Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Blog Archive
-
▼
2009
(34)
-
▼
July
(32)
- Week 5 Reading Responses
- Epitaph Responses
- Oldboy Responses
- Christmas in August Responses
- Sopyonje Responses
- If You Were Me Responses
- A Single Spark Responses
- stray bullet
- Week 2 Reading Responses
- Stray Bullet Responses
- Housemaid
- The housemaid
- The Housemaid
- The Housemaid
- The Housemaid
- The Housemaid
- The Housemaid
- The Housemaid
- the housemaid
- The Housemaid
- Homeless Angels
- The opening scene to the movie made me feel like t...
- Homeless Angels
- Homeless Angels
- homeless angels response
- Homeless Angels
- Homeless angels
- Homeless Angel
- Homeless Angels
- Homeless Angels
- Homeless Angels
- Homeless Angels
-
▼
July
(32)
Korean cinema, through many years of struggle, at last began to find its place in international film industry and achieved much recognition. Moon Jae-chol claims that the cause of the revolution in Korean film industry was sparked by a fresh young generation, “many of whom were cinephiles or student activists from divergent backgrounds.” His idea of “Korean New Wave” is quite complex to comprehend at first glance but in a nutshell, he believes that the strategy of New Wave to change was to hybrid two concepts of auteurism and realism. Though Western film industry took the idea of auteurism by emphasizing film as art, Korean film industry took such idea as the operator for challenging the Korean film institution. Moon Jae-chol’s belief that the reborn of Korean film industry occurred through political influence is agreeable. Understanding the importance of historical consciousness of the director and recognition of current social situation as a virtue, one can visualize in his mind the chaotic film themes and topics. In other words, I believe it is true that the hardship within the development of Korean cinema was the key to its survival.
ReplyDeleteIn Yoshimoto's "Concept of Asian Horror" he argues that the term itself is a problematic notion. the idea is paralleled ona smaller scale in his article with the idea of J-horror or Japan-ness. These terms are constructed via a western logic and objectification of things both Japanese and Asian. Both concepts, he argues are hard to escape when examining works from Asia or the nations inside of it because it stems from a faux cinematic nationalism (cinema as a national representation can also include the horror genre) and these films are over described as depicting something uniquely Japanese or Asian. I also found it interesting that the generalization of the term Asian Horror according to Yoshimoto attempts to supercede the ideas of auteurism and national cinema because these are two categories that have been a part of the foundation of film criticisms.
ReplyDelete-James Seiling
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Meaning of Newness" author Moon Jae-cheol observes that B-grade and cult films used to be considered different and unconventional and would "shock mainstream filmgoers" (47). However, these types of films eventually become popularized in integrated "into mainstream language" (47). Which leads me to wonder how any director striving for innovation could ever reach the status of a true innovator. Since mainstream artistic institutions seem to have the ability to turn any and many art forms into a popular one, is it really possible to escape it? Reading further into the article, I find the answer is yes. To support my answer, I use the works of Director Kim Ji-un to show that it's possible to create films that transcend being labeled one or a few bland categories or genres. His works are a blend of commercial, independent, art, and genre films, which in turn give them a "peculiar [set] of characteristics" (47). For example, his film "A Bittersweet Life" is full of action, crime, an excess of violence, comedy, and irony with a touch of film noir. It's unconventional, not to mention almost impossible to put it to any one genre. Suppose when filmgoers become familiar with this style of film, the director could mix in another genre and hence create a new form. Directors like Kim Ji-un have infinite combinations to explore as long as he is innovative enough to cross boundaries of conventional expectations of film. (Anny Wong)
ReplyDeleteMoon Jae-cheol's article "The Meaning of Newness in Korean Cinema" helped me to better understand the sudden and jarring change from new-wave political films such as "Sopyonje" to violent and shocking films like "Oldboy" and "Epitaph". Traditionally Korean films have incorporated an element of melodrama under the label of realism, and this melodrama, mixed with realism and politics, marked korean cinema of the late-'80s/early-'90s. But the constant drive for innovation led Korean directors away from both realism, politics, and the necessity of auterism/art film. In its place came extreme violence, irony, and mass-culture. Park Chan-wook's Oldboy well embodies the shift in korean filmmaking, with its unrealistic and gruesome violence, the use of dark humor, and its international accessibility and acclaim. With the decline of realism comes the emphasis on spectacle and "image" to excite audiences. One very effective way to do so is through the depiction of violence. "Oldboy" is a notable example, while Korean horror films such as "Epitaph" also use violence to shock and create spectacle.
