HomeRetro movies rediscover colonial era
Jeong Jae-yeong
Kim Dong-wan
Retro movies rediscover colonial era
Gyeongseong is emerging as a popular background for Korean films, reflecting the public's recent penchant for retro style, and filmmakers' newfound interest in the Japanese colonial period -- evidence of their quest for fresh characters and themes.
During the Japanese colonial rule of the early 20th century, today's Seoul was called Gyeongseong. It was the very cultural center where tradition and Western modernity began to fuse.
Four new films exemplify this dipping into the past -- "Once Upon a Time," "Radio Days," "Modern Boy" and "The Good, The Bad, The Weird," all of which come with high-profile directors and actors. Production houses are pinning their hopes on the success of this new breed of Gyeongseong films at a time when home-grown movies face an uphill battle against Hollywood blockbusters.
In the past few decades, a host of filmmakers already used Gyeongseong as a historical setting -- but only superficially. In contrast, these upcoming films rely heavily on the cultural diversity of the period to create fantasy or induce retro feelings.
"Once Upon a Time," directed by Jeong Yong-gi and financed by SK Telecom's new film division, revolves around a hilarious treasure hunt in the 1940s, and features repartee between con artists, Japanese military officers and independence fighters. The movie begins with a top Japanese soldier finally obtaining the long-sought-after "Light of the East," a legendary diamond believed to have been placed in the forehead of the monumental statue of the Buddha inside the Seokguram Grotto in Kyungju. The great diamond is said to have mysterious power, but what's more important for thieves and con artists is its gigantic size.
Bong-gu (Park Yong-woo), a self-styled master of fraud and forgery, does not lose any time getting prepared to steal the diamond shortly before it is shipped to Japan. But he has a competitor, Chun-ja (Lee Bo-young), a jazz singer who rules the night of Gyeongseong as a masked thief.
With the retro costumes, furniture and houses evoking the era of budding modernity in Korea, "Once Upon a Time" rightly appropriately quickens its storytelling pace in a style that is rare in Korean comic movies. Particularly impressive are the solid performances of the leading characters. Park demonstrates his versatility in switching between comic and action sequences, while Lee shows off her charm as a seductress who cares more about her dream than the hard times all around her. Also notable in this film that's due to be released on Jan. 31 is the show-stealing slapstick acts by the two prominent sidekicks played by Seong Dong-il and Cho Hee-bong.
Scheduled to hit the theaters on the same day is "Radio Days," set in the 1930s when Korea got it first radio station. The movie does not focus on the gloomy historical facts related to the Japanese rule; instead, it highlights the romanticism of the period, typified by the launching of a Korean-language radio station.
A young radio station manager, Lloyd (Ryoo Seung-beom), undertakes a live drama series which is commissioned by the Japanese rulers. The main voice actors in this show are not professionals. A jazz musician, a courtesan and even a clueless office clerk are invited to perform in the drama, and the scripts are largely ignored, as the actors resort to liberal ad-libbing. Despite the shoddy production quality, the radio show becomes a huge hit. This movie pokes fun at the broadcasting practices of the time, as well as at Japanese rule.
Director Jung Ji-woo's "Modern Boy" also belongs to the retro category that takes full advantage of the vibrant days of Korea, despite the suffocating control by Japan. Park Hae-il and Kim Hye-soo have joined the project set in the 1930s, with newly-introduced Western culture including cafes, coffee, and department stores featured prominently.
Although background of "The Good, The Bad, The Weird" not Gyeongseong, this one fits in the category, insofar as it's set in the 1930s. The place is Manchuria, and this Oriental western-style movie stands out with its star-studded cast. Well-known Korean Wave stars Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho and Jung Woo-sung play exotic roles -- a bandit, a train robber and a bounty hunter -- and expectations are rising concerning this big-budget flick which will be released during the summer vacation season.
Source : http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/
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Prim Actress Gets Messy in New TV Ad
Actress Kim Tae-hee has become the talk of the town with a commercial in which she appears with no make-up. The commercial for Olympus Korea emphasizes Kim's natural side. Sporting a mane of untidy hair as if she just woke up, she curls her lips,...
