Director Im Sang-soo discusses his reimagining of the 1960 classic The Housemaid, exploring the intersection of class structure and patriarchal power. He addresses the functional role of graphic sexuality in his films, the serendipitous symbolism of an actress’s scar, and his defiant stance toward commercial expectations and critical reception in the Korean film industry. [Read More]
People: Jeon Do-yeon (page 2)
The Housemaid (하녀, 2010) review: Im Sang-soo’s lavish and ruthless reimagining
Though not as subtly stated, socially accurate, or downright claustrophobic and creepy as its illustrious predecessor, The Housemaid still stands its ground as a well realised and gripping thriller which deftly shows that power can easily become as addictive as a drug… [Read More]
Jeon Do-yeon given French culture award
Jeon Do-yeon (http://bit.ly/2s5bE8) joins Nah Youn Sun (http://bit.ly/l0uf3) in French Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres award. The award was established in 1957 by France’s Minister of Culture to recognize noteworthy contributors to the arts and literature. # [Read More]
Untold Scandal (스캔들 – 조선 남녀 상열지사, 2003) review: pleasure, power, and desire in the Joseon dynasty
Untold Scandal is easily the most sensual and sumptuous of all of the adaptations of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. A tour-de-force from beginning to end, Untold Scandal is a film which everyone should be told about. [Read More]
Easter celebrity round-up
It’s been a while since I rounded up some of the celebrity news as an excuse for posting some pictures, so here’s some recent items: First – Brits with Korean connections: Korea Beat has a translation of an interview with David Beckham, recently in Korea with LA Galaxy Kate Moss gets an advertising contract with … [Read More]
Secret Sunshine (밀양, 2007) review: grief, faith, and defiance in Milyang
Secret Sunshine is both a study of grief and a dissection of faith and religion. Like director Lee Chang-dong’s previous work the film doesn’t shy away from showing the disintegration of a human being as a result of uncontrollable events and the actions those events elicit. [Read More]
LKL 2007 Quiz of the Year – the answers
Question 1: Corporate crooks and corruption Match the alleged quote with the appropriate chaebol The conglomorate had run a vast network that bribed government officials, prosecutors, tax collectors, journalists and scholars I don’t want to take a gamble on causing a crisis in the country’s economy The sentence of one year and six months is … [Read More]
Festival Film Review: Secret Sunshine at the BFI London Film Festival
Caution: this post contains spoilers. It was slightly disappointing to see Screen One of the Odeon West End (seating capacity: 500) somewhat under half full for the London premiere of Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine last Monday. By contrast, No Mercy for the Rude, a film which (from its description at least) is much more in … [Read More]
Deadly Elves and other recent tabloid stories
It’s a while since I did a round-up of celebrity news, which means that I’ve almost forgotten all the things I was going to mention, and lost most of the links that I was going to use. So before things get completely out of hand, here’s one of my not-so-regular posts shamelessly plundering the celebrity … [Read More]
Happy End (해피엔드, 1999) review: explicit and unmissable cautionary tale
An explicit marital drama about infidelity, obsession and quiet desperation. As a neglected husband uncovers his wife’s affair, Happy End is an uncompromising look at the human heart and how its desires, if unchecked, can rule the head with cataclysmic results. A cautionary tale which is both explicit and unmissable. [Read More]
Jeon Do-yeon wins at Cannes
Congratulations to Jeon Do-yeon on winning best actress at Cannes. She was an early front-runner in the competition, and just for once those early hopes of success were justified. For the first third of its nearly two-and-a-half-hour running time, “Secret Sunshine” feels like a slightly somber fish-out-of-water comedy (reports AO Scott at the New York … [Read More]
Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine gets early thumbs-up
Probably the most eagerly awaited Korean film of 2007, at least by me, is Lee Chang-dong’s fourth: Secret Sunshine, or Milyang (밀양). I’ve admired his first three for the issues they tackle and the superb acting: Lee has had access to some top stars for his films – Sol Kyung-gu and Moon So-ri for Oasis … [Read More]
Darcy’s predictions for 2007
It’s getting to be the case that the more interesting stuff over on Darcy’s site is in his What’s New page rather than his forums. Here are his predictions for 2007: Park Jin-pyo’s VOICE OF A MURDERER is going to be a major critical and popular hit (at least 6 million tickets) There will be … [Read More]