 |
| Jang Cheol-soo's Bedevilled |
 |
| Kim Tae-kyun's A Barefoot Dream |
 |
| Hong Sang-soo's Oki's Movie |
 |
| Lee Jeong-beom's The Man From Nowhere |
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Why You Shouldn't Dare Miss KOFFIA 2011!
If you are fan of Korean cinema but have not heard of the brilliant and imminent Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA), surely you must be living under some sort of internet-repelling rock. I want to take a little bit of time to explain in plain terms why you should know about it, why you should be very exited about it, and, as it follows, why you be remiss to miss this wonderful celebration of the ingenuity, versatility, beauty, explosiveness, and awe-inspiring power of the South Korean film industry.
I make no secret and certainly no apologies for my zealous love of this national cinema. I've spent my entire life watching films from across the globe spanning time immemorial, or at least since the Lumieres Brothers, Thomas Edison, or Louis Le Prince, depending on what you believe, changed and enriched our lives forever. I have witnessed; the wondrous and striking early treasures of 1920s and 30s cinema from the US, Weimar Germany, Communist Russia, and many more; the bold and majestic glory of 1940s Hollywood and the heart-rending honesty of Italian Neorealism; the triumphant and poetic genius of 1950s Japanese cinema; the witty, cool, and powerful French Cinema of the 60s; the progressive confidence of 1970s Hollywood and New German Cinema; and the infinitely versatile and too many to name global cinemas of the 1980s, 90s, and new millenium. So much to love, so much to inspire, so much to revere. Yet none more so than an industry that has been plugging away at full steam for over a decade and show no signs of letting up. For me cinema as an industry has never been so complete as it has in the hands of the globalized, revitalized, and ferociously competent Korean cineastes of the modern era.
It's a rather lofty endorsement and not one that I expect all to ascribe to, but no matter what your tastes, if you are a lover of cinema then more or less by default, you should be a lover of Korean film. Those Korean films that have penetrated into the Western consciousness have been unquestionable successes, films like Oldboy (2003), Memories of Murder (2003), A Bittersweet Life (2005), and The Host (2006). However, they only hint at the depth of the industry from which they emanated. Dig a little deeper and you will finds some of the world's greatest art films, romantic comedies, horrors, action films, thrillers, melodramas, and so, so, so much more. For this reason and more I urge you to take a look at KOFFIA 2011.
This year's expanded edition of KOFFIA demonstrates why Korean cinema demands and deserves your attention. The event, which takes place in Sydney August 24-29 and then moves to Melbourne for September 10-13, is split into a variety of categories that cater to your preference in cinema, including: Crime and Punishment, Bloody Friday, Ride the Dream, Extraordinary Ordinary Families, Indie Cinema, Brothers Divided and Masters and Students.
The festival's most well-known offerings are a dizzying display of modern cinematic technique, impeccable storytelling, and thoughtful creativity. Ryu Seung-wan's The Unjust, Lee Jeong-beom's The Man From Nowhere, and Jang Cheol-soo's Bedevilled are three out of the most well-known Korean films from 2010 to western audiences and for good reason. Looking beyond these hardboiled thrillers you will find: some of last year's most lauded arthouse films, including Hong Sang-soo's Oki's Movie and Park Jung-bum's The Journals of Musan; as well as emotional and well-crafted inspirational films such as Kim Tae-kyun's A Barefoot Dream. Beyond last year's films the festival will also present an eclectic mix of past but still recent Korean movies that you may not have had a chance to see on the big screen, like: Park Chan-wook's Joint Security Area (2000), Ryu Seung-wan's No Blood No Tears (2002), and Han Jae-rim's The Show Must Go On (2007). These and many more promise great things for one of the world's most exiting yearly exhibitions of Asian film. Don't you dare miss out!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Weekly Review Round-Up (08/13-08/19, 2011)
Lots of reviews this week including a number for Blind, which opened last week in Korea. I should mention that there are always reviews I don't agree with but I try to be democratic and include everything in this weekly update. I mention this because of the particularly off-point NY Times review of The Journals of Musan. However, it would be very safe to say that he is in the minority. If I've missed anything that you know of please let me know!
