Top 10 Korean Gangster Films

10. Green Fish (1997)

Another debut, this time from Lee Chang-dong, Green Fish is a thoughtful rumination on the changing landscape of Korea as a young man's rural town gets swallowed by Seoul and Korea's segyehwa (globalization) upon his return from the army.  His entrance into gang life is, unlike Die Bad, a matter of necessity.  Lee, who was a novelist prior to entering the film industry, carefully engages with the conventions of the gang film.  His approach is never radical and he made a strong and popular film yet he still succeeded in using the genre to his own ends.  A fantastic exploration of the importance of family and community and the dangers they face in the mutable modern urban landscape.  The best of the many high profile Korean gang films of 1997.

MKC Review

Intro - 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 - Best of the Rest

Top 10 Lists

Year   2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - All Time (Top 25)

Genre   Gangster - Revenge

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