ReplyDelete"The Concept of Asian Horror" by Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto talks about the obscurity that is involved when classifying films into the term “Asian horror”. And this becomes even more ambiguous due to the expanded genre of horror in horror itself nowadays. He further argues that it actually may be wrong to define the term Asian horror itself since it is fairly impossible to separate the national interior and the foreign exterior due to the borderless world that we are in at the present and further backs up this claim with the ideas of J-horror and Japan-ness. The author states furtherly that the main concern that is dealt in horror films is the notion between life and death. However, it is fairly impossible to clear out the distinction between human and non-human forms of life since our interest is not focused on the condition of human identity but more to the uncertain relation to death.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Meaning of Newness in Korean Cinema," Moon Jae-cheol talks about effort of Korean cinema geing globalized, and he claims Korean cinema is no longer in Korea iitself but closer to world wide now. One of the evidences of globalization in Korean cinema is awards at international fim festivals, and "Old Boy" got even more famouse in Kroea for winning the award. "Old Boy" also considers viewers like Moon Jae-cheol mentioned, "viewers also changed," "Old Boy" combines diffrent global languages and levels to 2003. Also as the author gives the example fo "Volcano High School," viewers seek for better computer graphics, the roll of 3D graphic designers is getting bigger; some movies hire a 3D graphic designer from another country. Ovarall, as much as Korean Cinema is develping with much of effort in the industry, Koreans should be aware of the effor and give credit, and it is sure, in this few years, the "New Wave" is growing greatly.
ReplyDeleteIn Yoshimoto's "Concept of Asian Horror", there was a statement that really got my attention. He stated that globalization transformed the world into a "new superflat information surface" which dissipated national borders. Thus, it was impossible to separate the national interior and foreign exterior. With the instantaneous communication it is impossible for a complete separation between national and foreign ideas. The article insinuates that the goal is to make strict distinctions however in the world today integration is key. However, there needs to be an equal amount of both national and international. By doing so, it can appeal to both the locally and internationally.
ReplyDeleteMoon Jae-cheol's article "The Meaning of Newness in Korean Cinema" helped me to understand the focus on violence and physical acts in some of the more recent movies we have watched. Specifically Epitaph. The movie, if taken out of context, and show in small clips is so exciting to the eyes and ears. This article helped me to understand that much of the focus of these films was on technical aspects and being focused on exploring and expressing image. This is puts films in a different perspective for me. While I still believe that adding more narrative to these incredibly visual films would elevate them to a more desirable level, I now understand why they are the way they are, and what they are trying to accomplish. They want to innovate, so hopefully in their task to innovate and elevate korean cinema they realize that narrative will help them reach that goal.
ReplyDelete"Conecpt of Asian Horror" by Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto states that asian horror emered as less coherent genre or consistent totality. Its unique ways to thrill and scare the audience has been a great marketing tool. He is bothered that westerners segregate horror films from "asian horror". He doesn't like the fact that westerners think J-horror is the same as asian horror. He wants people to know that J-horror has certain type of cultural essence to the film that other "asian horror" movies do not have. Japanese horror is known for its instability to the fullest level and that essentialism nor constructiveness can assert itself. j-horror wants its own self identity and credit for their creativeness not Asia.
ReplyDeleteIn Moon Jae-cheol's "The Meaning of Newnews in Korean Cinema," he explains how Korean cinema changed over the years to receive nowadays' international recognition. To compare the first few films we watched in class with the recent ones such as Epitaph and Oldboy, violence and fast action are noticeably found. Also to continuously grasp the audience’s attention, use of elaborated and somewhat overly vivid colors and decorations are used in art direction. This may have led Korean cinema to visualized form, rather than focusing on plotline, which also changed the audience’s point of view. The New Korean Wave lets the films speak for themselves with realistic stories with a touch of surrealism, and entertain us with highly developed eye-catching pictures.
ReplyDeleteI decided to write my reading response on "The Concept of Asian Horror" by Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto because watching both Asian and American horror films, I prefer Asian horror films. I believe Asian horror films are better-made and more 'scary'. Hence my interest in the concept of asian horror. What I learned from this article is that part of the intriguing factor in Asian horror is that it forms a new genre that is both horror, confusing,and illogical. The fact that Asian horror is in its own genre creates a better marketing lure for an international audience because it is portrayed as unique and different from other horror films. This inevitably leads to globalization of "borderless worlds". Yoshimoto argues that globalization is pushing to a hegemonic center, but I think currently the integrations of mutiple cultures is creating not a center, but simply a heterogeneous force from all sides. Rather than having a hegemonic center, I see it as a heterogeneous mixture of all cultures that could possibly influence each other, but do not confrom to each other.
ReplyDeleteMoon Jae-cheol in "The Meaning of Newness in Korean Cinema" points out that irony plays a strong role in delivering certain messages to the audience. In many of the films that were watched in class, bits of humor and comedy were inserted in parts that carried heavy historical or political context. Moon explains that in this way, extreme readings could be "eased hrough the defensive effect of irony's moderating and cold-hearted black humor" (51). This black-humor or irony in the heavy context serve as a tool for distancing the audience from the problem itself, allowing the viewers to become detached from the scenes. This way, irony can serve as a "circuitous route around political issues or reality's conflicts" (51). Moon seems to be arguing that irony opens up the audience to suggestions of what could have, or should have happened, and allows the viewers to imagine those possible choices for themselves. Thus, an ironic scene would have a greater effect on the audience, because through the circumvention of reality, the audience could get a sense of what is wrong, and what really should be taking place.
