Breath

Breath (2007, dir.Kim Ki-duk)

Here we go again with a film of the Korean filmmaker that has captivated all the international circles, Kim Ki-duk. In “Breath”, he makes again a special depiction of love as a conflictive story. This time it will get involved 4 people: Jang Jin, Yeon, her husband and the young cellmate.

Jang Jin is a prisoner that has tried several times to commit suicide. The social repercussion in the news of his situation has attracted Yeon’s attention. Yeon is a docile housewife that takes care of her daughter and her husband. One day she discovers that her husband is having an affair what leads her to visit Jang in prison. When she gets there, she introduces herself to the prison officers as Jang’s ex-girlfriend. She will continue visiting him bringing different seasons in each visit like she was trying to build a relationship. When she goes to the prison she wallpapers the visit room as an outside area that reflects every season. When the husband realizes about what she is doing he try to separate them and he stops his affair. It seems that he realizes that he want to keep his family over everything.

Autumn visit

Each time that Yeon goes to prison, we can appreciate an unknown person that keep observing Yeon and Jang relationship through the security camera. In one scene, it is possible to appreciate the reflexion of the person in the screen (It is very curious so just have a look and discover him by yourself) . This ‘voyeur’ figure is not new for Kim ki-duk, in fact it is a current topic in his films. This film, ‘Nabbun namja’ and ‘bin jip’ are some examples of its representation.

There are not fixed feelings in the film. The movie has a ‘warm’ storyline; the characters keep changing their heart throughout the movie.

Kim Ki-duk repeats the same characteristic elements that have supported his cinema:

First, he shows again a film based on silence and visual representation. This quiet cinema, based on no dialogs, has given him his international success and he keeps improving this technique in each work.

It also includes trouble characters in the outside boundaries of society: Jang Jin, a prisoner that have tried to kill himself many times; the young cellmate, who feels a harmful love towards Jang Jin; Yeon, a housewife sick of her empty life; and her husband that cheats on her and hits her.

Moreover, it is evident Kim Ki-duk’s special taste for violent and cruel image. The film keeps a dark side all over the film besides the colourful scenes of Yeon’s visits to Jang Jin.

Breath brings out the personal view that the Korean director has of the world. This film illustrates as well how he keeps improving his work.

Bad guy

"Nabbun namja" dir. Kim Ki-duk

“Bad Guy”, in Korean “Nabbun namja” (나쁜 남자) is another example of Kim Ki-duk’s film style. It reflects his special taste toward violence and cruelty and keeps his identity on the film characteristics.

On one side, the characters that are always in the outside borders of society. Han-ki is a young man that seems to live out of the law. One day, he notices Sun-hwa, a beautiful college student, and falls for her. In front of everyone, even her boyfriend. Han-ki violently kiss her but she neglects and humiliates him in public by splitting on him. After this event he decides to revenge. Han-ki, helped by some friends, involves Sun-hwa in a debt that she cannot pay back. She finally ends in a prostitution district of Seoul forced to sell her body to repay the sum.

The scene when he forces her to kiss him

Soon, Han-ki will be obsessed with the girl presence. He observes her through the mirror. This is another important point in the film, the development of the ‘voyeur’ figure. This voyeur attitude is also shown in the poster of the film. We can appreciate him watching her and his reflexion on the mirror. Watching how she is suffering will lead him to be in love with her but this won’t change his attitude.

The film depicts the complete transformation of a woman that goes from a very conservative position, refusing the situation, to the opposite attitude. She will finally become a prostitute. Furthermore, what it’s more representative, the movie reflects the idea of women’s psychology that women prefer bad guys rather than nice ones.

In fact, at the end and besides everything that she has gone through, Sun-hwa falls in love with Han-ki (kind of syndrome of Stockholm). Even she goes to prison when he is arrested and asks him not to die there.

The idea of love is mixed with pain. These two elements are quite difficult to separate in Kim Ki-duk’s cinema.

Again, the director plays with silence giving much more importance to the image than the dialogs. Probably, this has become one of the most remarkable elements about his film style.

3-Iron

The title in korean Bin jip (빈집), empty house, describe faithfully the plot of the film. The Kim Ki-duk film describes the life of Tae-suk. After checking that houses are empty, he breaks into house or flats while the owner is away. Once, he enters into a large house without notice that a woman is inside. That woman, Sun-hwa, keeps observing the way Tae-suk is acting. As soon as they have the first eye contact, Tae-suk leaves the home but he keeps going there and watching over. When he realizes that Sun-hwa’s husband is battering her, he revenges her by hitting her husband with a 3 Iron (the golf club that gives name to the film in English). After that, they run away together, both Tae-suk and Sun-hwa.

From this point they start a relationship based on silence. Maybe because of the silence, it could disappoint somehow audience that are not prepared to see a film like this. But the image and photography of this movie is amazingly beautiful as it is the story.

