Review: The Slick, Manipulative and Disappointing Secretly Greatly

When a filmmaker makes a great debut, expectations are bound to be quite high for the follow-up. Such was the case for Jang Cheol-soo, who took the world by storm with his terrific island revenge saga Bedevilled in 2010. When word first surfaced of his next feature, which would see him adapt the popular webcomic Secretly Greatly, the initial buzz was one of excitement. However, as it progressed through casting and then production, it became more and more clear that this would be a completely different kind of film, and certainly not one aimed at the audience that was so enthralled by his debut.

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Revenge Week: Hell Hath No Fury... Part I

Part of MKC's Revenge Week (July 8-14, 2013).

By Paul Quinn, founder of the excellent Hangul Celluloid.

Ask almost anyone with even a vague knowledge of Korean cinema about continually prevalent K-film genres or themes and at some point in their response they'll likely mention more than one example from a near plethora of Korean revenge thrillers and cinematic tales of bloody retribution. While any discussion of genre predominance is of course multi-faceted, the fact that a country's cinema can almost not fail to be influenced by its nation's psyche - inherently reflecting trials and tribulations faced nationally - to my mind speaks volumes about the origin of Korean cinema's regular and ongoing use of revenge narratives: By its very definition, revenge comes as a direct response to wrongs suffered, oppression and/or repression and with Korea historically having had to endure not only decades of occupation by Japan - during which time repeated efforts were made by the Japanese to completely eradicate Korea as a nationality, including the banning of Korean language films from 1942 until 1945, when Korean independence was finally secured - but also subsequent years of stringent cinematic constraints and censorship instigated by the Korean government itself, the revenge genre has since provided opportunities for filmmakers to produce searing entertainment at the same time as, perhaps subconsciously, allowing a kind of audience catharsis by way of indulgence in fictional tales of vengeance and retribution where no national revenge could or would ever be sought in reality.

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Revenge Week: Recent “Women's Revenge” Films and The Curious Case of Bedevilled

Part of MKC's Revenge Week (July 8-14, 2013).

By Kyu Hyun Kim, Associate Professor at UC Davis and koreanfilm.org contributor.

Revenge is a mostly human behavior (I am loath to call it “uniquely” human: who knows, maybe there really is a killer whale like Orca, who chased and eventually knocked Richard Harris' brain all over an Arctic glacier, because the latter killed his pregnant mate. No idea what movie I am referencing? Can’t say I blame ya). Animals retaliate but do not dwell on the feelings of resentment, the sense that an injustice was done to them, the way humans do. An ant colony fights back when it is invaded by other colonies. However, when they lose a territorial war, they either get exterminated or absorbed into the winning side's community: there are no “buts” about the outcome. I doubt a soldier ant goes after the queen ant of the invading colony in a suicide mission of avenging her own queen, or deaths of her sister larvae.

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Get Ready for 'Revenge Week' on MKC!

UPDATE: Some unexpected plans have forced me to move REVENGE WEEK on MKC back two weeks. It will now take place July 8-14. Sorry for the delay but this does give everyone more time to contribute! We have already received some great stuff and plenty more is on the way. Please don't be shy and contact us if you would like to take part!

A while back we held a 'Jopok Week' on MKC, focusing on Korea's colorful output of gangster cinema. With reviews, features and guests galore, it was the most fun and engaging week we ever had. It's high time we put on a new event so I'm thrilled to announce that at the end of this month (June 24-30) it'll be 'Revenge Week' here on MKC.

Perhaps more than any other genre, the revenge thriller or drama is ubiquitous with Korean cinema, particularly in the eyes of foreign viewers, many of whom were introduced to the nation's output through classic vengeful fare such Oldboy (2003) and A Bittersweet Life (2005). From Park Chan-wook's highly stylized Vengeance Trilogy and commercial films such as The Man From Nowhere (2010) to independent films such as the austere Bedevilled (2010), there's never been a shortage of revenge-themed films in South Korean cinema.

So why does Korea produce so many revenge narratives? Many theories exist and we hope to explore these during 'Revenge Week' and maybe even throw in a few of our own.

Just like 'Jopok Week' I would like extend an invitation to anyone who would like to contribute a piece on Korean revenge films. Feel free to drop me a line at pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com.

Reviews and features on Korean film appear regularly on Modern Korean Cinema.  For film news, external reviews, and box office analysis, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update, Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Korean Reviews, which appear weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (Korean Standard Time).

To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Top 10 Korean Films of 2010

2010 was a great year for Korean cinema and as here at Modern Korean Cinema I'm going back through Korean film to get a sense of what were the best and most important films through the years.  I'm thrilled to present my top 10 for the year to coincide with the Korean Cinema Blogathon.  I have seen a lot of films from 2010 and the only major omission is Cafe Noir which has yet to find a DVD release, here's hoping there'll be one!

