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Masumura’s brilliant adaptation of a novel by Yoriyoshi Arima tells the story of a young nurse (Ayako Wakao) stationed at an army hospital in 1939, at the time of the Sino-Japanese war. Appearing at a time when Japanese studios are producing largely escapist fare; when independent distributors in the UK and in the US are... Continue Reading →
“Why couldn’t the lens capture on the spot the cerebral life, the chemical reactions of the brain, the silver bath of the association of images, the over- or underexposure of the principal idea and the marvels of the surge of the subconscious, revealing all?” “Pourquoi l’objectif ne saisirait-il pas sur le vif la vie cérébrale,... Continue Reading →
On paper at least, Private Eye (literally, Shadow Murder) looks mildly promising, as the film boasts a collection of talented actors, including Ryoo Deok-hwan (Like a Virgin), Hwang Jeong-min (Black House) and Oh Dal-soo, and the period atmosphere (1910 colonial Korea) was created by the same person responsible for the wonderful sets used in The... Continue Reading →
Synopsis A timid college lecturer, Dae-woo, who is smart but has never been in love, meets a mysterious but charming woman, Mi-na. With no skills to win a date, he asks her out awkwardly. To his surprise, she accepts. And as a first time lover, he behaves very unnaturally. However, as they fall in love,... Continue Reading →
Some of the most engaging films coming out of France these days are not dramas or thrillers, but documentaries, often made on tight budgets and restricted to broadcast on national television, then promptly forgotten. William Karel, whose documentaries have for years been a permanent fixture on local networks, is working diligently to ensure that his... Continue Reading →
Here's a list of films for readers seeking out the best in Korean cinema. It's been a while since I updated it, though. Best Korean DVDs 2011 Poongsan, Juhn Jaihong Bleak Night, Sung Hyun Yoon Best Korean DVDs 2009 The Road to Sampo, Lee Man-hee A Tale of Cinema, Hong Sang-soo Like You Know it... Continue Reading →
When I reviewed the digitally restored print of The Housemaid at last year’s Pusan International Film Festival, I asserted that, when Kim Ki-young’s classic was released on video, it would be one of the most cherished DVDs of the year. Having seen the new Korean region-free transfer, I’ve had to temper my enthusiasm somewhat, though... Continue Reading →
This month, Taewon Entertainment, under the auspices of the Korean Film Archive, has released a boxset of four films by legendary director Kim Ki-young. It has been over a decade since the 2nd Pusan International Film Festival hosted the first major retrospective of the director’s work, leading to requests from festivals the world over to... Continue Reading →
Hyperbola of Youth (1956), Han Hyung-mo’s satirical musical comedy, tells the story of two friends, one rich, the other poor, both suffering from digestive disorders, who agree to exchange lifestyles for two weeks on the advice of their physician. Each of them falls in love with the other’s younger sister and by the end of... Continue Reading →
“A catastrophe! What we need is a catastrophe! An earthquake, a flood, or better yet: a train wreck. A forest fire, perhaps? The California forests are burning all the time. Nothing ever happens in this godforsaken Hunsrück! – Lucie, Heimat 1 Heimat: an unparalleled achievement There can no longer be any question that Heimat, German... Continue Reading →
The box office success of films like last year’s The King and the Clown and this year’s The Host can’t conceal the fact that Korean cinema is facing difficult times. Exports of domestic films have dropped dramatically, as have those of television dramas. Industry watchers have pointed out the current under-representation of Korean films at... Continue Reading →
Women in prison films have been with us for ages, and it looks as though they will continue to attract directors for a long time to come. My personal favorite is Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41 (1972). Oddly enough, the most recent incarnation of the genre I’ve seen, Park Chan-Wook’s Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2006),... Continue Reading →
Bernd Eichinger, acclaimed producer of The Downfall, returns to tackle Germany’s turbulent past in Der Baader Meinhof Komplex, documenting a decade of the activities of the Red Army Faction. Based on Stefan Aust’s authoritative book, the film, one of the costliest yet made in Germany, brings together a cast of some of Germany’s leading actors... Continue Reading →
Already screened at half a dozen film festivals worldwide (including Toronto and Rotterdam), with still a few more on the horizon, Daytime Drinking, the ultra low budget road movie by Noh Young-seok, signals the arrival of a fresh new voice in Korean cinema. While Noh—who served as writer, cinematographer, producer, editor and composer on his... Continue Reading →
Straddling an uneasy line between humor and pathos, Between Love & Hate, the tale of an affair between Yeong-hun (Kim Seung-woo), an engaged man working as a waiter in his mother’s restaurant and Yeon-ah (Jang Jin-yeong), a hostess in a karaoke bar, is a singularly frustrating experience. The drama signals the directorial debut of actor/screenwriter... Continue Reading →
Synopsis Muraki, a photographer for a pornographic magazine, develops a morbid infatuation for a young woman while watching her take part in a stag film, in which she is raped by three students. He eventually learns of her whereabouts, and arranges to meet with her in an isolated park. Upon discovering that she was the... Continue Reading →
“Brain”, the Korean hospital drama about a pair of young rival neurosurgeons, started airing in November. I've only watched six episodes so far, but I can report that it is very engaging. It might interest readers because it stars none other than Shin Ha Gyoon, the wonderful actor in Save the Green Planet, Sympathy for... Continue Reading →
It's been over a year since I've published anything at all about Korean cinema, so I thought I'd go ahead and create a new blog, this time with a focus on travel and photography. I'll be adding the old movie reviews in a couple of weeks (for anyone curious enough to check them out), and I... Continue Reading →
The Daejeon Chronicles 