Film

For all of Korea’s efforts in finance, electronics and promoting its food and tradition, it’s its film industry that has had the most success in pushing the country as a global brand, and Seoul has inevitably been at the very centre of affairs. While Korean horror flicks have developed an international cult following, and a number of esteemed directors have set international film festivals abuzz, special mention must also be made of the locally produced television dramas that have caught on like wildfire across Asia. Like many of the movies, these are highly melodramatic offerings that don’t seek to play on the heartstrings so much as power-chord the merry hell out of them. All of these form part of the Hallyeo movement, a “New Wave” of Korean production that has been in motion since cinematic restrictions were lifted in the 1980s.

After the Korean War, the film industries in North and South Korea developed separately; leaders on both sides saw movies as a hugely useful propaganda tool, and made immediate efforts to revive local cinema. In the south, President Syngman Rhee conferred tax-exempt status on movie-makers, who made films looking back at the misery of wartime and the occupation, and forward to a rosy future for non-Communist Korea. By the end of the 1950s, annual movie output had reached triple figures, with the most popular being watched by millions. The accession of Park Chung-hee to president in 1961, however, brought an end to what passed for cinematic freedom – in addition to the censorship and hard-fisted restrictions over local productions, foreign films were vetted and placed under a strict quota system, elements of which remained in place until 2006. As Park’s rule grew ever more dictatorial, he inaugurated a short-lived era of “governmental policy” films; these were hugely unpopular, and cinema attendance dropped sharply.

The Hallyeo “New Wave”

After Park’s death, democratization and the gradual relaxation of restrictions gave rise to the Hallyeo movement. With the loosening of controls in the 1980s, a clutch of talented directors was finally able to give Korea exposure in the West. Foremost among them was Im Kwon-taek, a maverick who shrugged off his role as a creator of commercial quota-fillers to unleash some striking new films. The government continued to provide funding for the movie industry until the 1999 release of Shiri, the country’s first fully independent film. Since then, Korean films have reached an ever-greater international audience, and a number of directors such as Kim Ki-duk and Park Chan-wook are now globally acclaimed. The films recommended below are those that give an insight into Korea in general and Seoul in particular.

Chihwaseon (2002) Sometimes going under the title Painted Fire, this beautifully shot tale of Jang Seung-eop – a nineteenth-century Seoulite painter best known by his pen name Owon – won the Best Director award at Cannes for Im Kwon-taek, a maverick who had been around for decades but was previously ignored on the international stage.

Crossing the Line (2006) The late James Joseph Dresnok was a movie-maker’s delight, but this fascinating documentary was the world’s only peek inside the mind of “Comrade Joe”, one of four American soldiers known to have defected to North Korea after the Korean War. With a candour showing an (apparently) genuine love of his adopted country, Dresnok tells of his journey from a troubled adolescence to old age in Pyongyang, including his crossing of the treacherous DMZ, a failed attempt at escape, and his stint as a star on the North Korean silver screen.

The Host (2006) The tranquil life of a riverside merchant is blown to smithereens when formaldehyde disposed into the Hangang (Seoul’s major river;) by the American military creates a ferocious underwater creature. This comic thriller smashed box office records in Korea; although the international reception was nowhere near as fervent, it’s worth a look.

Joint Security Area (2000) Any Korean film about the DMZ is worth a look, as is anything by acclaimed director Park Chan-wook. Here, two North Korean soldiers are killed in the DMZ; like Memento (which came out the following year), the story plays backwards, revealing the lead-up piece by piece.

The King and the Clown (2005) A period drama with homosexual undercurrents, this was an unexpected smash hit at the box office. Set during the reign of King Yeonsan – whose short rule began in 1494 – it tells of a pair of street entertainers who find themselves in Seoul’s royal court. One of them fosters an ever-closer relationship with the king.

Okja (2017) Despite a glitchy premiere, this is one of the best and most important Korean films of recent times, a controversial action-adventure story mostly set in Seoul, starring Korean child actress Ahn Seo-hyun as she attempts to rescue her “super pig” Okja from the clutches of a powerful corporation. Also features Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano.

The President’s Last Bang (2005) Korea has long been crying out for satire, particularly something to inject a little fun into its turgid political reportage, and this hits the nail squarely on the head (as demonstrated by the lawsuit that followed). It’s based on a true story, namely the assassination of president Park Chung-hee in 1979; the portrayal of Park as something of a Japanese-sympathetic playboy certainly ruffled a few feathers.

Silmido (2003) Loosely based on events in the 1960s, which saw South Korean operatives receive secret training on the island of Silmido (not far from the island hosting Incheon airport) to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. The film broke Korean box office records, and provides a fascinating depiction of the tensions of the time.

The Throne (2015) The eighteenth-century murder of Crown Prince Sado is a fascinating tale, so it’s somewhat surprising that it took this long for it to be spun into a decent film – this made off with several major Korean awards.

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