A cinematic journey to South Korea

A few days ago, the South Korean film ‘Parasite’, directed by Bong Joon-ho, not only won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, but also the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. This was a historical moment: ‘Parasite’ is the first South Korean film to have been nominated in these categories, as well as the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It had also won the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. These remarkable achievements have unsurprisingly rekindled my interest in South Korean cinema. For this reason, today I am embarking on a cinematic journey to South Korea.

Here are 9 South Korean films to watch:

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring (2003)

I believe this is the first South Korean film I’ve ever watched. Directed by Kim Ki-duk, this beautiful film is divided into four segments, followed by a much shorter one at the end. Each of the four main segments is about 20 minutes long and takes place during a different season of the year, but many years apart. Taking place on a small floating monastery in the middle of an idyllic lake, the story unfolds over the protagonist’s, a Buddhist monk’s, life, from his childhood to old age.

Oldboy (2003)

Directed by Park Chan-wook, ‘Oldboy’ is one of the most famous South Korean films, and couldn’t have been omitted from this list. It won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004. The film is based on a Japanese comic, and is also reminiscent of the ancient Greek myth of Oedipus. It tells the story of a man who was kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years; when he is freed, he must discover the reason for his abduction and imprisonment. ‘Oldboy’ is the second firm of the ‘Vengeance Trilogy’; it is preceded by ‘Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance’ and followed by ‘Lady Vengeance’, both directed by Park Chan-wook.

An American remake, directed by Spike Lee and starring Josh Brolin, was released in 2013.

Time (2006)

Another film by Kim Ki-duk, ‘Time’ is about a woman who undergoes extensive plastic surgery in an attempt not to lose her lover. It is a thought-provoking film about relationships.

Cold Eyes (2013)

‘Cold Eyes’ is my favorite film in this list, and one of my favorite films of all time, irrespectively of the country of origin. I watched it at the Leeds International Film Festival in 2013, and it is the reason why I have been prioritizing South Korean movies at the film festivals I attend. Directed by Ui-seok Jo and Byung-seo Kim, it is a remake of an earlier film from Hong Kong called ‘Eye in the Sky’. Unlike the other films on my list, this is a thriller – about a surveillance team trying to track down a gang of bank robbers.

The Handmaiden (2016)

Another festival favorite, ‘The Handmaiden’ was inspired by the novel ‘Fingersmith’ by British writer Sarah Waters. Unlike the novel, however, the film is set in Korea and takes place in the 1930s when the country was occupied by the Japanese. Directed by Park Chan-wook, ‘The Handmaiden’ features quite a few sexually explicit scenes between the two main female characters, a Japanese heiress and her maid, reminiscent of the French ‘Blue is the Warmest Colour’ (‘La vie d’Adèle’) and ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ (‘Portrait de la jeune fille en feu’).

Burning (2018)

Speaking of fire, let’s now move on to ‘Burning’. Directed by Lee Chang-dong, this film is based on ‘Barn Burning’, a short story by the Japanese author Haruki Murakami (from the ‘The Elephant Vanishes’). It is a dark story about two men and a woman, who become entangled in a love triangle.

Films by Bong Joon-ho

Award-winning South Korean director Bong Joon-ho has so far directed seven feature films, including ‘Parasite’, as well as the English-language ‘Snowpiercer’ and ‘Okja’.

“I’m just a journeyman film director who wants to keep making the films he wants to see. That’s what I do.”

Bong Joon-ho

Snowpiercer (2013)

Released in 2013 and directed by Bong Joon-ho, ’Snowpiercer’ is his first English-language feature film, but also the last South Korean film I’ve watched. I only watched ‘Snowpiercer’ this week, since it had not been released in UK cinemas until very recently. The film is based on the French post-apocalyptic graphic novel ‘Le Transperceneige’, and stars both South Korean and Hollywood actors, including Tilda Swindon and Ed Harris. It is an allegorical film taking place at a time when the Earth is frozen and the only survivors are passengers of a train that never stops moving. The situation on board the train is far from ideal.

‘Snowpiercer’ is also available on BFI Player.

An American TV series of the same name, starring Jennifer Connelly, is due to be released later this year.

Okja (2017)

Also directed and written by Bong Joon-ho, ‘Okja’ is another South Korean film that I’ve only recently watched. Although it had been released on Netflix in 2017, it had somehow escaped my attention. Like ‘Snowpiercer’, it features a cast of both South Korean and Hollywood actors, including (again) Tilda Swindon and Jake Gyllenhaal. The similarities do not end here; at the core of both films are environmental issues. Yet, both stories are about human relationships and interactions. ‘Okja’ tells the story of a South Korean girl who goes into great depths to save Okja, her beloved ‘super pig’, a massive genetically modified animal.

Parasite (2019)

Back to ‘Parasite’ and to the present, this is the first film by Bong Joon-ho I’ve watched, a couple of days after the 92nd Academy Award ceremony. The Oscar-winning film tells the story of a poor South Korean family who tricks a wealthy family to employ them in various posts.

If you’ve enjoyed this cinematic journey to South Korea, then check out the London Korean Film Festival, due to take place in November 2020. The exact dates are yet to be announced. Meanwhile, check out their website for year-round film events.

Further reading

If you’ve enjoyed this cinematic journey to South Korea, check out my cinematic journeys to France, to the Nordic Countries, or around (the rest of) Europe.

Alex

(the Traveling Psychiatrist)