NEW KOREAN RELEASES
(Seongyong's Private Place, August 14, 2011)
Blind
(National Post, August 18, 2011)
RECENT RELEASES
(Bright Lights Film Journal, August 2011)
(Beyond Hollywood, August 15, 2011)
(Commentary Track, August 16, 2011)
(nanoomi.net, August 16, 2011)
(hancinema.net, August 13, 2011)
(Beyond Hollywood, August 16, 2011)
(JapanCinema.net, August 17, 2011)
(The New York Times, August 16, 2011)
(Modern Korean Cinema, August 16, 2011)
PAST FILMS
Secret Sunshine, 2007
(DVD talk, August 15, 2011)
The City of Violence, 2006
(Twitch, August 17, 2011)
The Host, 2006
(Acid Cinema, August 15, 2011)
The Uprising, 1999
(Hangul Celluloid, August 16, 2011)
The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The Quiz Show Scandal (Kwijeu Wang) 2010
At first, I wasn’t too exited about The Quiz Show Scandal
despite the fact that it is a recent effort from one of my favorite Korean
filmmakers. There has been very little buzz surrounding it, which is strange
for a Jang Jin film. I cannot express my delight as the film unspooled and
grabbed me from the opening minutes. It is a wonderful ensemble piece stuffed
with sparkling dialogue and surely one of the funniest Korean films of the last
few years.
 |
| The Quiz Show |
It is often the case that while Korean thrillers, horrors, and certain romance films make the leap into foreign territories, comedies have
a little more trouble accomplishing this. There are certainly some films with
elements of humor that have crossed over, such as Save the Green Planet (2003)
and The Host (2006) but few outright comedies have managed this feat. The
obvious reason for this is a language barrier or a cultural gap. You can’t
really laugh at a joke on a subject of which you know nothing about. Korean
comedies often suffer from this, at least from a foreigner’s perspective. Those
comedies that can be understood by westerners are often simplistic and not
always the most shining examples of the genre, the Marrying the Mafia and My Wife Is a
Gangster series come to mind.
The more sophisticated the comedy the more likely
it is to go over our heads. Jang Jin’s films have definitely suffered from this
from time to time due to the fact that he has such a keen wit and is so
articulate. He has both those things in spades, but in Korean, which means that some
elements may fall by the wayside. But every so often there is a film that breaks through that
is both intelligent and jaw-droppingly hilarious. Lee Hae-joon did it with
Castaway on the Moon (2009), Jang Jin did it with his script for Going By the
Book (2007) and he’s now done it again with The Quiz Show Scandal.
 |
| Jeong Jae-yeong in a great cameo |
Like in his previous films, his ever-inventive scripts are
brought to life by the excellent ensemble casts he surrounds himself with. Ryoo
Seung-yong, Kim Soo-ro, Song Yeong-chang, Kim Byeong-ok, Lee Moon-so, and Im
Won-hee are only some of standouts in the stellar cast, which is supplemented
by uproarious cameos from Shin Ha-gyun and Jeong Jae-yeong as well as Jang
himself.
While it may not have the political rhetoric of Good Morning
President (2009), the North-South rapprochement themes of Welcome to Dongmakgol
(2005), the criticism of the media of Murder, Take One (2005) or the indictment
of authority of Going By the Book, The Quiz Show Scandal uses a clever premise
and razor-sharp dialogue as it light-heartedly explores what it means to be
intelligent.
After a few opening scenes which loosely give us an idea of
the characters that populate the mosaic script, they are all thrown together
into a police station for the better part of 30 minutes of screen time. A woman
has been run over and they are all somehow involved but they don’t know
eachother yet. Most of this extended sequence does absolutely nothing to
advance the narrative but it brilliantly shows us who these characters are.
Suddenly we are given a piece of information, the woman’s USB stick features
the answer to the 30th and final question of a very difficult TV
quiz show, no one has answered it before and the rolling jackpot is enormous.
All our variegated protagonists need to do is get to that 30th
question. What follows isn’t surprising but due to its dialogue and characters,
it feels like a much more substantial film than it ought to.
 |
| Arguing over toy cars |
The comedy is truly top notch and I think that anyone could
appreciate it. Some gems include the banner to a depression group that reads
“We’re not depressed, we’re just less exited than everyone else”, and the
pedantic argument that stems from which model of toy car the characters are
being represented with as the police try to reconstruct the scene of the accident
at the precinct. Another great bit in the opening scenes, which could only come
from the mind of Jang Jin is when a pair of gangsters, who are torturing and
preparing to kill someone, argue about the provenance of a quote, which the
first identifies as Pavarotti while the latter corrects him by pointing out
that it was from Goethe’s Faust.
Without spoiling anything else I would urge you to
immediately seek out this wonderful film, it is definitely one of Jang’s best.
