The late 1990's ended by starting a Korean Platinum age for film (the Golden Age was taken by films in the 60's). One reason for the long layover was due to intense political repression that censored and almost destroyed the entire Korean movie industry during the 70's and 80’s. It wasn't until the democratic handover of power in 1988 that films were allowed to explore creatively, without the blacklisting fist of political censors. Setting the stage for what should have been the new infancy of film, Korean cinema exploded in the late 90's to usher in one of the best decades in Korean movie history.
I've made my list The Most Artistic, Most Accessible Korean Movies (let's just call it the Best!) of the Decade for a specific reason. First, consider the reverse example. If someone had never seen an American movie and wanted to find the Best(!) American film, what would you suggest? You could follow many of the critics and say Citizen Kane. While that is arguable, you may hold back and offer something less boring -- Star Wars? Godfather? Avatar? For this reason, I want the list to be an introduction. Some of these choices are very accessible -- fun to watch, but no breakthrough in bold directing, fearless acting or production techniques. Others are fascinatingly unique, philosophically explorative, boldly subversive, culturally revealing and intellectually attractive that they simply must be watched to fully appreciate the cinematic experience.
Some movies are available in the U.S. with English subtitles. Some were watched in Korea and may not be available in the U.S. at all. Although I wanted to include as many movies that were available to U.S. audiences as possible, I couldn’t ignore the amazing films that never quite make it to American shores. If I could find it on Amazon, I provide the link.
The list starts after the jump!
25) The Host (2006)
Directed by Joon-Ho Bong
The Host holds the number one spot of all-time box office tickets sold in South Korea. It is one of the most expensive and highest earning Korean movies in history. Even more prestigious, it holds the cutoff on this list.
The Host is the story of family conflict in present-day Korea, held against the backdrop of a chemical monster terrorizing Seoul. An American scientist dumps hazardous chemicals directly into the Han River, which coupled with many other pollutants, eventually turns into a small fish-like monster. Years later, the monster is big enough to attack and starts killing people in the surrounding area.
The protagonist of the film is actually a small family that owns a tiny snack shop right near the river. Hee-Bong is the aging father, somewhat disappointed with his lot in life but trying to stay supportive of his family. Gang-du is slightly below average intelligence, but tries his best to raise his young daughter, who is more like a little sister. Nam-il was a college revolutionary that protested for democracy in the 80’s, but is now unsuccessful and an alcoholic. Nam-joo, the sister, is a talented archer that competes in televised events (archery is a bigger deal in Korea than America), but fails in her attempt to win gold and settles with silver, obviously disappointed.
The story picks up when Gang-du's daughter is attacked and taken by the monster, presumably killed. Already mourning her death, a phone call by the daughter informs them that she is still alive and stuck somewhere in the city sewers, the den of the monster. The Korean and American governments have blocked the area off and refuse to believe the girl is still alive, arguing that the monster carries a deadly virus. Despite the risk and quarantine, the family decides they must try and save the little girl.
Although this film is primarily action, it takes stabs at several cultural insights into Korea. And it does so without seeming too preachy. The American scientist carelessly dumping toxic chemicals into the river exemplifies a subtle feeling among some Koreans that America is apathetic, caring little for their ally. The growth of the monster touches on environmentalist concerns. Nam-il reflects a generation that fought for democracy and then discovered that freedom didn't promise success and happiness. The best fighter of the family is the younger sister, an archer, with a nod to feminism. Many academic writers have taken the story of The Host to a deeper level, analyzing cultural undertones and representations in the smallest details. Notwithstanding, the opening of this list should also be a taste of things to come -- Korean films are rarely mindless, trying to reflect some idea or emotion or argument that can be taken away from the film.
This movie is ranked 25 for entertainment coupled with the various cultural nuances. I've seen this movie a few times, once as part of a Korean Film class, and it can be more fulfilling after reading several analyses. But, for the most part, it's still a fun movie to watch. The monster looks a little more on the silly side as opposed to scary. This is also one of the rare Korean movies that uses western actors that can act (in a few other movie examples, the actors sound so awkward that laughing is involuntary).