ReplyDeleteMovie screening through out the course made me realize how much Korea had developed regarding the cinematography, and style. By looking the movies from early generation like the 50s-80 as Ha Gil Jong mentioned in the article, Korean film lacked innovation and the ability to appeal world wide. Instead the essence of globalization could not be found. The movies before the Korean New Wave were so Korean based that it was not comparable to Hollywood's productions. Moon Jae Cheol seems to criticize that Korean film industry has recently improved in the sense of innovation and having success in foreign markets. I believe that Korea has improved greatly but it is all due to technology. Unlike Moon Jae Cheol's idea, I believe that Korea still lacks the capacity to be globalized. The successful movie that Moon Jae Cheol mentioned in his article are still very nationalistic, and portray Koreaness in it. Trying to impose realism and auteurism is merely western influence. The blockbuster that Taebaek sanmaek, Taegukgi, Swiri, and etc made was simply because it was different technologically and cinematography wise, but never the less globalized. The criticism about the movie that came after the New Wave period, of how it lost historical perspective and realism is something that I believe as potential for globalizing Korean film. Moreover, the Hallyu movies are more modernized and geared towards the new generation, and the underground culture of the youth. The type of movie that should be produced are such that would promote less nationalism and less auterism. The contemporary Korean films should be encouraged even more and eventually the competitiveness will generate a successful future of Korean film.
ReplyDeleteIf one would watch a movie to look at the angles, motion picture shooting, elements of cinematography, realism, auterism and all that boring thing, then no movie would be developed for the public. The reason why Korean film has not been so successful in foreign market is the protectionism that was imposed during the development of Korea, but from know on it should be liberalized. More Hollywood competition with domestic movie would eventually produce blockbusters that was seen during the New Wave period.
Yoshimoto’s “The Concept of Asian Horror” seems to discuss superfluous and trivial matters that I personally felt deviated from his original purpose of describing Asian Horror. However, towards the end of his essay, his arguments start to make sense as he describes how horror films are simply a concept of “normality threatened by the Monster.” Yoshimoto states that this “Monster” is just an embodiment of an “externalized manifestation of what is repressed within the self.” In other words, horror films are just any other genres of film that explores self-repression—however the catch is that horror films take this idea of repression and gives it life through ghosts, monsters, aliens, etc. This explanation totally rang a bell as I compared what Yoshimoto was saying to the Epitaph. In Epitaph, the scariest scene was probably of the mother haunting the daughter. Here, the image of the mother’s ghost is a representation of the daughter’s repressed guilt from causing the car accident. However, this is no different from the repressed guilt felt by a character in a drama (rather than in a horror film) which is displayed through a different means—perhaps through sadness, sleepless nights, or depression. However, because this was a horror film, the outlet for this self repression comes in the form of a ghost haunting the child’s thoughts.
ReplyDeleteOne of Arjun Appadurai’s arguments in “Disjuncture and Difference” seems to be that the image transferred via media is one that is highly malleable and subject to the context to which it is introduced. Moon Jae-cheol delves more into the subject by showing specifically how Korean directors employ “the carnival and destruction of form [in order] to create something new” (55). This mashing of genres and styles is highly evident in “Oldboy.” The problem is that the “innovation” (Moon 53) in movies like “Oldboy” seems to have no endpoint—what is the point of innovation if it only leads to further meaninglessness? Moon seems to argue for the revolutionary aspect of innovation in motion but “Oldboy” loses much of its power on the global stage when it uses innovative film techniques but finally regresses into pointlessness.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, "The Concept of Asian Horror: A Few Preliminary Observations" by Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto, Yoshimoto begans by asking the question what exactly is "horror"? The part of the article that really grabbed my attention was the fact that these horror films have many different interpretations due to "gender, class, race, and ethnicity". I found that it was very interesting how culture can affect the way people interpret horror films. An example of this, Japan-ness has been found in the "j-horror" movies such as "Ring" and has been marketed on a global scale. The fact that these movies are becoming such big hits, the genre "Asian horror" will gain more and more notoriety.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Moon Jae-cheol, newness in Korea movie is shown with the modernization and globalization of the Korean culture or movie. Based on Korea’s conditions, the trendys of movie have been changed a lot. While Koran movie was melodramatic and thus it implies political messages or tries to evoke audiences’ nostalgic memories before, the today’s Korean movie are more realistic and more likely to follow personal styles in making movie. Also, Korean movie has been globalized with combining Western and traditional styles. Specifically, OLD BOY, awarded in ‘Cannes Film Festival’, and Volcanic High School include lots of violent scenes and use computer graphic technologies which make the movies more commercial by attracting people’s attention. Not only there has been Korean movies’ own changes, but also the attitudes of audiences toward Korean domestic cinema. In my opinion, those kinds of changes are really good phenomena in making Korean cinema well known all over the world and continuous trials and errors will be helpful in development of Korean cinema.