Singer Kang Ta Begins Military Duty in Euijeongbu
Singer Kang Ta (29) officially began his military duties on April 1 in Euijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province. Kang Ta held a farewell concert for his fans at the Main Hall of Yonsei University late last month. The day he was stationed at his military ...
Im Hyun-jung Helps Ahn Jae-wook's K-Pop Comeback
Singer Im Hyun-jung showed her loyalty to friends by helping with the production of Ahn Jae-wook's comeback album. In 2006, Ahn had been featured in "The Enticing Scent of Love," the title track to Im's 5th album, and when he asked her to help...
Eugene to Play Second Mother Role
Eugene becomes the mother of a child and a lucky woman who receives the love of three men--Cho Hyun-jae, Jae Hee and Shin Sung-rok--one of whom is the father of the baby. The new KBS 2TV (Wed./Thurs.) drama "Three Daddies and One Mommy" is abo...
Actor Lee Byung-hun to Launch Film Tour in Japan
Top Hallyu star Lee Byung-hun is set to launch a large-scale film-screening tour in Japan. The actor, who successfully pulled off seven large-scale fan meetings in four major Japanese cities last year--Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya--will l...
Tasting the mirage-like 'Korean wave'
n the last few years, Korean films, TV dramas and pop music have become immensely popular abroad, a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave. This is the first in a series of essays by a select group of foreign scholars and journalists looking at the ...
New Attitude for Actor Kwon Sang-woo
March is usually a downtime for movies, but not this year. Hallyu's well-known Song Seung-heon and Kwon Sang-woo star in "Fate," and it's gaining attention from Korean fans as well as those abroad. Fans should be prepared for Kwon's transforma...
`Fate,’ When Pretty Boys Go Bad
In the star-studded gangster film ``The Fate,'' friends become foes and ``pretty'' actors get rough. Actor-turned-director Kim Hae-gon casts hallyu TV stars Kwon Sang-woo (``Stairway to Heaven'') and Song Seung-heon (``Autumn Fairytale'') and oth...
'Secret Sunshine' Snags Three Awards at Asian Film Fest
From left, actor Song Kang-ho, actress Jeon Do-yeon, director Lee Chang-dong attend the red carpet of the Asian Film Awards as part of the event at Hong Kong International Film Festival in Hong Kong on Monday. /AP Korean film "Secret Sunshine" b...
[Movie Review]'Fate' a tale of two gangsters
"Fate (Sukmyeong)" packs plenty of heart-pumping action sequences on the strength of high-profile Korean Wave stars but its heavy reliance on stylized images without offering background details stops short of expectations. In the movie, we see the do...
Actors Kwon, Song Get Rough in ‘Fate’
The main cast of ‘The Fate’ by actor and director Kim Hae-gon appears before the press in a Seoul theater, Monday. From left, actors Kwon Sang-woo, Park Han-byul, Song Seung-heon and Kim In-kwon smile for the camera. / Yonhap ``The Fate'' is the...
'Sikgaek' offers visual taste of Korean cuisine
Food has rarely played a leading role in a miniseries. But in "Sikgaek," the SBS drama slated to air on May 26, food takes center stage. And not just any kind of food. Korean cuisine gets the spotlight this time around. Based on Hur Young-man's be...
Actor Ryu Seung-beom Volunteers in Thailand for 10 Days
Actor Ryu Seung-beom is in Thailand to help needy children. According to Plan Korea, an international children's charity organization, Ryu will visit Thailand from March 11 to March 19 with photographer Hong Jang-hyun. They will stay with a lo...
[Talk of the town] Warner Bros. chases success of ‘Chaser’
![[Talk of the town] Warner Bros. chases success of ‘Chaser’](/kmovie_news/thumbnail/080312_chaser_thumb.jpg){kind=small}
Na Hong-jin’s thriller “The Chaser” has attracted more than 3.5 million viewers as of last Friday, and Hollywood’s Warner Brothers Entertainment is now tapping into that success. Fine Cut, the local company in charge of the film’s foreign sales,...
