Comments on: The Essentials: 10 Films Of The Korean New Wave [Primer]

By: Natalie

Natalie — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

I actually thought Hong Sang Soo's latest effort, Our Sunhi was an even better film than Nobody's Daughter Haewon although I did like Nobody's Daughter. People who compare him to Woody Allen need to GTFO. Hong Sang Soo clearly writes as someone who cares about his female characters and has met actual females or talked and understood them.

Anyway I looked through the list and it's solid— Poetry is absolutely amazing. A phenomenal film with a breathtaking script and lead performance. I Saw the Devil is THE definitive revenge film with 2 mind blowing performances and amazing cinematography. Memories of Murder— AKA David Fincher and True Detective WISHES.

I'd also add The Man from Nowhere and Madeo/Mother, Secret Sunshine or I'm a Cyborg. Secret Sunshine just has one of the most astounding central performances in the last 10 years from Jeon Do Yeon.

Um, I'd definitely bump up My Sassy Girl to one of the top/iconic Korean New Wave releases too, because I think it really shows how Korean cinema is able to effectively balance humor and melodrama in a way that Western cinema cannot comprehend.

For more variety I'd also include Bedevilled— brutal, brutal, horror/thriller/revenge, like ISTD, but even more tragic… A Dirty Carnival— neo-noir at its best plus stunning cinematography, Tazza and/or The Thieves for heist films. Frankly those two films annihilated any other American heist film I ever saw. To me, it's like the Korean New Wave directors don't treat their audiences like idiots, and they also take genres that Hollywood made popular and turn them into really smart films and even outdo them.

Definitely 3-Iron, too, even if there is Spring, Summer… to represent Kim Ki Duk's filmography.

I could go on… another film that I thought was excellent is Sunny, which was the box office hit of its year in South Korea and for good reason, although the premise would definitely NOT fly in Hollywood since it's about a group of pre-teen girls growing up in the 70s, and the film is told in flashbacks and it's a wonderful coming of age film and film about a diverse group of women (since the film does also tell the stories about what happened to the girls when they grow up)

By: JMD

JMD — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Memories of Murder is amazing, so is Mother, I Saw the Devil is pretty terrible in comparison…

By: bonzob

bonzob — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

I am so glad you guys included I Saw The Devil. I know it's super divisive and I can see why people hate it, but I'm a huge fan of that one. Probably my favorite Kim Jee-Woon.

Also, props to whoever did the Memories of Murder write up. It's my favorite Korean film and you really nailed what makes it so unique and wonderful.

By: Enrique

Enrique — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

In my opinion, Korean film industry is the worlds best at the moment. So many interesting film makers to choose from, and as you said, "this list could be about five times as long and not run out of interesting titles"

A couple of personal favorites I would add is Park's "I'm a Cyborg, but That's OK" and Ki-Duk Kim's "3-Iron".

By: bangbongbing

bangbongbing — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Lovely list. The only Korean film not mentioned was an early effortâ"The Quiet Family"âby no means a perfect film, but possesses all of the traits and sensibilities of the later new wave films and came in 1998, which predates the new wave by a few years. It is quite a fun little campy romp.

By: immature

immature — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Superb list. I'd also mention 3-Iron and I'm A Cyborg. I don't know if it's considered part of the new wave, but Noroi: The Curse is one of the most unnerving horror films in recent memory.

By: james

james — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

My favorite is Chul-soo Jang's Bedevilled. His new one Secretly Greatly was just released this month.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

You absolutely nailed this list by including Save the Green Planet. Sublime and often overlooked film.

By: sagi

sagi — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

I think that you should have put 'Welcome to dongmakgol' instead of the 'Tale of two sisters' or some other film…and 'Nobody's…' Is incredibley boring film,you should replace it with 'Madeo',the best korean film IMO

By: TheoC

TheoC — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Typical Playlist overlooking African American directors again.

By: Taylor

Taylor — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Great list, I'm excited that more people are discovering Korean cinema, there's so much great stuff happening there right now. I'd add "Castaway on the Moon" and "The Yellow Sea" to your list.