On Amazon: The Host (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
24) Searching for the Elephant (2009)
Directed by Seung-ku Jeong
This movie gained enormous attention for the subsequent controversy surrounding the film than it did for a critical and cynical look at contemporary Korean life. The story is about three childhood friends, all harboring their own personal demons, reuniting in their 30’s. To the characters and audience, the empty lives of these three men become increasingly pervasive as they struggle with mental instability and relationship problems. As time passes, their friendship is tested and we’re left wondering if their friendship is maintained by nostalgia, or if they have enough reason to stay friends with whom they've become.
Despite the mature theme and insightful criticism of turbo-charged thirty year olds in modern society, the film was spotlighted because one of the starring women killed herself five months before release. Problematically, she appeared topless in several sex scenes before the character cuts her wrists in a tub. As details about the actresses’ real suicide appeared, similar elements of her personal sex life mirrored the character she portrayed. The shock of her death caused police investigations into talent agencies and movie studio systems as well as a national dialogue about women in the film/entertainment industry.
The real details coinciding with the movie themes give this film a unique life in and of itself. As horrible as her suicide was, she could have been the poster child for the criticisms evident in the movie: beauty, success and respect can’t shield an individual from their own demons…perhaps, sometimes, they expose or create nightmares. And are those things what we really want out of life? Or are we confused and misguided? The schizophrenic character that keeps seeing a giant elephant captures a disaffected youth that still searches for something despite having what they all want.
The critiques for contemporary life are illuminating for Korean society, but also for American life. Those currently in their 30's were entering the workforce as the dot-com revolution held the world's imagination for infinite success and promise. Because of this, the movie suggests, many young and successful people were stunted in their maturity -- trying to become successful caused relationships and humanity to take a backseat. While the characters aren't the most likeable, they help warn the viewer what he/she should avoid -- blind, insatiable ambition, lacking a concrete goal other than more success.
I ranked this movie number 24 for blending art and entertainment. Because the protagonist is crazy, the audience is sometimes distracted by the surrealist imagery. The insane protagonist requires a very attentive viewer able to make sense of scenes with jittery time progression and rapid jumps between memories or ideas. Notwithstanding, the film is still wonderful.
(Sorry for no English…I don’t fully understand what they say, but I’m sure it involves sex).
23) A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
Directed by Ji-won Kim
This is the only horror movie on my list, but don't let the genre scare (haha) you away. Horror movies rarely try anything other than terrifying the audience, which is the prime reason we watch horror movies. A Tale of Two Sisters fights against this classification and attempts to make an artistic horror movie with moderate success -- enough to earn it a spot on my list. The film was remade as The Uninvited in America, but please don't take the quality of The Uninvited to reflect at all on the Korean original.
The story follows two close sisters experiencing the troubling situation of living with a new stepmother. Around the same time, strange ghost-like occurrences start happening. In addition to the spirit world coming with the stepmother, her weird behavior toward the daughters causes them to become suspicious of her intentions and innocence. As the film continues, the psychology behind the events becomes evident, reaching a tragic and vain conclusion.
Many critics cite the cinematography and set design as stellar not just for a horror film, but for any film. This may sound boring, but the beautiful furniture, colors, curtains and housing accessories are amazing, especially contrasted against frightening situations. The cinematography, coupled with the vibrant environment, conveys paradoxical destitution and loneliness. Many Korean horror movies mix supernatural and real horror into a single film (there is a ghost killing people, but also a real murderer -- simply coincidence they kill around the same time) and this effect can be interesting simply because of unfamiliarity. A Tale of Two Sisters does this too -- showing ghosts, but also the stepmother dragging a bloody bag through the house. The movie also reveals the twist about 75% of the way through and then uses the remaining time as an explanation and attempted resolution. The final scene, taking place in the past, is the perfect tragic and ironic end -- the stepmother looks deep into the daughter's eyes, and calmly says "you might regret this moment. Keep that in mind." The daughter snarls and walks away quietly, unbeknownst to her the destruction she just set into motion.
This movie is ranked 23 through a mixture of art and entertainment. The set design and attention to detail are incredibly artistic and revealing, sometimes encumbering the story. The movie is psychologically scary, especially for American viewers who may find the unfamiliarity of Korean cinema enhances the unknown. It is entertaining and if I could define the polar opposite of anything by Wes Craven, this would be it.