Reviews and features on Korean film appear regularly on Modern Korean Cinema. For film news, external reviews, and box office analysis, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update, Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Review Round-up, which appear weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (GMT+1).
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Reviews and features on Korean film appear regularly on Modern Korean Cinema. For film news, external reviews, and box office analysis, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update, Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Review Round-up, which appear weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (GMT+1).
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Korean Cinema News (08/08-08/14, 2011)
Modern Korean Cinema is a proud media partner of the Korean Film Festival in Australia which will get underway on August 24th in Sydney until the 29th and then move on to Melbourne where it will take unspool from the 10th to the 13th. Many excellent films will be screened including: The Man From Nowhere; Bedevilled; The Unjust; The Journals of Musan; The Show Must Go On (2007); Oki's Movie; and Secret Reunion. Some special guests will also be making an appearance including director Ryoo Seung-wan and producer Kang Hye-jung. If you in the area or can make it there be sure not to miss what is shaping up to be an exceptional celebration of Korean cinema!
Martin Cleary of New Korean Cinema, another media partner of KOFFIA, gives us an overview of the festival and its films in a series of features.
KOREAN CINEMA NEWS
A Primer on Korean Cinema
Paul Quinn of Hangul Celluloid gives us an overview of the appeal of Korean cinema for Pelter Magazine. (Pelter Mag, August 8, 2011)
Outcry as KBS Airs First Lesbian Drama
Due to the fact that it contained content relating to same-sex couples, a new KBS drama called Daughters of Club Bilitis had viewers up in arms. (allkpop.com, August 8, 2011)
Miss Conspirator Halts Filming
Due to the poor health of director Jung Bum-Sik, as of August 12, 2011 filming for Miss Conspirator was halted. (Asian Media Wiki, August 12, 2011)
Gone With the Wind Casts Cha Tae-hyun
Gone With The Wind, a historical comedy centered around thieves who attempt to steal ice from an ice house, has cast Cha Tae-hyun and will begin filming in September. (Asian Media Wiki, August 12, 2011)
Korean Shortlist For Academy Awards Announced
Poongsan, Sunny, The Yellow Sea, The Front Line, Hanji and The Day He Arrives have been shortlisted for Korea's submission into next year's academy awards. (Hancinema, August 11, 2011)
Korea's Invasion of Alien Bikini
A profile of director Young-Doo Oh’s Invasion of Alien Bikini which will be premiering later this months. Blending the comic science fiction of Save the Green Planet (2003) with the bondage creepiness of a film like Audition (2001), Oh’s film has the potential to be another in the storied line of Korean films where weirdness defies classification. (Asian Movie Pulse, August 11, 2011)
CJ E&M Harbors Global Ambitions
CJ executives are seeking to double CJ E&M's size by 2015, with overseas markets potentially contributing 30-40% of revenue, compared with about 10% today. (Asian Media Journal, August 11, 2011)
The Man From Nowhere to Be Released by Toei in Japan
As the Japanese major Toei announced that it was returning to foreign acquisitions, it stated that The Man From Nowhere would be its first release. (Screen Daily, August 11, 2011)
Quick to Open in US & Canada
Motorcycle summer blockbuster Quick which has been doing well in general release in Korea will open in select theaters in the US and Canada later this month. (soompi.com, August 10, 20110)
Arirang and Night Fishing Screening at HKSIFF
The Hong Kong Summer International Film Festival will screen Kim Ki-duk's Arirang and Park Chan-wook's iPhone short Night Fishing. The festival runs for two weeks and got underway August 9. (CNNgo.com, August 8, 2011)
Lee Jang-ho to Head New Film Organization
Veteran filmmaker and head of the Seoul Film Commission Lee Jang-ho was elected as the first head of Film Korea, a new organisation which aims to promote Korea as a location for foreign productions as well as converge the separate sectors of film, TV drama, manhwa (manga), animation and gaming. (Screen Daily, August 12, 2011)
Ryoo Seung-beom Thanks Fans for Fantasia Award
A video response from Ryoo Seung-beom after learning that he won the best actor award at Fantasia for his role in his brother's film The Unjust. (youtube.com, August 8, 2011)
Asia Cinema Fund Backs Wide Array of Films
The Busan International Film Festival's Asia Cinema Fund has announced the diverse slate of films it has supported, which includes the Venice Film Festival-bound Cut. (Film Business Asia, August 9, 2011)
Korean Wave Hits Toronto