ReplyDeleteWhen Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto first explains the difficulty of categorizing what belongs under "Asian Horror," I am almost ready to automatically disagree with what he has to say because in my mind, I already have an idea of what belongs in that genre. However, Yoshimoto goes deeper into the psychological factors of what we consider horror. He states that a sense of normalcy is threatened in horror films, and later he suggests that horror propels us to explore the human existence, and through that, the unknown--what separates life and death. I have to agree with that latter part because I find that the most horrifying films have to do with seeking an answer to these questions and getting an answer that doesn't quite fit our initial speculation or hopeful notion.
ReplyDeleteMoon Jae-choel's article touched on the concept on having multiple new waves in cinema. In this case we see a transition from the wave of auteur-realism in an attempt to "redefin[e] their history and identity by rediscovering present experience," to cinema as a global media in popular culture. This article does a good job of describing where exactly "Sopyonje" and "Old Boy" come from. In "Sopyongje" we have the main subject being p'ansori which is a fairly important historic cultural aspect of Korea. However, it is a pretty user friendly film and is accessible to those who know absolutely nothing about the film. However with "Old Boy" we find a more mainstream film geared which "emphasizes spectacle or emotionally charged images rather than deep themes." While the author identifies this as the "New Wave" he also makes note that Korean Cinema is always striving towards innovation and that we should be cautious labeling these waves.
ReplyDeleteAs i was reading "The Concept of Asian Horror: A few Preliminary Observations" i couldn't help but think why is this article called what it is called. I understand that he wants the reader to understand why he feels that J in J-horror is "the lack of of straightforward reference to Japan" but did he really have to talk so much about what the word "japan-ness" meant. I also disagree with Yoshimoto on the subject that "the ever diversifying means of exhibition and distribution" has not done any wrong. Even if you are to watch a asian horror movie at home by yourself, doesn't mean that is not a site specific action. When a movie is watched it is meant for the audience which can mean one person to enjoy not meant exactly for a group of people. Also, as i was reading the i could not figure why it is called the concept of asian horror when most of his writing is referring to "japan-ness" and japan horror.
ReplyDeleteIn his article, Moon Jae-cheol describes the evolution of the Korean cinema from the early 20th Century to its present day film industry. Moon mainly focuses on the modern Korean film industry while at the same time emphasizing how those in the film industry have attempted to give Korean films a new face from when it first began until the 1980s. Prior to the need for restructuring Korean films, they were low-budgeted and ill produced. Ha Gil-jong, a director and film critic, described this time period in Korean cinema, “… neither alive nor dead. It’s no more than a half-baked imitation with a dirty commercial spirit” (37). From the 1980s onward, the Korean New Wave set to modernize and completely revamp the Korean film industry. Although I have not seen more than 15 Korean-produced films, from those that I have watched the storylines have all been very original. I have seen a dynamic change in cinematography from movies made in the first half of the 20th Century in comparison to those produced within the past 15 years. However, this goes hand in hand with technological advancement and modernization as time goes by. There is going to be an obvious difference between Homeless Angels and Oldboy. Not only did the directors come from different decades, they also lived different lives as world events affected how they viewed things. The goals of today’s films are aimed at attracting more than just a domestic audience. Nowadays, an international audience is needed to determine the success of a Korean film. Consequently, it is important for directors to incorporate ideas that do not focus solely on Korea traditions.
ReplyDeleteMoon Jae-chol, "Meaning of Newness"
ReplyDeleteI agree with Moon Jae-chol's argument in "Meaning of Newness." His argument that the history of Korea shapes their films is strongly supported by historical references and its relationship to film at the time. It is quite disappointing that after Korean has made such a huge entrance and presence in global cinema, the more popular films in Korea now are the generic melodrama/romances. However, although Moon argues that emphasis on image rather than narrative takes away from the films, I believe that image can add more emphasis to narrative and the overall meaning and themes of the film. He argues that, like in Volcano High, "the visual effects representing an action are more important than the action itself" (52). However I believe that visual effects and the way that an action is executed can put an emphasis and add meaning to an action. Like the bloody gory fight scene in Old Boy is seen as not adding to the narrative and is just there to be "attraction cinema." But this scene can also be interpreted as Daesoo's struggles to overcome the monsters in himself and also of the effect of his imprisonment (him becoming a monster). Thus, although I agree with Moon that Korean films have become more generic, the films still value narrative and theme although there is more emphasis on image than before.
"The Concept of Asian Horror"
ReplyDeleteIf horror films confront us with the uncanny and confront us with our repressed fear of death...then why are they so fun to watch? Because human beings are attracted to the abject. And because when we watch horror films, which are unlimited spaces unrestricted by the practical, we go on this ride purging anxiety witnessing pure shock pure suspense. Being in a space where our potential for fear is heightened is fun and yeah it can be a completely existential experience. There's something so strange about not being able to handle seeing someone's skull half open but wanting to savor the image too because it feels forbidden and because we're so removed from our own physical bodies.
