|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
yesnoyesyesno
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
 Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 5:50 pm Post subject: korean vs japanese movies |
 |
|
when i was in korea (i'm back in canada now) i had a lot of free time which gave me time to study korean first then japanese because i had made japanese friends there and japan was the big cool country beside it. well, korean and japanese are very similar but because i've never lived in japan i couldn't get my japanese language ability to be as way cool as my korean ability
when i was in korea right i watched korean dramas and some movies to help with the old korean studying and truth be told i was quite impressed by the acting abilities of those korean actors. korean actors can act their sessa <--- off. the scream crying, screaming, yelling, whining, or and noises koreans make in real life are spot on in the dramas and TV's. it makes for great viewing even if you don't understand what theyre saying. i could forget that i'm watching TV or a movie and think that what's happening on the screen are real koreans going at it with each other. well, the koreans on TV are a hell of a lot prettier than the ones on the street, but that's a different topic altogether.
korean actors are top notch, japanese on the other hand. i visited japan several times and i noticed that the TV's are identical to Korean shows. the premise is usually the same, although the japanese dramas look meaner, in that they look more polished and professional. but i did and do find that the japanese actors are just not so great. i'm watching up some japanese DVD's and although the language is very similar, the accents and tones and intonations are very different. the japanese are a very subdued crowd and it does not translate very well on screen. when a japanese person gets excited on TV, it looks like he's trying to hard or faking it. when a korean actor/actress explodes, it looks like the real thing. i'm watching this japanese movie "The Ringu 2" and the acting is so bad it's comical. the female lead's emotions look so fake, i'm wonding if she's joking or acting. i just finished watching the Korean flick "Wishing Stairs" where a bunch of tiny little Korean chicks just murder the scripts, murder as in doing very well. the movie blows hard but the acting is spot on. the korean actors, even the little kids know how to respond to every situation or problem just as a real korean would. these 30 somethings on the japanese movies get heavily embarrassed by these little korean kids! even hollywood movies have bad acting, well this is no secret or anything to debate either.
bravo to korean cinema! your movies blow but the acting rules hard and the dramas are you guys have over there are 1950's throwbacks (my grandmother won't let me marry this guy because he knocked up this other korean chick... PLEASE!!!) but K-dramas got kick a-s-s acting too,
by the way you can rent these korean and japanese flicks in blockbusters in canadda too which rules hard. rock on yesnoyesyesno is out! |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
marcus
Joined: 12 Sep 2005
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
If you had spent the same amount of time in Japan that you've spent in Korea and had spent no time in Korea, you would say the same thing, but you'd be criticizing Korean actors.
I lived in Japan and was terribly disappointed when I first got to Korea and turned on the television. But now I'm not so upset. It takes time to find the quality bits of a culture and if you can't speak the language and don't actually live there, you're probably going to have a hard time finding them.
The other day, a teacher at my school told me that the Korean movie industry is better than America's because America only produces big block buster movies, whereas Korea produces many types, including smaller independent movies.
If one cannot see it, it cannot possibly exist. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| marcus wrote: |
The other day, a teacher at my school told me that the Korean movie industry is better than America's because America only produces big block buster movies, whereas Korea produces many types, including smaller independent movies.
If one cannot see it, it cannot possibly exist. |
hahaha. wow. some people just really don't take the time to think things through. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Kenny Kimchee
Joined: 12 May 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:23 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| If you had spent the same amount of time in Japan that you've spent in Korea and had spent no time in Korea, you would say the same thing, but you'd be criticizing Korean actors. |
I lived in Korea for 1.5 years and have lived in Japan for the past 2.5 years and I think Japanese movies suck donkey dicks. Quick - name me four Japanese movies that came out in the past 10 years! Err, well, let's see: there's Battle Royale and the Ringu and....umm...Battle Royale 2 and the Ringu 2. Korea, by comparison, cranks out quality movies on a regular basis. - in the past 6 months, I've watched or rewatched My Sassy Girl, Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring, Sex is Zero (which admittedly is an incongruous mix of American Pie and a drama), Old Boy, The Isle, Attack the Gas Station, etc. - and there are probably a lot of newer releases that I'm not turned on to.
