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The Importance of Film Within Korean Society (Part 4)

Conclusion

By Ruth Esca BowmerPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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Oldboy (2003)

Probably one of the biggest forces in cinema is from Hollywood. However, recently we have been seeing a slow death in the Hollywood formulas that have been used and worn thin for so long now. It is more visible in some genres then others—a particular area that it is most obvious in is the horror classification. If you take a look at this aspect of western films there is little change since the "slasher" films of the 1980s, with only a few exceptions such as The Blair Witch Project (1999). The issue with franchises that become horrendously overdone is the audiences are left with a sense of over-familiarity that takes all the fear out of the films by making them painfully predictable.

As Hollywood began to sense the decay in its formula, a formula that was reasonably new to the west was discovered. Thus began the series of re-making Asian films with western actors and directors for the western audiences. Tony Timphone is editor of a horror fan magazine called Fangoria; he states, "American audiences forgot what it was like to be legitimately scared, Asian horror films are the complete antithesis of American-style FX-overdose pictures. They’re subtle and get under your skin. They creep you out, unnerve and disturb you, without gushing, severed body parts and tons of pyrotechnics." (Timpone, 2005. Online). A part of what makes the Asian formula actually frightening is its unpredictability coupled with a fatalistic atmosphere are often scenarios that occur. Apart from the plot, the atmosphere is generated using creative camera work or composition, drama work, lighting and the soundtrack. With regards to Asian films this is not just a fact in the horror genre but present in nearly all film varieties to enhance the viewing, this is particularly true of Korean produced films, such as A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) by director Kim Jee-Woon.

The remaking of eastern films began with Japanese director Hideo Nakata’s Ringu (1998), which was made into The Ring (2002) by director Gore Verbinski. This was the film to lead the trend and was soon followed up by Ju-On (2000) by director Takashi Shimizu becoming The Grudge (2004). Although this film was lucky enough to keep its original director, Takashi was granted money to remake his own film using American actors such as Sarah Michelle Gellar and Bill Pullman. Another well known remake is Dark Water (2005) by director Walter Salles of another Hideo Nakata film of the same title in 2002. The Eye is a 2008 American supernatural horror film directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud, scripted by Sebastian Gutierrez, and starring Jessica Alba, Parker Posey, Alessandro Nivola, and Rade Šerbedžija. It is a remake of Hong Kong directors the Pang brothers' 2002 film of the same name. This is the start to a move outside of Japan and a further step outside of horror with the remake of Park Chan-Wook’s psychological thriller Oldboy (2003). The remake which came in 2013 and shared the same title has been described as an American neo noir film, which is interesting given the origin is from South Korea.

Oldboy 2003/2013 Comparison of the Iconic Image with the Hammer

Once the remake was set, Park Chan-Wook had no involvement. Because of this, he did not know how the remake is progressing and in an interview for Total Film Magazine he expressed his hopes of the western director in saying, "I just wish the American director creatively savages my film. What’s the point of shooting it if you’re just going to change the actors?" (Park 2006). So the Hollywood remakes are now reaching beyond Japan and into Korea and even Hong Kong. This is so popular because like the original films they are small budget in comparison to the Hollywood formula films which require special effects. This makes them profitable films, increasingly so when the home movies releases become available. It would not be surprising if we saw more Korean films re-made in the future considering there is a wealth of films that break the predictable pattern people of the west are tired of. Also with Korea gaining world releases, the films by directors such as the ones I have mentioned in this investigation are being brought to a wider attention. Park Chan-Wook is one of the best known directors of Korea now and he states in the Total Film interview about his circumstances at the time, "As far as American studios are concerned, I have received a lot of offers," he reveals. "Some are very interesting, some not at all. I have received a lot of offers. I’d be willing to go to Mars for a good story, not just Hollywood, if a good story was offered, but I’d turn down even a billion dollars if there wasn’t a good story." (Park 2006). This suggests also that he has been receiving not only offers for having his own films remade but that Hollywood is interested in getting him to direct some of their stories and have him involved in their movies. However, as many Korean directors find vehicles for their films by using personal beliefs and philosophies, as their films are a form of expression to them, it is difficult to imagine one of these directors producing films based on another’s story and plot.

Cleary the most important aspect of film making and cinema in Korean society is the form of expression it brings, to not only the directors but the Korean people that watch the movies.

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