Yoshimoto’s piece entitled “The Concept of Asian Horror” left me dissatisfied because it talked about how the words “Asian horror” are used and how it is a problematic in the sense that it doesn’t necessarily help us categorize or pinpoint what a movie is. More specifically, it revealed more information about the terms “J-Horror” and “Japan-ness,” and how the words are formulated and their implications on Japanese cinema, art, architecture, and language. Juxtaposed to these terms were “Western-ness” and Western concepts. I would have enjoyed an article based upon how movies can or should be categorized based upon its characteristics, but this piece digressed much more about the roots of the words in the stated terms and its historical and etymological significance. What I did find interesting was the section when he mentioned how Japanese detective fiction was categorized as either authentic and inauthentic and how that paralleled Western film and cinema. Further explanation about how “normality is threatened by the Monster” and how the term monster can be changed to formulate other genres was quite interesting because it reveals how people can relate to different movies in the same genre despite cultural or historical differences.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading "The Meaning of Newness in Korean Cinema" I felt a little begrudged as to the negative view of post new wave Korean Cinema. As I came to Korea I asked my Korean friends how they felt about several Korean movies. They told me about "D-wars", "Heundae", and "Gaemul" for all of these they seemed to say the same thing, " the graphics are awesome, but the movie kind of sucks". This completely concurs with Moon Jae-cheol's analysis of post new wave Korean cinema. Nothing could be more true.
ReplyDeleteIn “The Concept of Asian Horror,” Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto critically scrutinizes the term “Asian horror,” and calls it a “problematic.” He argues that the term is loosely used, and that because of that reason, there are too many films that are ambiguously categorized as “Asian horror.” In an effort to examine what “Asian horror” truly is, Yoshimoto attempts to define the words “Asian” and “horror” separately. He also brings up the sub-genres J-horror and Asian extreme which he claims to make up a completely new genre. This issue regarding genre is open for debate, which I personally think is unnecessary to argue over. I disagree with Yoshimoto’s though process because it is confusing, and his arguments don’t make sense to me. I think he is being overly-analytical regarding a general term that is supposed to be a little obscure. Asia is a big and diverse continent, and it only makes sense for the term “Asian” to be so ambiguously and loosely used. As for the term “horror,” horror is universally accepted as horror. Since there are specific sub-genres under the huge umbrella term “Asian horror,” I think it is only natural that there should be some ambiguity around the fringes of “Asian horror.”
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Annie: that "it's possible to create films that transcend being labeled one or a few bland categories or genres." For example, Kim Jee Woon's works are a blend of commercial, independent, art, renoir, and genre films, which in turn give them a "peculiar [set] of characteristics" (47). Yes, his film "A Bittersweet Life" is full of action, crime, an excess of violence, comedy, and irony with a touch of film noir. So are his Western take on the renoir, "The Good, The Bad, and The Weird," and his take on horror, "A Tale of Two Sisters." Kim Jee-Woon has an infinite combinations of genres under his sleeves; (in- and outside of Aia) to explore as long as he is innovative enough to cross boundaries of conventional expectations of film.
ReplyDeleteOther films that cross the cultural boundaries include: "Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2," "Old Boy" and "The Grudge."
According to Jae-cheol Moon, Korean cinema today is more about the spectacular image than any other element. Though there certainly is room for the prizing and appreciation of beauty and film as art, this move away from content and into superficial beauty is a degradation of Korean film. As flashy and high-tech as a current film may be, without substance, it is a hollow mirage. In the end, what really makes a film is not aesthetic appeal alone, but rather the aesthetic element along with plot and message. Also, the fact that "negative, deviant, and violent images" are all we have for "innovation" reveals the glaring depravity of mankind and our base nature.
ReplyDeleteIn Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto's "The Concept of Asian Horror" he attempts to define the genre of "Asian horror" in a number of ways. Externally, Asian horror would be assumed to be any horror film that was produced/conceptualized in the physical region that is Asia. However, Yoshimoto cites that despite the vagueness of "Asian cinema" as a whole, the concept of Asian horror seems pretty concrete at first glance. One does not legitimize the other, however. Just because the genre Asian horror exists does not mean that the concept of a solid Asian cinema exists. And so Yoshimoto discusses the problems associated with Asian horror by disecting both the words "Asian" and "horror". There is both an indefinite idea and definite idea of "Asian". Firstly, "Asian" refers to any content that is specific to an Asian region. Secondly, the concept of anything "Asian" can be and still is up to debate. Yoshimoto uses J-horror as his example of a regionally specific but culturally dispersed genre. It is external scrutiny that turns horror movies from Japan into "J-horror". I thought that this concept was particularly interesting because it does not seem to apply to any other genre of international film that i have ever encountered. "Horror", too, comes under scrutiny as both a generally all-encompassing genre and a culturally specific genre. With both the terms Asian and horror being problematic notions, we come to the conclusion that though we have labeled this genre "Asian horror", it is still far from being identified and defined as a conceptualized genre.
