Author: Darcy Paquet
Publisher: Columbia University Press, 2010
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From the publisher’s website:
New Korean Cinema charts the dramatic transformation of South Korea’s film industry from the democratization movement of the late 1980s to the 2000s new generation of directors. The author considers such issues as government censorship, the market’s embrace of Hollywood films, and the social changes which led to the diversification and surprising commercial strength of contemporary Korean films. Directors such as Hong Sang-soo, Kim Ki-duk, Park Chan-wook, and Bong Joon-ho are studied within their historical context together with a range of films including Sopyonje (1993), Peppermint Candy (1999), Oldboy (2003), and The Host (2006).
About the author
Darcy Paquet is the founder of Koreanfilm.org and visiting professor in the Department of Film and Theatre at Kyunghee University. A former reporter for Screen International and Variety, he has lived in Seoul since 1997.
LKL says:
This brief introduction to Korean film is packed with insight based on Darcy Paquet’s unique viewpoint on Korean film. Do not expect to find lots of analysis of individual films, or discussion of cinematography, lighting or editing techniques. But what you have in abundance is context. The development of the Korean film industry over the last 30 years is explained in the context of historical, political and sociological developments, and in the related context of changing methods of film financing.
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