doctor: [in Korean] "Why didn't you contact the police, or the military"?

Park Gang-Du: [in Korean] B-because nobody...

US Doctor trying to operate Gang-Du: [in English] Haven't you considered contacting a television station, or a human rights organization?

Young Korean Doctor: [in Korean] "Have you considered contacting a television station, or a human rights organization?"

Park Gang-Du: [sobbing, in Korean] Because nobody fucking listens to me, damn it!

Young Korean Doctor: [in English] "Because nobody fucking listens to me!"

Park Gang-Du: [still sobbing, in Korean] Please don't cut me off! My words are words, too! Why don't you listen to my words?

[Nam-il has been watching Gang-du jogging in the disinfectant truck's fumes behind them as they steadily drive along]

Park Nam-il: [to Hie-bong] Why does he have to do that? He's not a little kid.

Park Hie-bong: Let him be. He wants to disinfect himself. He's worried he'll pass the virus onto Hyun-seo.

[the Park siblings are watching a report about them on a TV. One nurse being interviewed has had her voice sped up and her face concealed to protect her identity]

Korean nurse on TV: The blond one, who made direct contact with it. He's the stupidest of all.

Park Nam-il: That bitch. Listen to the mouth on her.

Korean nurse on TV: He pounced on me and slammed me to the floor. I think he gave me arthritis. That's what he's like.

Park Nam-il: I know who she is. Like we can't recognize her through that voice-disguiser?