Actress Kim Nam-joo Gives Birth to a Baby Boy
Star couple Kim Seung-woo and Kim Nam-joo recently welcomed the birth of their second child, this time a son. Actress Kim Nam-joo gave birth to a 3.3-kilogram baby boy in Seoul on March 5. The couple married in May 2005 and gave birth to their...
Deluge of foreign films drowning Korean releases
One of the intriguing (or disturbing) signs about where Korean movies are headed is the near absence of press previews this month. For instance, except for a screening of Yoo Ji-tae's short titled "Out of My Intention" on Tuesday, there's nothing goi...
TV sitcom star swaps romance for current affairs
At age 62, actor No Ju-hyeon is heading for a new start ― he is appearing on SBS TV’s live news show “Morning Wide,” which airs every morning from 6 to 8:30 a.m. No is in charge of a new feature called “Human Plus,” which explores current affair...
Love is no bed of roses in SBS drama
SBS tackles the thorny matter of marriage in its latest drama, "I Love You," slated to hit the small screen on March 31. A spin-off of Hur Young-man's hit comic book series "I Love You," SBS's new miniseries keeps it light and fuzzy in what promis...
`Last Scandal': A New Drama of Strong Spirited Ajumma
Dramas have always been the center of attention among Koreans with their cheerful characters played by young, hip and stylish celebrities. This year, the fever will go on, but this time it will be led by none other than ``ajumma.'' ``Ajumma'' ...
Different Bodies for Different Souls in `Who Are You'
The producers of the 2007 hit drama ``Thank You'' have teamed up together for another drama for the family, ``Who Are You?'' This drama employs ``spiritual possession,'' a popular idea which was also used in the 2006 drama ``Please Come Back, ...
Actors of 'Likeable or Not' Say Being 'Lovey-Dovey' is Fun
Actor Kim Ji-seok and actress Han Ji-hye, who appear in the primetime drama 'Likeable or Not' on KBS, are demonstrating to viewers the essence of a "lovey-dovey" couple. In the drama, the two characters that the actors play have always had fee...
[TV review]‘Mommy’s Angry’ stokes fires of class wars
![[TV review]‘Mommy’s Angry’ stokes fires of class wars](/kmovie_news/thumbnail/080227_mommy_thumb.jpg){kind=small}
One of the convenient aspects of moving out of my parents’ house was that I could choose where I live. I was free from questions like “So, where do you live?” which can be translated as “How rich are you (or more precisely, your parents)?” My pa...
'Night' Shows Innovative Minimalism
Several films have put Hong Sang-soo on the cinematic map as a unique minimalist, and he upholds the reputation with his latest work ``Night and Day.'' He captures the quizzical human sentiment with subtlety and presents mundane scenes with craft...
Rain receives award for promoting nation's image
Rain (Jung Ji-Hoon), one of the most successful and admired performers in Asia, yesterday received the 2008 Korea Image Stepping Stone Award, which is given annually by the Corea Image Communication Institute. The awards ceremony was held in the G...
'Single Daddy in Love' promises comic relief
A mixed martial arts fighter plays a single father to his seven-year-old son in KBS's new drama "Single Daddy in Love." Set to air its first episode tonight, "Single Daddy in Love" follows on the heels of the star-studded melodrama "Bad Love."...
`Beautiful’ Shows Ugly Side of Beauty
While aesthetic standards vary over time, the desire for beauty and the power of its allure remain unchanged. Countless tales and myths across cultures speak about it, and director Juhn Jai-hong continues this tradition in his feature film debut,...
[MOVIE REVIEW] 'Beautiful' examines idea of beauty a la Kim Ki-duk mode
Combine sex, obsession and extreme circumstances, and you'll have a perfect formula for a movie created and crafted by the award-winning filmmaker Kim Ki-duk. "Beautiful (Areumdapda)," however, is not Kim's movie -- officially, in the least. The m...