I know why Korean cinema has succeeded - they've had the protectionist quota on the amount of screen time that Korean movies get in Korea (as part of the bilateral free trade agreement with America this is supposed to come to an end - they're raising a stink about it). Japan, on the other hand, has no such protectionism and has been overwhelmed by the American cultural hegemon.
Still, Japanese movies suck. It wasn't always this way - back in the day, they had Kurosawa and the gang. Why can't they act? Maybe it comes down to the character of the people; Japanese are low-key and hide their feelings and are thus not given to histrionics. Koreans, on the other hand, love to blow up and make a scene, so I guess they make better actors.
Besides the actors, I think Korea has a lot of good directors. Brotherhood was a good war movie, Old Boy had great cinematography, Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring was a beautiful movie with great pacing. You don't see this kind of stuff with Japanese movies. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stumptown
Joined: 11 Apr 2005
Location: Paju: Wife beating capital of Korea
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Yeah...well...right there, but compare the Korean anime vs. Japanese Anime. Hands down far superior. Ninja Scroll is and will always be my favorite anime. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pest1
Joined: 09 Feb 2006
Location: Korea
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 3:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Kenny Kimchee wrote: |
I lived in Korea for 1.5 years and have lived in Japan for the past 2.5 years and I think Japanese movies suck donkey *beep*. Quick - name me four Japanese movies that came out in the past 10 years! Err, well, let's see: there's Battle Royale and the Ringu and....umm...Battle Royale 2 and the Ringu 2. Korea, by comparison, cranks out quality movies on a regular basis. - in the past 6 months, I've watched or rewatched My Sassy Girl, Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring, Sex is Zero (which admittedly is an incongruous mix of American Pie and a drama), Old Boy, The Isle, Attack the Gas Station, etc. - and there are probably a lot of newer releases that I'm not turned on to.
I know why Korean cinema has succeeded - they've had the protectionist quota on the amount of screen time that Korean movies get in Korea (as part of the bilateral free trade agreement with America this is supposed to come to an end - they're raising a stink about it). Japan, on the other hand, has no such protectionism and has been overwhelmed by the American cultural hegemon.
Besides the actors, I think Korea has a lot of good directors. Brotherhood was a good war movie, Old Boy had great cinematography, Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring was a beautiful movie with great pacing. You don't see this kind of stuff with Japanese movies. |
I don't think you have seen many Japanese movies if you could only name Battle Royale and the Ring. Japan has its fair share of good directors and good movies too. How about Audition, Visitor Q, Dead or Alive, Love Letter, April Story, All about Lilychouchou, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, the Jam Factory short film collections and many more. Korea makes good movies, but the Korean audiances aren't even ready for it. For the two movies you have mentioned, Spring.. and the Isle are both directed by Kim Ki Kuk whom is not popular in Korea at all(I saw him at the film fest and he admitted himself that Koreans don't like him). Most Koreans think his films are violent and paint a bad picture of Korea. Personally I love his films. I think the Japanese audiences are a lot more mature than the Korean audiences, and have been for a long time. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Homer
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 3:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
Personally, I think both groups of movies have their own style going on (except for both having a bit of a hollywood blockbuster tendency) and that this is a good thing!
I enjoy both types of cinema and am glad they differ. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Kenny Kimchee
Joined: 12 May 2003
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 9:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| pest1 wrote: |
| Kenny Kimchee wrote: |
I lived in Korea for 1.5 years and have lived in Japan for the past 2.5 years and I think Japanese movies suck donkey *beep*. Quick - name me four Japanese movies that came out in the past 10 years! Err, well, let's see: there's Battle Royale and the Ringu and....umm...Battle Royale 2 and the Ringu 2. Korea, by comparison, cranks out quality movies on a regular basis. - in the past 6 months, I've watched or rewatched My Sassy Girl, Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring, Sex is Zero (which admittedly is an incongruous mix of American Pie and a drama), Old Boy, The Isle, Attack the Gas Station, etc. - and there are probably a lot of newer releases that I'm not turned on to.
