G.C.F in USA

Jungkook has blessed us today with another beautifully shot, beautifully edited G.C.F. However, G.C.F in Tokyo and G.C.F in Osaka seem more intentional, created with a specific artistic vision and narrative in mind, and a clear, true message that JK wanted to share with the world; this latest Golden Closet Film seems to serve the audience more than the creator. G.C.F. in USA marks the first time that all of BTS has appeared together in Jungkook's side project; you can see the love and comfort between all the members —  and that in itself is a beautiful thing — but there is a lack of passion and storytelling here as compared to the other two films, which are far more personal. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with this, but it does seem that JK was filming these scenes for the sake of filming; it's a little more reserved and restricted, and serves as more of a nostalgic behind-the-scenes video for BTS.

G.C.F in USA is filled with these fleeting moments of happiness, but the lyrics of the song are contradicting the visuals, which alludes to some sort of depression or anxiety that JK isn't ready to reveal. Judging from the song choice and lyrics ("When We Were Young" by Lost Kings), it seems that JK is at odds with his own feelings. He's so amazed at what he and his members have achieved as a group, having broken all these records in such a short amount of time, and feels so lucky and fortunate that sometimes his life doesn't feel real; but with all these accomplishments comes a huge, crushing burden and a crippling fear of failure, and he just wants to stop time and go back to simpler days when they weren't as successful but were far less worried. Without this specific song, however, it would just be a well-edited BTS travelogue, which makes me think that he prepared this for their fans more than for himself. (Although this proves that JK uses an incredible amount of thought when choosing the song for his films, especially ones that aren't in his native tongue.)

Each G.C.F has its own merits, of course, and while Tokyo is still my favourite, I do appreciate that each short film has its own theme and emotional attachment. I love that Jungkook can so beautifully capture his youth and the dynamics between him (the director) and his main subjects (one or more of his hyungs/members). One thing that you can always count on these videos for is an artistic eye for filming, muted colour filters that create a wistful mood, sharp and seamless editing skills, and an incredibly apt song choice. If Jungkook ever decides to give up on music, he could very well become an accomplished film director. I just hope he doesn't give up his passion for storytelling.