• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.184-193
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• 2022

'Burnout', which has been frequently used recently, is one of the representative expressions representing the psychology of modern people living in fierce competition. In this paper, I approached and analyzed two films, 'Hector and the Search for Happiness' and 'To Each His Own' from the perspective of burnout, which are considered two of the most healing movies for office workers. The symptoms of burnout in the work were lethargy, irritability, anger, insomnia, depression, and suicidal thoughts. In the case of 'Hector and the Search for Happiness' the clash of values from repeated consulting work, and in the case of 'To Each His Own', work overload, performance pressure, and the absence of a community of colleagues were the causes. This burnout state is visually expressed through the dialogues and expressions of the characters, as well as looking down shots of various sizes, low lighting, and placing objects in front of the main character. This intuitively expressed the symptoms of burnout, which is difficult to diagnose. In particular, it was confirmed through the movie that one of the diagnostic criteria for burnout, such as hobbies, physical activity, and the presence or absence of a fellow community, helps to get out of burnout.