This follows on from January's Top 10 Films of 2011 and I hope to make my way back through to the 90s.

Without further ado, scroll through the top 10 below, followed by some honourable mentions and the year's biggest turkeys:

Intro - 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 - Best of the Rest

Top 10 Lists

Year  2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016
2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010

2010s (Top 50) - All Time (Top 25)

Genre

Gangster - Horror - Revenge

Weekly Review Round-up (01/14-01/20, 2012)

Lots of reviews this week with The Front Line being released in the US.  Four movies also came out this week in Korea though as of yet only review has surfaced, expect more to come.

CURRENT KOREAN RELEASES

Dancing Queen

(The Korea Times, January 19 2012)

My Way

(hancinema.net, January 14, 2012)

RECENT RELEASES

A Better Tomorrow

(Varied Celluloid, January 13, 2012)

Bedevilled

(Init_Scenes, January 18, 2012)

Choked

(Film Business Asia, January 16, 2012)

Come Rain, Come Shine

(Hanguk Yeonghwa, January 13, 2012)

Countdown

(Modern Korean Cinema, January 19, 2012)

I Saw the Devil

(examiner.com, January 14, 2012)

Moby Dick

(Hanguk Yeonghwa, January 16, 2012)

Mother Is a Whore

(Hangul Celluloid, January 18, 2012)

Poetry

(Empire, January 18, 2012)

Sector 7

(Haunted Hell, January 19, 2012)

Spellbound

(Beyond Hollywood, January 15, 2012)

(The National Post, January 12, 2012)

The Day He Arrives

(Beyond Hollywood, January 13, 2012)

The Front Line

(Entertainment Weekly, January 19, 2012)

(Film Journal, January 19, 2012)

(Libertas Film Magazine, January 19, 2012)

(Movie Line, January 19, 2012)

(Slant Magazine, January 16, 2012)

(The A.V. Club, January 19, 2012)

(The Los Angeles Times, January 20, 2012)

(The New York Times, January 19, 2012)

The Man From Nowhere

(cinemageekly.com, January 15, 2012)

(g33k-e.com, January 14, 2012)

The Servant

(Dramas Whoo!, January 16, 2012)

You're My Pet

(The One One Four, January 14, 2012)

War of the Arrows

(Beyond Hollywood, January 19, 2012)

PAST FILMS

A Man Who Was Superman, 2008

(Rainy Day Movies, January 13, 2012)

Chaw, 2009

(Movie Mobsters, January 15, 2012)

Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring, 2003

(Otherwhere, January 13, 2012)

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, 2005

(Hanguk Yeonghwa, January 18, 2012)

The Coast Guard, 2002

(boxofficebuz.com, January 16, 2012)

The Isle, 2000

(Hanguk Yeonghwa, January 15, 2012)

The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site. 

To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Weekly Review Round-up (11/12-11/18, 2011)

A wide array of films reviewed this week, many due to the just-wrapped London Korean Film Festival.

RECENT RELEASES

A Better Tomorrow

(DVD Verdict, November 17, 2011)

(Rock! Shock! Pop!, November 14, 2011)

Arirang

(SBCC Film Reviews, November 14, 2011)

Bedevilled

(fright.com, November 15, 2011)

City

(Hanguk Yeonghwa, November 15, 2011)

Detective K

(Alive Not Dead, November 12, 2011)

Ghastly

(Nekoneko's Movie Litterbox, November 14, 2011)

Haunters

(Horror Films, November 17, 2011)

Hindsight

(Film Business Asia, November 15, 2011)

I Saw the Devil

(PinoyMovieBlog, November 14, 2011)

King of Pigs

(The Korea Times, November 17, 2011)

Late Autumn

(Otherwhere, November 14, 2011)

Moss

(Init_Scenes, November 14, 2011)

Negligence of Duty

(Hanguk Yeonghwa, November 16, 2011)

Poongsan

(Variety, November 15, 2011 - Paid Subscription Required)

Promise

(Hanguk Yeonghwa, November 15, 2011)

Sector 7

(Dread Central, November 14, 2011)

Secret Reunion

(Next Projection, November 17, 2011)

Suicide Forecast

(London Korea Links, November 12, 2011)

Sunny

(hancinema.net, November 12, 2011)

(Korean Class Massive, November 6, 2011)

The Cat

(Film Business Asia, November 18, 2011)

The Day He Arrives

(Init_Scenes, November 17, 2011)

The Front Line

(heyuguys.co.uk, November 11, 2011)

(Wildgrounds, November 17, 2011)

The Hideout

(Hanguk Yeonghwa, November 16, 2011)

The Unjust

(Eye for Film, November 18, 2011)

The Yellow Sea

(beehivecity.com, November 12, 2011)

(heyuguys.co.uk, November 16, 2011)

(movies reviews by tom clift, November 14, 2011)

War of the Arrows

(Korean Class Massive, November 6, 2011)

PAST FILMS

Handphone, 2009

(Korean Class Massive, November 7, 20110

I'm a Cyborg But That's OK, 2006

(moviefilmreview.com, November 14, 2011)

Rough Cut, 2008

(Next Projection, November 17, 2011)

The Host, 2006

(Ticker Talks Film, November 11, 2011)

The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site. 