On Amazon: A Tale of Two Sisters (Two-Discs)
22) Samaritan Girl (2003)
Directed by Ki-duk Kim
The story of Samaritan Girl is actually more exciting than the movie. Two high school friends are selling sex to older men: Yeo-jin is the pimp; Jae-yeong goes to bed with them. After a sudden accident leads to Jae-yeong’s death, Yeo-jin decides to atone by becoming a prostitute herself, something she detests. She refuses to accept money and adopts a philosophy: she helps the lonely men, and by doing something she hates, she atones for her involvement in her friend’s death. But when her father, a cop, discovers that she is a prostitute, he becomes conflicted – arrest his daughter for underage prostitution or allow her to continue. Without her knowledge, he follows her around as she meets customers. Eventually, he becomes so enraged that he kills one of her customers in a bathroom.
Ki-duk Kim’s movies are incredibly philosophical and excellent examples of contemporary Korean artistic filmmaking. With that said, his movies can also be boring to watch. He doesn’t use much music; he shows characters doing mundane and uninteresting things (a few minutes silently smoking a cigarette, for example). And even though these can be important scenes to remind the audience how normal the characters are, it can be tedious to watch.
Notwithstanding, despite the argument for atonement-through-sex, the movie becomes a more common experience as a meditation of the father/daughter relationship. The father is immature in his confrontation with his daughter over her prostitution – he doesn’t talk to her about it, keeping it a secret that he even knows. His eventual decision that he has to let her go live her own life is metaphorized through teaching her to drive and his sudden, Ki-duk Kim trademark disappearance. As she struggles to navigate the car, all the while oblivious to her father’s absence, we see that her sudden independence isn’t really what she imagined.
As with most Ki-duk Kim movies, Samaritan Girl is artistic, slow, insightful and brilliant. It is great to watch if you have the patience and interest – and everyone should see a Ki-duk Kim movie at some point – but expect a lot of silence and communication through the camera. Although there are a few other Ki-duk Kim movies that could probably rank higher, Samaritan Girl has much more dialogue and movement to help the viewer get an idea of some of his trademarks and stylistic choices.
(Sorry for no English subtitles. I really looked hard to find them!)
On Amazon: Samaritan Girl
21) Our School (2006)
Directed by Myeong-joon Kim
Our School is the only documentary on this list. I confess that I haven’t seen too many Korean documentaries (I have seen more than one though!), but this is a very fascinating movie.
A quick historical lesson to set the stage for this film: when Korea was colonized by the Japanese, many ethnic Koreans migrated to Japan (some against their wish). Following Japan’s defeat in World War II, freeing Korea, the Koreans in Japan could stay or repatriate to their old country. Many of these Koreans chose to stay in Japan, facing discrimination and racism for their choice to remain. The Koreans in Japan, called Jaeilkyopo in Korean, established their own schools and communities. Unfortunately, the South Korean government was slow to give financial help to these new schools in Japan whereas North Korea was quick, causing some of the Korean schools in Japan to be closely aligned with North Korean ideology.
Our School chronicles the life of one such North Korean school in Hokkaido, Japan. The students all deal with the normal student issues, but also their attempts to identify who they are in the world. As an American, I was particularly interested by how racial identity and conflict occurs in other cultures. Also interesting is how friendly the children are to North Korea, a country that is very hard to see in a positive light. The senior trip for many of the kids is a boat ride to North Korea – they are protested by the Japanese as they leave and enter Japan, but greeted and sent off with a band in North Korea.
Despite the international conflicts evident in the kids’ education, the simple everyday life also serves as a microscope to the experience of Jaeilkyopo. For example, the final soccer game for the high school seniors is against a Japanese team – racially, entirely Japanese – playing the Korean school, which is entirely Korean. The emotion behind the game reaches similar levels as when any Korean team plays against a Japanese team, since the two countries are often sports rivals (see also figure skating with Mao Asada and Yu-na Kim). But it’s important to remember that in the Our School soccer game, everybody is “Japanese.”
Perhaps the viewer may be bored watching the struggles of Jaeilkyopo educators trying to fundraise over winter break, a challenge considering the Japanese government often provides little funding to Korean schools compared to normal schools. So the film takes this spot as artistic; entertaining only if you’re interested in the broad subjects the film addresses, which are more verbose and complicated than I’ve described. A Jaeilkyopo friend of mine once lamented she had no home – she didn’t look Japanese, didn’t speak like a Korean. This film seems to scratch the surface of what she meant.
(Sorry for no English subtitles)
That’s the introduction! I’ll break into the top 20 this weekend! You know you’re stoked!
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