ReplyDeleteMuch of Moon Jae-cheol's argument applies to “Oldboy.” As a film representative of the post-New Wave cinema, “Oldboy” strikes a distinct contrast to New Wave films in its lack of historical and sociocultural context; “Post-Korean New Wave films now focus on image more than on theme.” Moon’s most notable argument resides in Korea’s “loss of confidence in history,” as “although modernization had been achieved to a certain degree, societal confusion persisted.” Perhaps this explains the extreme violence, sudden twists, and biting irony that persist throughout “Oldboy.” After pushing for democracy and change, the expected world was never realized. Thus there is no point in belaboring on problems that can never be fixed – rather, a new focus must be found. So many had dreamt of a new era and yet the new era never came. The post-New Wave era appears disillusioned and no longer knows how it can pursue an even newer change. Such could be implicit reasons behind why so much violence, intense feelings, and shocking matters such as incestuous love and coldly toying with others’ lives serve the intentions of films like “Oldboy” –the immediate body and feeling can at least be affected into experiencing change. Extrapolating from Moon’s argument, post-New Wave films provide less hope than New Wave films as they merely embrace the images of the confusion and disillusionment that have resulted and no longer reflect upon history, an account of how problems have arisen. While “Oldboy” may be criticized for lacking in purposeful outlook, upon further thought it seems that “Oldboy” can also be perceived as a reflection of today’s society in art form. But even so the problem remains such that a mere depiction of frustration and focusing on “smaller stories” will once again eventually lead nowhere – and what will the film seek then? Moon argues that “sustained violence increasingly dulls the sensibilities of the viewer.” This is true – there is a limit to which “body and feeling” can be manipulated to experience the reality before reality can no longer be felt.
ReplyDeleteMoon Jae Chul "The Meaning of Newness in Korean Cinema: Korean New Wave and After"
ReplyDeleteThe desire for newness in the Korean new Wave is apparent in current films by South Korea. Where it once used to be about nationalistic films (national cinema), films from South Korea started to veer off into more artistically accepted forms of expression. Once it was realized that a film like "Oldboy" could garner attention of the international stage, it meant that Korea's name would sell. The government even poured more money into producing films, and with the new money, there was more flexibility in being able to go beyond some of the limits of film-making not done before in Korea. In all sense, this meant more innovation and imagination. Now there are Korean movies, not just domestically, that can be at a top spot in the box-office, not only in Korea, but internationally, maybe more towards the Asian-centric audiences. Films would still mix art with cultural and societal identities still present in current Korea. Films from Kim ki-duk could not only make movies on Korean societal and cultural issues, but also incorporate a artistic style in film making. Like he did in "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter" and "Address Unknown". Park Chan Wook could still provide a melancholic realism, in such works as "JSA", where although the film had to do with Korean culture, of the division of two countries, it provided a sense of the recapturing of melancholic emotions, even under separation of 2 countries. Even though his films sometimes did not have to do with South Korean nationalism, or even Korean nationalism or hints of Korean culture and history, many of his film had a melancholic realism that was even in his most artistic of films. The new wave in Korean cinema can be greatly contributed to the exchange and influence of Western cinema, from the European and Hollywood films, that inspired many film makers of South Korea, as the country itself was on the rise and many artists returned to Korea after learning certain crafts from the overseas markets. One can say the same of even a "new" Hollywood birth, where even American film makers can learn a thing from Asian cinema, in which melancholic realism can be still be a very important part of a film, and that not all films have a happy ending. Like not all lives, will end happily.
In Moon Jae-Cheol's "The Meaning of Newness in Korean Cinema: Korean New Wave and After," he discusses how Korean cinema has been striving towards modernity through innovation. There was a lack of both financial and policital basis for creating a quality movie unlike the movies from the west which were well respected. The most important key word in development of Korean cinema, I thought after reading this paper, would be "realism." In the movie itself, Korean history are depicted both in direct and indirect way. In Memories of Murder, the protagonists loses confidence just as Korean lost confidence in the presence of IMF in the 90s. Moon mentions about other components to such innovations in Korean cinema. However, I believe those aspects are derived from the realism as we talked about in class, for instance melodramatic aspect. It is true that today, Korean cinema has taken a step further after realism where hyperbole and over-exaggeration are the necessities in the film. Such exaggerated image attracts audiences, but does not have much meaning unless the realism is rooted deep inside the film. Personally, I think Korean cinema is going no where if only exaggerations such as violent images are persisted because such images can only provide meaningless satisfaction or escape from the reality.
ReplyDeleteJunHwan Kim
In article “the meaning of newness in Korea cinema : Korean New Wave and After” by Moon Jae-cheol explains how the Korean cinemas is making a new wave. According to the article, “the decade from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s marked the era of the greatest fervor and energy for change in Korean film history.” (38) From the New Wave, directors are creating films to combine auteurism with realism and a deep connection with historical situations. ‘Seopyonje’ (1993), ‘Oldboy’ (2003), and ‘Epitaph’ (2007) are have totally different filming techniques and stories than the before 80s movies. Before new wave started, the movies were focus on the stories and they were trying to give a message and against government. But the directors, in these three movies, are creating a beautiful scene and they focus on camera angles. ‘Oldboy’ creates new filming technique. (Cannes Film Festivals applauses this technique) ‘Seopyonje’ and ‘Epitaph’ are produced after 90s but the stories are in 1960s and 1940s atmospheres. By reading this article and watching ‘Seopyonje’, ‘Oldboy’, and ‘Epitaph’, I understand how the film industry has been changed, plus, the directors are not only bound by Western Film industry but also they produce new filming generation.
