Many films have examined this dichotomy, including Early Rain (1966). However few have done so as aggressively as Lee Jang-ho's Between the Knees (1984), a fascinating and frustratingly paradoxical work from the Korean New Wave. Both progressive and surprisingly conservative, it's a little hard to peg exactly what director Lee's angle is at different points of his film.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Review: BETWEEN THE KNEES Lies Korea's Sexual Awakening
Many films have examined this dichotomy, including Early Rain (1966). However few have done so as aggressively as Lee Jang-ho's Between the Knees (1984), a fascinating and frustratingly paradoxical work from the Korean New Wave. Both progressive and surprisingly conservative, it's a little hard to peg exactly what director Lee's angle is at different points of his film.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Berlinale 2014 Review: SPROUT's Short and Sweet Seoul Odyssey
Part of MKC's coverage of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival and the 18th Busan International Film Festival.
By Pierce Conran
Monday, February 10, 2014
Berlinale 2014 Review: NON-FICTION DIARY Offers Captivating Glimpse of 1990s Korea
Part of MKC's coverage of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival and the 18th Busan International Film Festival.
By Pierce Conran
I stepped onto Korean soil for the first time almost 13 years after the end of the 1990s but there's no arguing the otherworldliness of that time, which can still be picked up on today by sampling the available media from that era. These days, some Koreans even reminisce about that special, indefinable feeling if a certain 90s song pops on in a basement bar.Though a fan of documentaries, I've remained somewhat on the periphery concerning those from Korea despite my keen interest for the rest of the industry's output. A number of the subjects that they embark on are captivating, even essential at times, but they haven't always been made in the most gripping fashion. Mind you, I'm loath to admit that I still haven't seen some of the major recent successes, such as Talking Architect (2011) and Planet of Snail.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Berlinale 2014 Review: Grand and Hypnotic, A DREAM OF IRON Won't Soon Be Forgotten
Part of MKC's coverage of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival.
By Pierce Conran
Early on in A Dream of Iron, a new documentary premiering at the Berlin International Film Festival this year, director Kelvin Kyung Kun Park shows us images of whales moving through the vast blue expanse of the ocean - enormous creatures that were once considered grand and mysterious. Soon after, Park brings us to the expansive POSCO steel-making plant on the coast of Southern Korea and proceeds to show us the process of shipbuilding through a series of arresting visual tableaux. Gargantuan in size, these vessels demonstrate the soaring ambition of the human race, as enormous components are each readied for assembly with minuscule laborers dotting their surface.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Berlinale 2014 Review: Subdued yet Powerful, NIGHT FLIGHT Soars
Part of MKC's coverage of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival.
By Pierce Conran
LeeSong Hee-il returns to Berlin a year after White Night (2012) with his fourth feature Night Flight. While his last film was a subdued but powerful work about lingering memories of homophobia in modern Seoul, his new feature is his most ambitious yet. Retaining queer themes, Night Flight goes beyond the scope of his past works by weaving a wider tapestry of social motifs that touch on many of the issues facing youths and minorities in contemporary Korea.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Berlinale 2014 Review: Bong Joon-ho's SNOWPIERCER Delivers the Goods
News: New Wildflower Awards Recognize Independent Korean Cinema
The Wildflower Film Awards (들꽃영화상), a new audience-led initiative to recognize achievements in independent Korean cinema, is getting underway this month. Launched by Korean film expert and koreanfilm.org founder Darcy Paquet, the awards will be handed out each February to outstanding contributions in Korean cinema's low-budget realm. Winners will be selected in categories for Best Film, Director, Documentary, Actor, Actress, New Actor, New Actress, New Director and Cinematography, in addition to a Documentary Jury Prize.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)