It is not easy to see this kind of films, more independent, outside of the film festivals. Most of these Asian movies, more precisely South Korean ones, are just available in this kind of events. 3 Iron and other Korean films have depicted a particular film style. They show a cinema that little by little has become more remarkable. Not just this one but also “A tale of two sisters”, “Old boy”, “Memories of murder”, “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” are heading a list of example of a cinematography that has become very strong. Korean cinema, as Indian one, has been one of the film industries that has been able to compete with Hollywood.

The figure of Kim Ki-duk has been very important in terms of international diffusion of korean cinema. In his work he always explores characters that are in the border of the society. In ‘Bin Jip’, for example, appear Tae-suk, a young man that is like a 'parasite' living in houses when the owner is not inside; Sun-hwa, a beautiful woman, that was a model, subjugated under her husband authority and violence; and Min-gyu, the violent and insecure husband that batters his wife.

In this film Kim ki-duk depicts the love as a mixture with pain and this representation is based on the image almost without dialogs (even the main character do not say a word).

Tae-suk lives without possessions using things of other people and that questions the necessity of having assets.

The silence is a very important element in the film. Kim Ki-duk manages to use it properly and get a very good final project based on a visual poetry. I really recommend this film to everyone that want to get in touch with a different kind of cinema far away from the typical hollywood movie.

DMZ: an evidence of the division

Have passed around 50 years since the Korean war finished with an agreement of ceasefire and building the DMZ, demilitarized zone, from one side to the other of the peninsula, dividing the country in two parts North and South Korea; symbolizing war and peace at the same time.

Since that moment North Korea has tried four times to dig a tunnel to reach South Korea but just the 3^rd Tunnel can be visited. This is the closer one to get Seoul. To see the tunnel first you have to go down around 30 metros before being actually walking through it. It was quite impressive to be there thinking that they almost reach the capital of South Korea. Even taking pictures inside is completely forbidden.

Near there it is the Dora Observatory. This observatory supposes to be the only place where you can actually have a view of North Korea and see Gaeseong city. It is really exiting the idea of being there. I had the opportunity to visit it but because of the weather it was impossible to see anything and, moreover, taking pictures was forbidden. But, anyway, when you are there, it is almost impossible not to think in how many times people that have family in North Korea have gone there just to dream about meeting them again.

And this hope of unification is what people could get from the visit to woljeongri station. This provisional train station would join the last station in South Korea and the first one of North Korea. You can notice the sorrow of the divided country since the first step into the building. And the day that both parts get together again, will affect also the whole Asian continent and South Korea won’t be isolated any more. Asian continent and European continent would be joined.

The division topic and the hope for the reunification have been represented in several films such as JSA (dir. Park Chan-wook, 2000), Taegukgi (dir. Kangh Je-gyu, 2004), Silmido (dir. Kang Woo-suk, 2003), Shiri (dir. Kang, Je-gyu, 1999), Manmubang (dir. Aum Jong-sun, 1994).

Horror film genre in Korean Cinema

Whispering Corridors (Park Ki-hyung, 1998)

Horror film genre in Korea has experienced a big boost during the beginning of the XXI century. Since 1999 to 2010, 75 horror films were released. This boost was partly pushed because of the success of the Japanese film Ring (Hideo Nakata, 1998). The worldwide triumph of the movie in international markets produced a contagious cinematographic 'virus'1. Soon the East Asian film markets were full filled of horror movies with characteristic of ‘Sadako image’2 (a young female ghost, without eyes, and with long hair that walk dragging the feet).

At the beginning, films such as 'Evil staircase' (Lee Man-hee, 1964) depicted the horror genre as movies characterized by supernatural elements, old myths and legends full of monsters.

During 70s and 80s the declining of Korean Cinema in general also affected this genre. In this period Korean horror films were imitations of previous American and European successful films. After this period, one important representation of the genre was ‘Whispering Corridors’ (Park Ki-hyung, 1998). It was a change in the way the genre was depicted. Although this movie was based on a Japanese series of teenagers horror films called Scary School Stories, finally it wasn’t just copies. The whole series has reached a personal identity in each film. The 1^st and 2^nd part were considered in a better way by the critics and they had a very important role in the renaissance of horror film genre.

One of them, 'Memento mori' (Kim Tae-yong, 1999) had a great repercussion as well because of the ‘two-girl taboo friendship’ depicted in the film. The representation of a romantic relationship between two girls was out of mind before this film.

Little by little, the horror genre in Korea would get the recognition that deserve. In 2003, with the movie ‘A tale of two sisters’ (Kim Ji-won), the Korean horror cinema reached its golden age. The critic toward this film was really good and it won the Best Price in the International Fantasy Film Award and even the America made a remake titled as ‘The Uninvited’ (The Guard brothers, 2009).

Another film that was internationally recognized was ‘The host’ (Boon Joon-ho). That film got 18 awards in seven different festivals plus 10 more nominations.

Nowadays, horror film genre is ranked at the third position in terms of audience. Although drama and action genre audience is further higher, it is remarkable the increased influence.