To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Weekly Review Round-up (09/17-09/23, 2011)

A good number of new reviews this week including a whole bunch relating to the Yeonghwa: Korean Film Today MOMA screenings currently taking place in New York. Since most of those reviews are from the event itself I've put them in their own section at the bottom.

NEW KOREAN RELEASES

Arrow, The Ultimate Weapon

(Front Row Reviews, September 18, 2011)

Blind

(Fangoria, September 22, 2011)

RECENT RELEASES

Amen

(Screen Daily, September 18, 2011)

(The Hollywood Reporter, September 22, 2011)

Bedevilled

(Twitch, September 22, 2011)

Metamorpheses

(Oriental Nightmares, September 19, 2011)

Officer of the Year

(Beyond Hollywood, September 21, 2011)

Poetry

(Metro Pulse, September 21, 2011)

Rolling Home With a Bull

(New Korean Cinema, September 22, 2011)

Secret Reunion

(Manila Bulletin, September 21, 2011)

Sin of a Family

(Beyond Hollywood, September 18, 2011)

Suicide Forecast

(Beyond Hollywood, September 15, 2011)

The Yellow Sea

(Cigarette Burns, September 7, 2011)

(Empire Online, September 2011)

PAST FILMS

A Good Lawyer's Wife, 2003

(Anikor, September 21, 2011)

Lost in the Mountains, 2009

(Twitch, September 22, 2011)

Mother Is a Whore, 2009

(Beyond Hollywood, September 18, 2011)

Passerby #3, 2009

(New Korean Cinema, September 19, 2011)

Rainy Days, 1979

(Init_Scenes, September 19, 2011)

Secret Sunshine, 2007

(Metro Pulse, September 21, 2011)

The Chaser, 2008

(sky.com, September 2011)

The Sword With No Name, 2009

(DVD Verdict, September 20, 2011)

YEONGHWA: KOREAN FILM TODAY

Animal Town, 2009

Hello Ghost, 2010

Influenza, 2004

Lost in the Mountains, 2009

Midnight FM, 2010

Mozart Town, 2008

Passerby #3, 2009

Rolling Home With A Bull, 2010

The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site. 

To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Why You Shouldn't Dare Miss KOFFIA 2011!

If you are fan of Korean cinema but have not heard of the brilliant and imminent Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA), surely you must be living under some sort of internet-repelling rock. I want to take a little bit of time to explain in plain terms why you should know about it, why you should be very exited about it, and, as it follows, why you be remiss to miss this wonderful celebration of the ingenuity, versatility, beauty, explosiveness, and awe-inspiring power of the South Korean film industry.

Jang Cheol-soo's Bedevilled

I make no secret and certainly no apologies for my zealous love of this national cinema. I've spent my entire life watching films from across the globe spanning time immemorial, or at least since the Lumieres Brothers, Thomas Edison, or Louis Le Prince, depending on what you believe, changed and enriched our lives forever. I have witnessed; the wondrous and striking early treasures of 1920s and 30s cinema from the US, Weimar Germany, Communist Russia, and many more; the bold and majestic glory of 1940s Hollywood and the heart-rending honesty of Italian Neorealism; the triumphant and poetic genius of 1950s Japanese cinema; the witty, cool, and powerful French Cinema of the 60s; the progressive confidence of 1970s Hollywood and New German Cinema; and the infinitely versatile and too many to name global cinemas of the 1980s, 90s, and new millenium. So much to love, so much to inspire, so much to revere. Yet none more so than an industry that has been plugging away at full steam for over a decade and show no signs of letting up. For me cinema as an industry has never been so complete as it has in the hands of the globalized, revitalized, and ferociously competent Korean cineastes of the modern era.

Kim Tae-kyun's A Barefoot Dream

It's a rather lofty endorsement and not one that I expect all to ascribe to, but no matter what your tastes, if you are a lover of cinema then more or less by default, you should be a lover of Korean film. Those Korean films that have penetrated into the Western consciousness have been unquestionable successes, films like Oldboy (2003), Memories of Murder (2003), A Bittersweet Life (2005), and The Host (2006). However, they only hint at the depth of the industry from which they emanated. Dig a little deeper and you will finds some of the world's greatest art films, romantic comedies, horrors, action films, thrillers, melodramas, and so, so, so much more. For this reason and more I urge you to take a look at KOFFIA 2011.

