Paul Quinn introduces Kwon Chil-in’s Singles, positioning it as a defining New Korean Cinema comedy, reflecting shifting attitudes to love, sex and independence. Through its modern female characters, role reversals and humour, the film marks a break from decades of punitive depictions of women and celebrates changing social values in early-2000s Korea. [Read More]
People: Jang Jin-young
Blue Swallow (청연, 2005) review: a sympathetic treatment of a contested story
An epic film in every sense, Blue Swallow bravely tells the controversial story of pioneering Korean female aviator, Park Kyung-won. The narrative of necessity blends fact with fiction but, nonetheless, Blue Swallow boldly states that Park Kyung-won was a woman to be greatly admired, rather than vilified. [Read More]
A belated look back at 2009
For the past 3 years LKL has concocted a quiz of the year as a way of gathering together some of the news stories which have most caught our eye. This year, as I came to draw up the list in mid December I found it hard to think of anything amusing or diverting: most … [Read More]
Sorum (소름, 2001) review: haunted spaces and the psychology of despair
With its slow, brooding and genuinely unsettling narrative, Sorum isn’t a film which everyone will savour, but its uncompromisingly bleak depiction of the vicious depths to which human beings are capable of sinking certainly allows it to stand out from standard horror movie fare. [Read More]