1. NOSFERATU, Nº 54-56
2. Idem

International projection of Korean cinema and culture

Breath (Kim Ki-duk, 2007) main actors in Cannes Film Festival

In the 80s Korea gave its first steps to show to international markets its cinema and culture. However the real international repercussion was during the 90s. The country was facing at that moment an economic crisis. But the boost of cinema production, the first-ever multiscreen cinema (which attracted the interest of a great mass of population), and the emergence of the Korean ‘blockbuster’ phenomenon, were the principal reasons that provoked the promotion of the national cinematography. The quote of screen time in Korea for national cinema reached a rate of approximately 50%.

Dalmaga Dongjjokeuro gan kkadakeun?, directed by Bae yong-kyun and awarded internationally with the great prize of Locarno Festival, was the most representative film talking about the internationalization of the Korean cinema. But probably the most emblematic one was Chilsu and Mansu (1988), for the first time international circuits start to be interested on Korean cinema1. In 1992, it is organized the first great exhibition of South Korean cinema, by Pesaro Festival, in western countries. By this time, Korean film market was the second best one behind Japanese one and, what’s more, now it is considered one of the best film industries in the world. In fact, it is impressive how in the last 10 years, Korean cinema have spread out. Many festivals around the world have proliferated such as NY Korean Film Festival (2001), London Korean Film Festival (2003), one in Australia (2000) and other one in New Zealand (2004).

The rapid increase in the number of festivals denotes the importance that Korean culture products are reaching nowadays. But not just films, also Korean Tv dramas are being spread out to occidental audience, mostly through internet. The seek of the terms “Korean culture”, “Korean films”, and “Korean dramas” in three different languages (English, Spanish, and French) on one of the most popular search web page ‘google’ have offered very disparate results. The greater amount of searches in English than in French, or the small amount of the searches in Spanish, just show how the presence of these products are probably more significant in English-speaking countries.

By the results it seams that the interest about Korean cultures in Spanish-speaking countries is less developed. But in the last 10 years it has been noticeable the growth of the Korean films showed in festivals such as Sitges or BAFF. Sitges started to increase the number of korean films showed in each edition from one film in 2000 (Seom, Kim Ki-duk) to seven movies of 2010. Even, it was created a new section called Orient Express in the festival that just showed asian films. The modest Malaga Fantastic Film Festival also have included in its program Korean movies and, in fact, in 2010 among the activities that were organized it was included a samulnori spectacle.

Also international well known festivals such as Cannes or Sundance have included Korean films in their editions. Cannes has taken in 37 South Korean movies in the last 12 years and Sitges for example has shown 58 films in the last 10 years while Sundance has shown 18 movies since 1995.

These facts just denote the growing impact of Korean cinema and culture in western societies and the increasing interest about them. But the most important point would be how this can affect to the image that western and eastern people have about the country.

1 ELENA, Alberto. Seul Express. La renovación del cine coreano. Madrid: 1st edition, TB.

May 18



May 18, 2007 dir. Kim Ji-hun



“Do you know what is more powerful than weapons? People”

-         Park Heung-Soo (May 18, 2007)

This quotation of the film denotes the nature of the events that took place in Gwangju in May 1980. It shows the spirit of a city fighting against the repression of Chun Doo-hwan’s military dictatorship, students looking forward the democracy after the death of Park Chung-hee.

May 18 is another example of the awakening of the social conscience in the Korean cinema, product of this historical situation. Other films such as A petal (1996) or Peppermint Candy (2000) depicted, previously, Gwangju slaughter.

May 18 relates a very critic, realistic and hard images of the event. On one side, a group of soldiers (they don’t even know at the begining) sent to the south to control the student’s demonstration against the martial law, and on the other side, a group of young people enjoying their life without knowing what will happen to them.

Kang Min-woo and his brother Kang Jin-woo

The martial law and the military presence in Gwangju triggered the protest of the university students what finally derived in the ‘brutal’ attack of the military army. This situation would not finish till 27^th of May.

The movie depicts with a very hard reality what happened in Gwangju. One of the most powerful images in terms of significance it’s when Gwangju citizens joined by the belief that the military army will leave Gwangju, and suddenly while they are singing the anthem, being proud of their nation, the army starts to shoot them. The cruelty showed in this moment with the korean anthem as background music is not unique. A child crying with his father dying in his hands or Kang Min-woo in shock after seeing the assassination of his younger brother are some other examples.

Comparing these images with some of the real ones (available on the internet), the film seems to represent the situation very close to the reality and it is impossible not to think that, what is on the film, really happened; soldiers hitting and shooting without any compassion toward people without weapons. And the Gwangju’s citizens finally will start a rebellion taking weapons to finally die defending a cause.

Maybe the most appealing point of the movie is that it is based on a true story. And, although not excellent, the cast is fine and the characters, still being quite typical roles, are able to capture the attention of the audience and move them.

And the last message is clear “please remember us, don’t forget us”