Hong Sang-soo's Oki's Movie

This year's expanded edition of KOFFIA demonstrates why Korean cinema demands and deserves your attention. The event, which takes place in Sydney August 24-29 and then moves to Melbourne for September 10-13, is split into a variety of categories that cater to your preference in cinema, including: Crime and Punishment, Bloody Friday, Ride the Dream, Extraordinary Ordinary Families, Indie Cinema, Brothers Divided and Masters and Students.

Lee Jeong-beom's The Man From Nowhere

The festival's most well-known offerings are a dizzying display of modern cinematic technique, impeccable storytelling, and thoughtful creativity. Ryu Seung-wan's The Unjust, Lee Jeong-beom's The Man From Nowhere, and Jang Cheol-soo's Bedevilled are three out of the most well-known Korean films from 2010 to western audiences and for good reason. Looking beyond these hardboiled thrillers you will find: some of last year's most lauded arthouse films, including Hong Sang-soo's Oki's Movie and Park Jung-bum's The Journals of Musan; as well as emotional and well-crafted inspirational films such as Kim Tae-kyun's A Barefoot Dream. Beyond last year's films the festival will also present an eclectic mix of past but still recent Korean movies that you may not have had a chance to see on the big screen, like: Park Chan-wook's Joint Security Area (2000), Ryu Seung-wan's No Blood No Tears (2002), and Han Jae-rim's The Show Must Go On (2007). These and many more promise great things for one of the world's most exiting yearly exhibitions of Asian film. Don't you dare miss out!

What Should be on the Radar for Korean Cinema Fans

My last post got me thinking, perhaps people haven't had the same opportunity as they've had before to see Korean films because they don't known about them. It could be that the passive fans who found out about Korean cinema from The New York Times or The Guardian don't know what else is out there since most publications that have mentioned these films in the past seldom mention them today.

To give people a chance to catch up, here is a list of films that have recently come out of Korea and those to keep on eye out for in the near future:

The Man From Nowhere - I wasn't very exited about this project when I first heard about it but now I'm looking forward to seeing it. It still has a relatively low profile but the word of mouth is very strong for this action thriller that seems the channel Leon and Taken.

Available on Blu-ray & DVD in the US, out on DVD in UK on April 11.

Bedevilled - By all accounts an exciting addition to the Korean 'revenge drama' cannon from first time director Yang Chul-soo.


Available on Blu-ray & DVD in the UK. Currently no plans for release in the US.

I Saw the Devil - Another revenge drama, this time from Kim Ji-woon, one of the most marketable Korean directors abroad. It features great performances from powerhouse leads Choi Min-sik and Lee Byung-hun and is a refreshing and uncompromising take on the revenge narrative.

Currently on limited release in US, out on Blu-ray & DVD on May 10. To be released in theaters in the UK on April 29 and on Blu-ray & DVD on May 9.

Poetry - The latest from Lee Chang-dong,  about a grandmother who tries to write a poem as she deals with a failing body and the consequences of an act of her grandchild's.

Currently on limited release in NY. No plans for the UK, but this is only a matter of time.

HaHaHa and Oki's Movie - Both of these well-received Hong Sang-soo films were well received in Korea last year.

Will make the rounds at the festivals this year, perhaps these will see release by the end of the year.

The Yellow Sea - The sophomore effort from the director of The Chaser. It's about a Chinese man goes to Korea to find his wife and ends up on the run after being framed for a murder.


Will be in competition at Cannes this year, so there will be a wait before this becomes available.

Glove - From veteran filmmaker Kang Woo-suk, a story about a hot-tempered former professional baseball player, is sent to the countryside to coach a team of hearing-impaired players.

Recently released in Korea.

The Journals of Musan - The debut from Lee Chang-dong's former assistant director, Park Jung-bum. A North Korean defector has a hard time coping in society.

Will be released in Korea on April 7.

My Way - From the maker of Taegukgi, Kang Je-gyu, comes another war film, this time about a Korean man who dons a german uniform during WWII. It is the most expensive Korean film of all time.

Currently in production, to be released this December in Korea.

Hanji - Im Kwon-taek's 101st feature film.

To be released on March 17 in Korea.

The Battle of Yellow Sea - From Kwak Kyung-taek, the director of Friend, comes A 3D action film based on the true story of the 2002 gun battle between the North and South Korean navies.

To be released in Korea in 2011.

Snow Piercer - Based on a French comic, this Bong Joon-ho helmed picture, to be produced by Park Chan-wook, will chronicle a train of 1001 cars, which has to carry a large group of the last human beings on Earth after a nuclear war. It's time to start getting very exited about this.

Most Likely will be released in late 2012 in Korea.

The Host 2 - A sequel to the 2006 megahit, is being made in 3D. Bong Joon-ho is not attached to this project.

Aiming for a summer 2012 release in Korea.

Let me know if there is anything you would add to this list.