The Tower: formulaic disaster film criticises aspects of modern Korean society in amongst the melodrama
Kim Ji-hoon, “Ta-weo / The Tower” (2012) Maybe its similarities to the World Trade Center
Tag: Korean Films
Reviews of Korean-language films I find significant or interesting.
Australian and New Zealand Films | Korean Films
The Haircut: a quirky quest reveals the nature and extent of the Western media propaganda machine against North Korea
Alex Apollonov and Aleksa Vulovic, “The Haircut” (2017) Two Sydney undergraduate students’ desire to travel
Chinese and Chinese-language Films | Korean Films
US Missile Base Upsets the Morning Calm: a sketchy report on the insidious effects of US military activity on a South Korean village and farming region
Yoichi Shimatsu, “US Missile Base Upsets the Morning Calm (Lens.tv Report: THAAD Deployment in South
Masquerade: a historical drama inspired by a bizarre episode in a Korean king’s reign becomes an inquiry into good government and social class
Choo Chang-min “Gwanghae: Wang-i Doen Namja / Masquerade” (2012) Korean actor Lee Byung-hun may be better
Pieta (dir. Kim Kiduk): a cruel and absurd grotesquery mocking the poor and the marginalised
Kim Kiduk, “Pieta” (2012) This tale of dark revenge centres around a class of people
Oldboy: arthouse film trappings cannot disguise a flimsy plot, flat characters and an empty message
Chanwook Park, “Oldboy” (2003) When I saw this film the first time over a decade
Korean Films | North American Films
Snowpiercer: silly social satire reveals a conservative and narrow view of human nature and potential for change
Joon-ho Bong, “Snowpiercer / Seolgugyeolcha” (2013) Joon-ho Bong’s first outing in the English language is
Night Fishing: delving into the world of Korean shamanism and spirituality with an Apple iPhone 4
Park Chan-kyong, Park Chan-wook, “Night Fishing / Paranmanjang” (2011) Filmed using an Apple iPhone4, this
Sleep Tight My Baby: one take is all it takes for an effective horror short
Pansu Kim, “Sleep Tight My Baby” (2001) Very devastating film about a teenage girl trapped
Silmido: excellent film about a series of incidents in South Korean history that has a universal resonance
Kang Woosuk, “Silmido” (2003) Apparently based on actual incidents, this epic film ought to have