By: Adam Hartzell

Adam Hartzell — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

It's important to note that in the scholarly literature, the "Korean New Wave" refers to films made in the 1980's-early 90's, significant directors being folks like Park Kwang-su (CHILSU AND MANSU, A SINGLE SPARK) and Jang Sun-woo (THE LOVERS OF WOOMUK-BAEMI, TO YOU FROM ME). The films listed and discussed here in this article are referred to as "New Korean Cinema" which started with Kang Je-gyu's SHIRI (1999). The confusion here is partly due to how those film movement terms are not distinct enough. Plus, since New Korean Cinema is the film part of the wider transnational pop culture movement dubbed "Hallyu", which can be described as a 'wave', these less than helpful film movement monikers can add to the confusion. For those curious, here are 3 books to check out – NEW KOREAN CINEMA edited by Chi-yun Shin & Julian Stringer; NEW KOREAN CINEMA: BREAKING THE WAVES by Darcy Paquet, and DIRECTORY OF WORLD CINEMA: SOUTH KOREA edited by Colette Balmain.

That said, as the authors here note, like most national cinemas, there is a dearth of women directors. However, three women directors were important to the beginnings of New Korean Cinema: Jeong Jae-eun, whose wonderful and significant TAKE CARE OF MY CAT is a glaring omission here; Byun Young-joo, whose 'Comfort Women' Trilogy is perhaps the most important documentary series made in South Korea, and Yim Soon-rye (WAIKIKI BROTHERS, FOREVER THE MOMENT). Another one of my favorite New Korean Cinema films is Gina Kim's INVISIBLE LIGHT but I admit that it might not be to everyone's liking since it's a very patiently-paced film.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

I hate to be all 'this list that wasn't made by me should be the way I want it', but
MY SASSY GIRL should really, unquestionably be in the top ten here. SHIRI is also essential, simply because it started the whole "Hallyu" when it made more money than James Cameron's TITANIC at the South Korean box office. I would say that, while there are a lot of filmmakers still making great films, the "Wave" has apparently crested more than a bit since the quota wars.
I would also second THE QUIET FAMILY (It was remade, as a Japanese musical, by Takashi Miike, as HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS).

By: Henrique

Henrique — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

"A Bittersweet Life" is a really good motion picture.
Worth the time.

By: M

Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Korean Movies are great, I am more interested in those than other films. Some of my favourites – Memories of Murder (had some funny moments), The Chaser (damn had some really sick scenes), The Man from Nowhere, Lady Vengeance, Old Boy (first Korean Movie I watched that got me into the movies). Nameless Gangster (awesome) and I could list a few more. There are many that I need to see as well.

I hope more Korean filmmakers might make some English Language films but also keep doing their Korean Language films. They are great.

By: zach

zach — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

THESE FILMS always end up in my year-end lineups. Korean filmmakers are incredible at telling exceptional stories in a way that can't be found in films from elsewhere.

By: Jamaica

Jamaica — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

The film that hooked me, into my love affair with Korean cinema, was Song Il-Gon's "Spider Forest." Wonderful performances by Kam Woo-Sung, and Suh Jung, provide an emotional anchor to this Lynchian tale of grief and denial. Thanks to it's twisty, fever-dream structure, I still don't know the exact particulars of what took place, but that only invites my repeated viewings. (That, and Kam Woo-Sung's sympathetic portrayal of a man who could be anyone, including us.)

By: Shain Kai Lee

Shain Kai Lee — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Really impressed by Breathless (dir: Yang Ik June) & The Yellow Sea (the guy who directed the Chaser's follow up). Both very violent. In the former, it's quite upsetting & tragic whereas The latter is quite convoluted & over the top but both are gripping in their own way.

By: Keren

Keren — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Cold Eyes (2013) and The Big Swindle (2004)

By: Gyandeep

Gyandeep — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Wow. Not even an honorable mention for 'New World'. That was 2013's best Korean film for me.

By: Nihar

Nihar — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Some korean gems that were unmentioned –

– Silenced
– Castaway on the moon
– 3 iron
– The man from nowhere

By: James McGowan

James McGowan — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Hmm I\’d add "Oasis" as Lee Chang-Don\’gs most amazing work really and also if we are talking "New Wave" I\’d say Horror would be more stongly represented. I think Kim Ki Duk\’s other films are as worthy. In a way "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winte… Spring" is his friendliest film. Something like "Crocodile" "the isle" would be another one that really exemplified his style early on.

By: JFK

JFK — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Song Il Gong\’s "Spider Forest" is what really got me started on Korean films, and yet it\’s rather unique in Korean film.

By: Labus

Labus — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Nice list… I have made this list of my favorite once. sakmario.blogspot.cz

By: NDK

NDK — Fri, 13 May 2016 07:13:09 +0000

Many thanks for this article – I\’ve recently become very interested in Korean cinema and this list helped to point the way. Seen most of these at this stage: I Saw the Devil was far too sadistic for my taste but enjoyed the others. I\’d second Enrique\’s suggestion: I thought "I\’m a Cyborg…" was excellent.