Cindy Zimmer offers her thoughts on the emergence of Korean culture in Toronto, having moved back there after living in Korea. (Life's An Adventure 2, August 9, 2011)
EDIF to Screen Wide Range of Documentaries
The EBS (Educational Broadcasting System) International Documentary Festival (EDIF), which celebrates non-fiction film, will get underway on August 19, screening 51 films from 29 nations on TV and in theatres. (The Korea Herald, August 10, 2011)
INTERVIEWS
Radio Interview with KOFFIA's Kieran Tully
Kieran Tully, marketing director of KOFFIA, discusses the upcoming festival on SBS radio Australia. (sbs.com.au, August 9, 2011)
Sit-down with Action Star Ha Ji-won
The star of summer blockbuster Sector 7 talks about 3D, her image as an action star and her love for melodramas and romance. (CNNgo.com, August 8, 2011)
TRAILERS
The Women's Great Escape (1976)
BOX OFFICE
Arrow Impresses While Sector 7 Flounders
Arrow, The Ultimate Weapon got off to a strong start with 967,000 admissions while Sector 7 saw most of audience disappear in its second weekend after it wound up with 246,000, down nearly 80% from last week. Quick and The Front Line also tapered off relatively quickly and scored 190,000 and 126,000 spectators, at this rate 3 million is the final threshold that both of these releases can hope for. Leafie, A Hen Into the Wild remained strong with 233,000 while Ghastly almost disappeared in its second week with 5,000 (a 90% drop) and may not even reach 100,000. After the huge success of Sunny, which opened in early May, there has not been another breakout hit, three recent blockbusters have been unable to break out big numbers but perhaps Arrow, which has garnered good reviews, will hold out for some big figures. (hancinema.net, August 14, 2011)
Korean Cinema News is a weekly feature which provides wide-ranging news coverage on Korean cinema, including but not limited to: features; festival news; interviews; industry news; trailers; posters; and box office. It appears every Wednesday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update and the Weekly Review Round-up. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Weekly Review Round-Up (08/06-08/12, 2011)
A variety of films reviewed this week including another pair of broadsheet commentaries for Poetry as it continues to screen across the world.
NEW KOREAN RELEASES
(hancinema.net, August 6, 2011)
(Seongyeong's Private Place, August 6, 2011)
RECENT RELEASES
(Variety, August 9, 2011)
(Beyond Hollywood, August 9, 2011)
(Modern Korean Cinema, August 6, 2011)
(koreanfilm.org, August 8, 2011)
(indieWIRE, August 9, 2011)
(Hangul Celluloid, August 7, 2011)
(The Reel Bits, August 6, 2006)
Poetry
(Beyond Hollywood, August 10, 2011)
(koreanfilm.org, August 8, 2011)
(PopMatters, August 11, 2011)
(pulpcurry.com, August 10, 2011) also cross-posted on VCinema
PAST FILMS
Running Turtle, 2009
(Modern Korean Cinema, August 7, 2011)
The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Korean Cinema News (08/01-08/07, 2011)
A large amount of trailers this week and lots of news to boot, including a number of box office milestones.
KOREAN CINEMA NEWS
Scribe Park Joon-hung won the best screenplay award for The Unjust at the close of the 2011 Fantasia International Film Festival which also featured a master class with award-winning director Ryoo Seung-wan. (DreadCentral.com, August 7, 2011)
South Korean Cinema Overview
Korean cinema is once again making waves on the international scene and Richard Gray briefly brings us through its evolution and where it currently stands. (Tresspass Magazine, August 7, 2011)
Fashion Trends in Ten Korean Films
An examination of ten korean films that display forward-thinking or versatile fashion sense. (racked.com, August 7, 2011)
Video Review of Terracotta Far East Film Festival
A video recap of this year's Terracotta Far East Film Festival which featured a number of Korean films and a special guest appearance by Breathless (2009) star Kim Khobbi. (youtube.com, August 6, 2011)
The Rise of Korean B-Movie
With the recent polarization of big-budget and independent cinema in Korea, B-Movies are now also gaining favor. Invasion of Alien Bikini, which was shot for less than $5,000 is leading the fray. (Joong Ang Daily, August 5, 2011)
Rain and Richard Gere to Collaborate on Project
Rain met with Richard Gere last week and announced on Twitter that they would be collaborating on an upcoming project. The results will likely not be seen for over three years as Rain must complete his compulsory military service. (soompi.com, August 5, 2011)
Leafie Breaks Animation Box Office Record
After attracting 500,000 spectators in 8 days, Leafie, A Hen Into the Wild is now officially the quickest selling animation in Korean history. (The Chosun Ilbo, August 4, 2011)
Sector 7 Bursts Out of the Gate
Summer blockbuster Sector 7 got off to a strong start with 230,000 viewers on its first day. It has benefited from the buzz of being the first Korean 3D action film. (hancinema.net, August 4, 2011)
