I Saw Genius in Korean Cinema

With a limited U.S. theatrical release of the Korean horror film, "I Saw the Devil," audiences get another glimpse into the genius of South Korean filmmakers. For the past decade Korean cinema has been by far the most unpredictable, voracious exploration of movie making in the world. "I Saw the Devil" comes from prolific Korean director, Kim Ji-woon (Kim Jee-woon); a driving force behind this New Wave of Korean movies.

Kim Ji-woon, along with Kim Ki-duk, Bong Joon-ho, and Park Chan-wook comprise four of the most intriguing directors in South Korea, even the world. There are similarities that make their films distinct to the Korean New Wave, but each is stylistically incomparable in terms of Mise-en-scène.

Unpredictable plots are a signature element making the storytelling in Korean films so thrilling. The dark emotional undertones are a growing mastery of Korean editors, production designers, and cinematographers. There are also the tremendous performances from Korean actors that carry both comedic and dramatic prowess in the same breath. The ingenious spatial worlds these directors create in order to both entrap and nourish richly developed characters.

Legendary Korean filmmaker Im Kwon-taek put the country on the map of cinema with his 1980 film "Mandala." Much of the political and social turmoil between North and South Korea, as well as Japanese occupation, kept Korea from making significant contributions to early movie history. Im Kwon-taek's landmark film, "Mandala" was the turning point for a burgeoning generation of directors who would later take the world stage.

It wasn't until twenty years later that Korean films had breakthroughs like Park Chan-wook's "Joint Security Area." This brought the brilliant South Korean actor Song Kang-ho to the world stage. Song Kang-ho would later join Park Chan-wook in the director's film "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," as part his highly acclaimed trilogy including the mind-bending thriller "Oldboy."

Other films such as Kang Je-gyu's "Shiri" and Kwak Jae-yong's "My Sassy Girl" also brought South Korea to international acclaim at the turn of the century. Kim Ji-woon came to the scene with his horror film "A Tale of Two Sisters" and his Korean mob movie, "A Bittersweet Life." Both films generated international acclaim at film festivals, prompting DreamWorks to remake of "A Tale of Two Sisters" as "The Uninvited."

As I wrote in collaboration with Timothy Sexton, Kim Ji-woon's "A Tale of Two Sisters" carries an emotional depth with dynamic, surreal horror, the kind that inspires the phenomenon of failed American remakes of Korean and Japanese horror. In that same article Sexton also wrote about Bong Joon-ho's "The Host," stating, "...the most exciting movies being made in the 21st Century are being made in South Korea...the best monster movie of all time ("The Host") led me to the best serial killer movie of all time, "Memories of Murder.""

Korean actor Song Kang-ho starred in both "The Host" and "Memories of Murder." Song Kang-ho also returned to collaborate with Park Chan-wook, in a highly unusual twist on the vampire film with "Thirst." Park Chan-wook makes some of the most visceral horror films in the world; a talent he touches upon in "Thirst" and also "Oldboy." Though, in the 3 part Asian Cinema omnibus "Three... Extremes," Park Chan-wook contributed a full blown, blood drenched, knuckle-biter with "Box."

Horror is not the only avenue that makes the richly dark undertones shine in Korean New Wave cinema. Bong Joon-ho explored crime drama in "Memories of Murder" and revisited a similar plot in his recent film, "Mother." Both films glide effortlessly through unusual film techniques, complex plotting and heavy social themes. There is also Kim Ji-woon's unusual, yet stimulating homage to westerns, "The Good, the Bad and the Weird."

Kim Ki-duk is hard for me to mention without delving into overzealous praise. He is one of the few directors of the Korean New Wave to transcend contemporary themes with traditionalist folklore-esque tales. Though, his films are surreally textured portraits of universal characters, sadly confined to the art house crowd. Anyone fixated on the commonalities between the above mentioned directors should visit the transfixing films of Kim Ki-duk. He has expanded the possibilities of what to expect from South Korean cinema with films like, "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring," "3-Iron," "The Bow," or "Time."

While it's impossible to quantify the depth of Korean cinema in this short space, I hope this serves to further introduce movie fans thirsty for exquisite filmmaking. Kim Ji-woon's "I Saw the Devil" just might do this and his works are an exceptional starting point. South Korea enacted a "Screen quota" that requires Korean movie theaters show Korean movies 73 days out of the year; not a bad prescription for a dose of something different.