South Korean films are full of experiments

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The very first South Korean film released in the Russian box office more than 15 years ago was the dramatic thriller Shiri directed by Kang Jae-gyu. After that, almost all the works of Kim Ki-dok and Pak Chang-wook were shown in domestic cinema (the detective thriller "Oldboy" even became popular, because the main antagonist had the voice of Gosha Kutsenko), South Korean films by Lee Chang-don, Pong Joon-ho, Lee Myung-se and Hong Sang Soo. But for the most part, this film industry has remained mysterious and unknown to the compatriot viewer. After 2013, the Russian audience did not have the opportunity to appreciate all the achievements of this cinematography.

Out of media radar

But South Korean films have not disappeared anywhere and certainly have not become worse, they constantly take part in all kinds of international film festivals, but are more available for viewing only on the Internet, getting into Russian cinemas only occasionally. Paradoxically, they are characterized by stubborn inattention among Russian critics, film critics and journalists. Sometimes South Korean films with Russian voice acting suddenly get on the radar of the domestic press (if the creatorreceives an award from an international festival). In this case, they write about the picture, but mostly retelling the established set of myths and clichés borrowed from Western sources. This perception and attitude is completely unfair, because South Korea is one of the few countries in which cinema is developing in the 21st century, and not degrading.

Stimulation of experiments

The whole structure of Korean cinema encourages experimentation. The success of the films is completely unpredictable, no one needs special effects, the participation of movie stars cannot guarantee box office receipts. Cases where producer formulas for success or "high concepts" have worked are the exceptions, not the rules. Therefore, producers are simply forced to work with authors who have an individual style, even if a regular genre film is being shot. A vivid example of a successful union of creators can serve as a fantastic melodrama "The Werewolf Boy" directed by Cho Sung-hee.

Impregnated with emotions

Jo Sung Hee's film is truly great. The moral implication is clear without words. Professional directorial work, a well-balanced plot, high-quality shooting and editing - these are far from all the laudatory characteristics of the film "The Werewolf Boy". The cast is also impressive with its organicity, all the actors are chosen wonderfully and all as one coped with the task. The main character is played by Song Joong Ki, a talented young actor who not only has good looks, but also dramatic potential. his partner,Park Bo Young, who played the female lead, is a sweet girl who is an aspiring but promising actress, and is not without talent. The plot is not replete with innovation, but impressive. The whole film is saturated with emotions, however, like other South Korean films about love. The ending of the story is tragic, but natural, which saddens and conquers overnight.

Tears and blood

Somewhat different emotions are evoked by the crime drama thriller "The Man from Nowhere" adapted for the audience "outside of Asia". Director Lee Jong Bum has given the world an up-to-date drama filled with a fair amount of action. In world cinema, there are a fair number of films with a similar plot, in which there is a lone hero and a crowd of bad guys. The achievement of Lee Jong Bum should be considered the fact that he brought something new, the author's interpretation to the well-known, thanks to which it was a resounding success not only at home, but also at the global box office. Nowhere Man is an extremely violent but strikingly beautiful film. The abundance of corpses and blood does not cause a feeling of disgust due to either the "dancing" style of fighting, or the mesmerizing camera movements. In the film there is no excessively pretentious praise of the main character, there is not a grain of vulgarity and hypocrisy. Everything in it is competent, subtle and concise - in an oriental way. From the casting, the lead actor Won Bin (formerly a model) stands out, who is currently not filming for an unknown reason. Kim Sae Ron perfectly revealed the image of a girl who is not needed by anyone, even her mother. Kim Hee Won and Kim Sun Ohembodied on the screen the brothers causing irritation. Tanayoung Wongtrakul played the role of a sentimental hit man.

Role of author

The role of the director in Korean cinema is paradoxical - autism exists in it not in its modern, degrading and degenerate form, but in its original form. The author, fighting for his author's vision with the studio and producers, manages to shoot South Korean films for the audience. An example is Pong Joon Ho's Memories of Murder, which was unconditionally listed by both critics and film publications as one of the top 10 best films of the past decade. Most of Park Chan Wook's works are box office hits. The main South Korean blockbuster of 2012 by a follower of David Mamet, Choi Dong Hoon, "Thieves" is also a purely author's film in the genre of a classic privateer.

Worthy of attention and study

South Korean films are not third world cinema, but an entire film industry. This is cinema, which at the present time among the countries of the "third world" is not. In addition to those recognized by the West, there are other authors in it, and everything interesting is not limited to “Memories of a Murder” and “Oldboy”. South Korean cinema deserves study and attention, as it is constantly and constantly changing, looking for its own way, style, processing all acceptable and well-known film genres in the world.