Nicole Kidman Boards Park Chan-wook's Stoker
Park Chan-wook's hollywood debut Stoker is quickly assembling its high profile cast and the latest addition is screen siren Nicole Kidman. (soompi.com, August 4, 2011)
Arirang Confirmed for TIFF
Kim Ki-duk's new film Arirang, which premiered at Cannes earlier this year, has been confirmed in the masters section of this year's Toronto International Film Festival. (indieWIRE, August 3, 2011)
Korean Indie Animation Fest to Present in Australia
In the lead to KOFFIA 2011, the Indie-Anifest will present a special showcase of independent animation from Korea on August 16th. (koreanculture.org.au, August 3, 2011)
Normalization for Online Film Distribution Demanded by Chungmoro
On July 27, 108 companies and organizations, led by the Korean Film Council announced the Declaration for the Normalization for Online Film Distribution. The declaration calls for putting a stop to the illegal circulation of films online. (hancinema.net, August 2, 2011)
Hollywood DMZ Movie in Pre-Production
CJ has partnered with Di Bonaventura Pictures to produce a multi-million dollar blockbuster about Korea's De-Militarized Zone (DMZ). (hancinema.net, August 2, 2011)
New Casting Announcements for Stoker
More casting news for Park Chan-wook's Stoker as Alden Ehrenreich joins the feature. (Variety, August 1, 2011)
The Thieves Completes Location Shoot in Macau
Choi Dong-hoon's fourth feature has wrapped up its location filming in Macau. The Thieves, which stars Kim Yoon-seok, Gianna Jun, Kim Hye-soo, Lee Jeong-jae and Oh Dal-suis set to be released in the summer of 2012. (Film Business Asia, August 1, 2011)
Hollywood Studios Funding and Producing Asian Films
Recently, various Asian films have been partially funded or produced by Hollywood studios. They include Na Hong-jin's The Yellow Sea. (Wildgrounds, August 1, 2011)
Indian Marial Artist to Train in Korea
Salman Khan will be training in martial arts in Korea for his upcoming film Kick, which wil be shot on the peninsula. (movies.ndtv.com, August 1, 2011)
INTERVIEW
PiFan Q&A for Invasion of Alien Bikini
Transcription of a Q&A session following a screening of Invasion of Alien Bikini at this year's PiFan. (Asian Media Wiki, August 1, 2011)
TRAILERS
Lots of trailers this week for upcoming Korean films and various touring independent films.
Invasion of Alien Bikini (eng subs)
Sector 7 Posts Cracks 1 Million in Opening Weekend
As expected Sector 7 dominated the box office with an opening of 1.154 million admissions. Quick and The Front Line dipped slightly from last week and are in great shape with 368,000 and 329,000 respectively. With 250,000 Leafie, A Hen Into the Wild is edging closer to its 1.5 million break-even point, currently stands at 880,000. Horror film Ghastly opened poorly with just over 50,000 while Sunny begins to wind up its run with 25,000 in its first week out of the top 10. (hancinema.net, August 7, 2011)
Korean Cinema News is a weekly feature which provides wide-ranging news coverage on Korean cinema, including but not limited to: features; festival news; interviews; industry news; trailers; posters; and box office. It appears every Wednesday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update and the Weekly Review Round-up. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Dueling Masculinities in Running Turtle (Geobugi dallinda, 2009)
Just a look at the synopsis for Running Turtle will invite a
lot of comparisons to Na Hong-jin’s seminal 2008 work The Chaser. It is a
thriller about a middle-aged detective who gets booted out of the force and
goes after a young wanted fugitive. The detective is played by none other than
Kim Yun-seok, also the lead in Na’s thriller. This is a different beast though,
but no less compelling and effective in its depiction of a middle-aged tough
guy forced to the end of his wits and the edge of his already shady moral
compass.
Kim, who has truly become a force to be reckoned with of
late, is magnificent as Pil-seong, the rough-around-the-edges anti-hero. He is
a lone wolf, experienced enough to understand how things work, and not above
abusing the system to his own ends. Despite his malefactions, his family is
nearly penniless and he gambles most of his earnings away to escape the endless
tirade of abuse he receives from his ever-suffering wife. The domestic scenes
in the first part of the film are a marvel, which may seem like a strange word
to use because they are brutal and unpleasant. However, they are so well
staged, passionately acted, and efficiently paced that they become energetic,
as well as vituperative, and strangely endearing. We feel for Pil-seong when
contrasted with his wailing banshee of a wife but no sooner does he leave the
confines of his home when he’s up to his old tricks which likely are the cause
of his life partner’s bitterness.