I know why Korean cinema has succeeded - they've had the protectionist quota on the amount of screen time that Korean movies get in Korea (as part of the bilateral free trade agreement with America this is supposed to come to an end - they're raising a stink about it). Japan, on the other hand, has no such protectionism and has been overwhelmed by the American cultural hegemon.
Besides the actors, I think Korea has a lot of good directors. Brotherhood was a good war movie, Old Boy had great cinematography, Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring was a beautiful movie with great pacing. You don't see this kind of stuff with Japanese movies. |
I don't think you have seen many Japanese movies if you could only name Battle Royale and the Ring. Japan has its fair share of good directors and good movies too. How about Audition, Visitor Q, Dead or Alive, Love Letter, April Story, All about Lilychouchou, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, the Jam Factory short film collections and many more. Korea makes good movies, but the Korean audiances aren't even ready for it. For the two movies you have mentioned, Spring.. and the Isle are both directed by Kim Ki Kuk whom is not popular in Korea at all(I saw him at the film fest and he admitted himself that Koreans don't like him). Most Koreans think his films are violent and paint a bad picture of Korea. Personally I love his films. I think the Japanese audiences are a lot more mature than the Korean audiences, and have been for a long time. |
Princess Mononoke was anime, so I don't know if that counts. I haven't seen the others you mentioned so I'll have a look, especially for Audition (I see that it's based on a Ryu Murakami book and I have read and enjoyed a few of his novels).
Still, you've got to admit the state of acting in Japan is pretty poor. Look no further than Memoirs of a Geisha, a blockbuster Hollywood production of a bestselling novel about geisha - and the top female leads are ethnic Chinese. Japan has a population of 140 million and they can't even come up with a couple of decent looking women who can act? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Grantasmagoria
Joined: 04 Dec 2005
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 12:05 am Post subject: |
|
|
| pest1 wrote: |
I don't think you have seen many Japanese movies if you could only name Battle Royale and the Ring. Japan has its fair share of good directors and good movies too. How about Audition, Visitor Q, Dead or Alive, Love Letter, April Story, All about Lilychouchou, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, the Jam Factory short film collections and many more. |
Twilight Samurai, Izo... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pauly
Joined: 24 Sep 2004
Location: Incheon
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Kenny Kimchee wrote: |
| Still, you've got to admit the state of acting in Japan is pretty poor. Look no further than Memoirs of a Geisha, a blockbuster Hollywood production of a bestselling novel about geisha - and the top female leads are ethnic Chinese. Japan has a population of 140 million and they can't even come up with a couple of decent looking women who can act? |
Actually, Michelle Yeoh is Malaysian. Her first two languages were Malay and English, and Chinese was her third. She can't even read Chinese.
As for Japanese actors, I read this comment on the IMDB site.
| Quote: |
I initially posted this in the "Chinese actors" thread:
First of all, the book (Japanese title: Sayuri) tanked big time in Japan, forcing the resignations of a number of senior executives at the publishing firm in order to take responsibility. Therefore, for the Japanese public, "Sayuri" = flop so the movie project wouldn't generate a whole lot of interest to begin with. If Spielberg was directing, the situation could have changed although I hardly doubt it because even he had to resort to an unknown (a Japanese member of the Martha Graham Dance Company in NYC who had never acted a day in her life) for the female lead when he was at the helm.