ReplyDeleteAsian Horror is different from other western horror movies in that Asian horror movies have their own style. Most noticeable is they all have some cultural aspect to them. Especially, Japanese horror films which have a very strong cultural essence to them which is called “Japaneseness” or “Japan-ness”. However even the Japanese directors who tried to make their Japanese horror films with less “Japanesesness” in order to become more globalized, failed. I believe Asian horror films became a popular genre due to its own uniqueness. The article mentions that the Asian horror film is ambiguous. Since the movie does not follow the basic standard measurements to be categorized as horror and because the film has an Asian flair to it made in a way to satisfy the horror factor of a certain group’s taste, I think it is the individual’s decision to decide whether a film should be categorized as horror or not.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how Moon Jae Cheol respond to today’s emphasis on violent images as the impulse towards innovation, as the “means of aesthetic experiment,” in the article “The meaning of Newness in Korean Cinema.” As the films are very much related to societal, cultural, and political changes, the modern day films with strong and sensitive images can propose the modern society’s extremity. These newly introduced films implicitly express the changes in the society and its growing violence and ruthlessness. The violence in the films is not simply used to visually stimulate the audience but to mirror the world’s “painful” reality. Moon Jae Chul’s argument that the spectacle is used to restore the reality is reliable.
ReplyDeleteI found “The Meaning of Newness in Korean Cinema: Korean New Wave and After” by Moon Jae-cheol to be intellectually stimulating in the fact that I never really thought about current Korean films to ever be empty or without substance; however, after reading this article I think that it is in some sense true. On the other hand, as the New Wave reflected historical development of the time period which added to the realism and melodrama in the past, I feel that the high quality of current Korean cinema is reflecting the present-day quite accurately. Currently, Korean culture is immersed in high tech devices and prides itself as one of the leading technological innovators of our time; I think this is strongly reflected in Korea’s highly advanced quality in film, bright scene sequences, and special effects. If anything, Korea is “showing-off” its high-rate technological advances of the decade.
ReplyDeleteWatching an horror film is an unusual event for me. I hardly understand people who enjoy watching horrors films. While reading Yoshimoto's article, "The Concept of Asian Horror: A Few Preliminary Observations", considered why people avoid to watch the horrors and the meaning of "the ghosts" in it. Horror films consist fearful prerequisites. On the other hand, horror films are literally dealing with "the relation of human being and non-human forms of existence including, but not limited to, ghosts, monsters, aliens, robots, and even computer programs."As he said, horror films are "concerned with the boundaries separating between life and death." Since we can't see "a ghostly apparition", to describe it in details "which emerges in in-between spaces", "photographic trace" is crucial. "Haunt modern media" inspired the powerful and realistic images representing "iconographic images" by imagination. The further movement of horror films, I thought, somehow, it should be based on the deep research between life and death, beyond relying on media.
ReplyDeleteIn the article "The Concept of Asian Horror: A Few Preliminary Observations," Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto brings up an interesting point. He explains how Robin Wood explained that horror came about when either something external or internal posed a threat. Then he states that the external source of threat could be translated into anything, which gives horror the potential to be turned into any type of movie about the issues of gender, class, race, or ethnicity. What sets the specific genre of horror apart is that the external source of threat is usually non-human or are unnatural. It is interesting to see that horror can actually be applied to any types of films.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI thought Yoshimoto's article was, in general, fascinating. Fist, I liked the general overview of the history of Asian horror films, and their impact upon international cinema.
ReplyDeleteThe discussion about "Japan-ness" and "Japanese taste" was a little confusing to me; one was, apparently, "particular cultural features," the other was a "strategic reaction" to it. But I did find interesting the notion that to define Japan, or to analyze its culture and society, one MUST look at it through Western eyes, i.e. "begin with Western concepts."
For example, he commented on two distinct categories of Japanese detective fiction: "authentic" and "inauthentic," and then compared Western horror films to such "inauthentic" films (i.e. films that embraced the bizarre, grotesque, and fantatic). Thus, he argues, Japanese detective fiction lacks "Japan-ness". While I found this part fascinating, I also thought that it seemed a bit overstretched in the article.
Finally, in his discussion of "horror" (as opposed to "Asian"), he quoted Prince, who said "horror...explore[s] more fundamental questions about the nature of human existence." This reminded me directly of Epitaph, a film that I thought thoroughly explored such questions, not only the question of "what happens after death" and "what are souls" but also perhaps the frailty and weaknesses of the living mind (i.e. fear of loneliness, therefore susceptibility to lingering attachment), because I thought the film presented two possible interpretatiosn: One, that the ghosts were real; and Two, the "ghosts" were merely physical (but illusory) manifestations of living minds (i.e. the woman without a shadow created the "ghost" in her mind because of her loneliness).