Reviews and features on Korean film appear regularly on Modern Korean Cinema. For film news, external reviews, and box office analysis, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update, Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Review Round-up, which appear weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (GMT+1).
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
 |
| Domestic scene |
The film also follows another character, Gi-tae, who is a
famed martial artist on the run after having escaped from jail. Pil-seong,
after having been suspended from the force for brutality and subsequently reached
rock bottom, gets lucky when he gambles his wife’s savings on a long shot and
wins. He is not so lucky when Gi-tae attacks his bookies for being offensive to
his girl and takes his winnings. From this point on he tries to apprehend Gi-tae,
even though each time he corners him he gets beaten to within an inch of his
life. For some it may be frustrating to watch Pil-seong go after Gi-tae when it
is so clear that he will be overwhelmed, but it is a demonstration of
remarkable tenacity and stubbornness on the former’s part. The reason for this
is that Gi-tae has become embroiled with Pil-seong at a very fragile time.
Being booted off the force, unable to provide for his family, facing the ire of
his wife, and losing the respect of all his former colleagues, he his
emasculated to a degree where he will do anything to prove his masculinity. Running
straight into Gi-tae’s fists, knowing full-well that he will be overcome, is
the little he can do to stake his claim at being a man. The more he loses, the
more frustrated and careless he becomes. As such he joins the ranks of the many
post-traumatic males of Korean cinema that have appeared in the last 25 years.
 |
| Pil-seong (Kim Yun-seok) after winning his bet |
The film is ostensibly about a man chasing down a criminal
but really the narrative pits Pil-seong in a scrappy fight and breathless
search for his elusive masculinity. After being pummeled again and again, he must
pullback and make use of his mental faculty. It is thought and intellect that will
allow him to reclaim his desired position in society, as in this instance physicality
has clearly failed. The climax and the audience’s interpretation will decide
whether he succeeds in reclaiming his identity. In the meantime the other male
in the narrative serves as an obstacle.
Gi-tae seems like a one-note character that we learn little
about, he is just young, boyishly handsome, and endowed with nearly superhuman
fighting skills. Korean cinema seems to be rife with characters who seem
positively unbeatable, although they always fall in the end, recent examples
include Haunters (2010) and The Yellow Sea (2010). The latter in particular
featured Kim Yun-seok yet again in another role in which he displays a gritty
bravado and masculinity. Unlike The Chaser and Running Turtle however, his
character in The Yellow Sea is in complete control of his persona and with
ruthless brutality and unnerving calmness, easily cuts down his adversaries dozens
at a time. Haunters features Choi Deok-moon as a nearly emotionless psychic
with the ability to control everyone that comes near him like a puppet, save
for the hero. Much like Pil-seong, the hero in Haunters puts himself
continually in the psychic’s path with no tangible plan of action, although he
does not suffer from the same kind of masculine lack.
 |
| Pil-seong cannot overcome Gi-tae physically |
These all-powerful antagonists typically show very little
emotion and even less regard for human life. They have spades of masculinity
but are disconnected from normal society and healthy human interactions. As far
as the recuperation of the male id in Korean cinema, which generally takes the
form of men who blunder through narratives in search of their lost masculinity,
these characters seem to emanate from the darker side of this act of
reconstitution. They have their masculinities but at the expense of all else:
history has been erased or deliberately forgotten.
Gi-tae is on some kind of a journey too but his destination
or goal isn’t clear. He fights, or rather defends himself, during the film but
still hangs around. Perhaps he has nowhere to go, certainly he has no need to
reconstitute his masculinity as he is not emasculated like Pil-seong. Yet his
identity is lost and perhaps he knows that he cannot recuperate it, any journey
he goes on must therefore be doomed.
For these reasons Running Turtle acts as a very effective
thriller and fascinating, if somewhat simplistic, character study. It helps
that it builds momentum on the way towards its climax. The more I think about
it, this film is actually very similar to The Chaser, thematically as well as
aesthetically. Strongly recommended for fans of thoughtful, well-made Korean thrillers.
Reviews and features on Korean film appear regularly on Modern Korean Cinema. For film news, external reviews, and box office analysis, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update, Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Review Round-up, which appear weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (GMT+1).
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
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