The breach of contract/defamation lawsuit against Golden by Japan's top geisha probably was the killer. Not only did the production get delayed, it probably forced Spielberg to walk away from the project altogether (except to serve in an arms-length capacity as its executive producer) and Japanese generally abhor anything associated with litigation. BTW, "Chicago" didn't do very well in Japan so Rob Marshall never had the "pull" to attract the top-level talent. His comments about not finding any qualified Japanese actresses are most likely a face-saving gesture to cover up his failure and lack of influence with the Japanese entertainment industry. (If the Japanese were indeed serious about "Sayuri" they would have allowed Marshall to use the Kyoto studios and location sites where all Japanese period productions are shot -- Ed Zwick received full cooperation when he was filming "The Last Samurai")
Contrary to popular belief, a lot of Japanese actresses can speak English -- some of them even spent their childhoods in the U.S. or Great Britain. It's just that they don't really have to appear in Hollywood films to make a great living -- there is no incentive for them to k!ss Hollywood's a*s, so to speak. Their careers are enhanced by focusing on doing good work in JAPAN that appeal to their JAPANESE audience, and overseas projects will always be an afterthought. FYI -- Kaori Momoi's career as an actress was pretty much finished years before she was cast in MoaG and Youki Kudoh has made Hollywood her home base since starring in a Jim Jarmusch film when she was a teenager and very rarely is offered work in Japanese projects.
It would be a challenge for any young actress to portray a geisha since the concept and image of a geisha have been elevated to an iconic status in Japan. (When movies first began to be made in Japan, the leading female roles were played by the top geishas.) Each generation's top actresses have portrayed geishas in memorable projects (both film and t.v.) -- in 2001, legendary actress Sayuri Yoshinaga swept all of the best actress awards that year for her wonderful portrayal of a geisha in "Nagasaki Burabura Bushi" where she did all of her singing, dancing, and playing the shamisen in the movie. I can't think of an actress that can challenge Ms. Yoshinaga iconic status -- she's been regarded as Japan's top actress for more than 40 years now. (She's just been nominated for a 2005 Japan Academy Best Actress award for her performance in "Kita no Zero Nen" where she plays the wife of Ken Watanabe -- she learned to ride a horse at the age of 60 for this role! BTW, Ms. Yoshinaga speaks English fairly well.) After Ms. Yoshinaga's performance in "Nagasaki", I would have to think twice about portraying a geisha if I was an actress in Japan.
With respect to Rob Marshall's comments that, "being able to act and dance AND speak English was specifically needed for this film", I have to wonder about his definition of dance. Dance as in Nihon-buyo (classical Japanese dance/Kabuki-style) or a modern dance exhibition (i.e., running and flailing around the stage like a madwoman)? Most of the top Japanese actresses take Nihon-buyo lessons when they are cast in starring roles in Japanese period films to master their movements in heavy kimonos. Furthermore, a number of the top-tier actresses are daughters of Kabuki actors so they've been trained in the classical Japanese arts since childhood.
I can think of two actresses that would have been perfect for the role of Sayuri -- TAKAKO MATSU (she comes from a famous Kabuki family, stars in Shakespeare plays and Broadway musicals on stage, and was Japan's top earning actress for 2 years running) and YOSHINO KIMURA (she is the female lead in "Semishigure", the #1 Japanese period film in 2005, and spent her childhood in London). Mameha and Hatsumomo could have been played by HITOMI KUROKI and YOUKI AMAMI, who were both major stars in the all-female Takarazuka troupe where they received years of training in song, dance (ballet, jazz, and classical Japanese), and acting, and among the most popular actresses in Japan today. These choices are just off the top of my head -- believe me, Japan most definitely is NOT lacking in major female talent.
I really believe that Japan's top actresses avoided MoaG like the plague -- no one wants to be associated with a stinker (remember -- the book was a major flop in Japan), especially if they have stellar careers and reputation to protect and maintain. And I don't recall Gong Li having the ability to dance and speak English to begin with, and Ziyi Zhang took years of intensive English language lessons so IMO, Rob Marshall's hypocritical comments are pure b.s. to cover up his own failure and inability to attract top Japanese talent and a HUGE insult to the Japanese entertainment community.
To summarize, I feel that Japan's top actresses saw MoaG as a risky project with hardly any upside that could have potentially damaged their careers -- and they have been proven right because "Sayuri", both the book and the movie, are major flops in Japan. |
Don't know how much of it is true, but it's food for thought. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