In Moon's article he discusses the Korean new wave and what followed. Korean film makers had an obsession for innovations to make Korean film industry a more competitie one and also to gain more recognition internationally. Korean film makers gained success throughout the new wave and started being received well in international film festivals and film critics. But after the new wave, what followed are movies full of simply visually stimulating images. The storytelling portion of films have eroded and films turned into mere visual entertainments. This is an aftermath of Korean film makers' obsession for large scale images. In order to continue the success they had during the new wave, Korean film makers should try to create a balance between the images they make and the stories they tell.
ReplyDeleteIn his article "The Concept of Asian Horror," Mitsuhiro talks about the Asian horror movie’s appeal to the world and the concrete concept of the genre, Asian horror movie. The main idea of Mitsuhiro is that the concept of Asian horror is so vague and broad, which makes it hard to firmly say what kind of movies are actually Asian horror movies that appeal to the world. He says, “The conventional discourse on national cinema is hardly adequate for analyzing the underlying causes of domestic and international success of the contemporary Korean cinema.” Shortly, he argues that we should think the two words separately, as “Asian” and “horror.” It means that being an Asian horror movie does not mean the movie always has to contain something Asian in cultural context, but it means it has certain features that appear in Asian horror movies. Also, he mentions that “horror” is also not a definite word for explanation, and it can be too broad to apply to define movies’ genre. For Mitsuhiro, “horror movie” as a genre can be explained by the existence of a “monster,” which can be either an actual monster (such as dreadful ghosts) or a monstrous feature that could even be held in normal people, such as evil mind evolving from revengence.
ReplyDeleteIn his article titled "The Concept of Asian Horror," Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto first points out how greatly Asian horror films have contributed to the rise in interest in the horror genre. From this, he begins to argue about the issue of identifying a certain film as being an Asian horror film. Yoshimoto acknowledges that the concept of Asian horror is ambiguous and often creates a lot of confusion and from this, he gives his point of view of how we should be categorizing these films. In explaining what Asian horror is, Yoshimoto splits the term according to the two words, "Asian" and "horror." The term "Asian" refers to a geographical location while the term "horror" refers to the genre and how it serves the purpose of arousing our interests in the topics of life and death and the unknown. The problem Yoshimoto states about Asian horror is more focused on the term "Asian" where he implies that many films are being labeled as Asian horror even though the aspects of the culture, the georgraphical location, and the history don't coincide with the term. Yoshimoto ultimately implies that we need to fix this in order to make the concrete genre of Asian horror.
ReplyDeletePost Korean Cinema focuses on stylistic strategy and interest in genre and mass culture instead of focusing on theme, in order to distinguish from other films. Also, ironic tendency became a dominant factor other than dominance of melodramas in Korean cinema. The greatest development in Korean cinema was from 1980s to the 1990s, which was called “the era of struggle and the new.” Around this period, the strategy of New Wave was to combine auteurism with realism. Directors no longer conceive films through reality, but they conceive reality through film, endowing film with more importance than reality. However, post Korean cinema focused on reality, but at the same time they developed in intensity and innovation, using violence as a meaning of aesthetic experiment. According to Moon Jae-chol, “Treating violence in this manner exposes the basic essence of a film and is one way of seeking innovation.” Despite of development of Korean cinema going through all the hardship was successful, improvement of reality and focusing on intensity and innovation can influence viewers to mimic characters from the film, unable to distinguish between the reality and the film.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with one point in Moonjechol’s article. He is talking about the meaning of changed newness. He insists that the newness of contemporary Korean auteurs too much focus on the popular movie rather than arts. And the reason it become more commercial, Korean cinema has thirsted for innovation. But as compare between Sopyunje and Old boy, we can not say sopyunje is more artistic than old boy. Sopyunje did not globalize rather than Oldboy did. Because Sopyunje has little bit more direct aspects of nationalism. But we can not say Old boy does not have national factors. It does have. In old boy, national factors are globalized to make foreign society to understand Korea easily. He insists that New Wave in Korean cinema attempted to focus on the technology other than the deep theme of the movie for globalization and innovation. That does not make sense. New Wave in Korean cinema is keeping the national factors and make it as global concept with deep theme to develop national arts and spread out world wide.
ReplyDeleteMoon Jae cheol's "The meaning of Newness in Korean Cinema: Korean New Wave and After" deals with how and why different Korean cinema became after mid 1990s. In the mid 1990s valued ,auteurism began to emerge and ironic imagination took over melodramatic imagination. As the auteurism rose, the directors began to use irony as a way to express their views on certain areas. The importance of image was also recognized during that time. All these changes that occured in mid 1990s seem to be positive factors because Korean film industry has now separated itself from political influence. Such freedom leads to the emergence of distinctions among Korean films and thus will help film directors produce many artistic, distinctive films.
ReplyDelete