Like crazy movies? South Korea is probably your kind of place
Many film buffs know that Korea has been a hotbed of filmmaking in the last few years with an insane amount of great movies of all genres being released seemingly endlessly.
Korean directors have embraced the art of film and continue to churn out entertaining, unique pictures with a huge emphasis on story and visual style. But even though there are tons of amazing movies coming out of the country, there are also some stinkers and with so much to choose from, it’s hard to know where to start.
Luckily, I’m more than willing to point you in the right direction.
With Korean films there’s really only one place to start and that’s with "Oldboy". Not only is this a great film by one of the country’s most talented directors (Chan-Wook Park), it’s also a great measuring stick to see whether or not you’re willing to move on to the deeper, darker world of Korean filmmaking.
Many of the best Korean films are told from a darker perspective than we’re used to seeing in America. Unflinching is a good word to use. If you’re going to walk down this road, you’re going to have to be able to stomach some of the stuff these filmmakers are putting out there, which can be brutal or taboo at times.
“Oldboy” is a good starter because it only starts to get really dark toward the end, and by that point you’re already hooked, so you’re willing to go where the story takes you. But if after watching the end you find yourself just too traumatized to have enjoyed the movie as a whole despite the craziness, then it’s a pretty good sign that you better stop there.
It only goes downhill from there. It’s alright though, there’s always Pixar movies for you.
But if you enjoyed “Oldboy” and instantly want to see more, then it’s safe to move on to a few other movies by Park. "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" and "Lady Vengeance" are the other two films in Park’s Vengeance Trilogy, and are equally as great, although a bit more difficult than “Oldboy.” These three films have nothing to do with one another, they aren’t sequels or anything, they all just happen to be about the same theme – vengeance, obviously.
And finally from Park, his most recent film is a bit of a departure. "Thirst" is the story of a middle-aged Catholic priest who contracts vampirism during a blood transfusion and then struggles with the effects it has on his life, his faith and his view of humanity as a whole. It's got everything you expect from Park - lush visuals, heavy psychological drama, surrealism, a dark bend, sex, violence ... you know, all the reasons you watch movies.
The only thing it's lacking from Park's usual repertoire is an amazing score, which does hinder the movie a bit. But aside from that, it's pretty great!
A lot of the subtleties of "Thirst" will probably be lost on most viewers, however. There seem to be a lot of cultural things that don't really make sense to non-Koreans, but it doesn't necessarily make it any less interesting, just makes you scratch your head and wonder "WTF was that all about" at times.
This is yet another genre film that calls into focus just how lame we Americans have become in recent years. While we're churning out angsty-emo-kid bloodsuckers a la "Twilight"** and glorified romance-novel, Elvis-meets-Fabio style vamps in "True Blood"**, the rest of the world is coming up with unique takes on the mythology like this one, "Let the Right One In" (Sweden) and hell, even "Blood: The Last Vampire" (Japan).
And, as usual, the general American public doesn't even seem to give a fuck. Maybe they don't know what they're missing ... or maybe they just truly like overwrought crap.**
Moving away from Park, "The Chaser" is a primo example of just how crazy Koreans are. After "Oldboy" I thought I'd run the gamut of disturbing, jaw droppingly Fruedian psycho filmmaking, but "The Chaser" gave me a serious pause. "How much deeper does this rabbit hole go?" I wondered.
This movie is dark, creepy, gritty and brutal. If you're not into that kind of thing, definitely pass on this one because it will probably scar you for life, but if you can stomach "Oldboy" you can probably hang with this as well.
And finally, you may want to go a little deeper into the country’s psyche by checking out some films by Ki-duk Kim. More paced and sometimes surreally deadpan and bizarre, Kim’s films deal with deep emotional issues and how they manifest in our behavior and interactions. His films “The Isle”, “Bad Guy”, “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring” and “Samaritan Girl” are all quiet, contemplative films that wander to the strangest places – sometimes poetic, sometimes violent or disturbing, but always with that unflinching “that’s just the way it is” approach.
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