Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jeweltone]

One of my (American) adult film majors decided to use Kim Ki-duk as his final project.

If you know nothing about the filmmaker, don't worry. Korean audiences have ignored him for years. He is popular in European and American art houses, but had some interesting things to say to the Korean media:

To the production staff and all those who worked on the film, and to the film's director Bong Joon-ho (discussing THE HOST), Kim said: �I hope that he can forgive my statements, which were unbecoming of a person who has been in the film world longer [than Bong]�.

On his sarcastic declaration that he would stop �exporting� his films to his own homeland, he said: �After winning several awards and seeing them screened overseas, I took the arrogant attitude of trying to educate Korean viewers, and I later regretted saying things that should not have been said. I hope that the public can forgive my brutal way of expressing my point: that this is a market where it is difficult to release lower-budget films.�

�... And when I said that netizens who maligned me did so 'out of an inferiority complex demonstrating their level of understanding,' I am very sorry. I am also very sorry about mocking viewers with the outrageous comments I made on the talk show.�

�... My movies are lamentable for uncovering the genitals that everyone wants to hide; I am guilty for contributing only incredulity to an unstable future and society; and I feel shame and regret for having wasted time making movies without understanding the feelings of those who wish to avoid excrement even though they have eaten well.�

�... I have realized that I myself am a monster in Korean society, grown by feeding on an inferiority complex.�

�... Though late, I think it is fortunate that I have come to understand what the Korean public wants and can withdraw from the Korean movie industry.�

�... I apologize for making the public watch my films under the pretext of the difficult situation of independent cinema, and I apologize for exaggerating hideous and dark aspects of Korean society and insulting excellent Korean filmmakers with my works that ape arthouse cinema but are, in fact, but self-tortured pieces of masturbations, or maybe they're just garbage. Now I realize I am seriously mentally-challenged and inadequate for life in Korea.�
http://www.koreasociety.org/film_blog/portraits/the_strange_case_of_director_kim_ki-duk_the_past_the_persistent_problems_and_the_near_future.html


It's too bad mast Koreans don't understand sarcasm....

Kim Gi-duk's films are both disturbing and beautiful at the same time. Has anyone seen one of his films on this board?

[Kuros]

I've seen a few. Can't remember the names, though.

What was the one with the old man out on the boat who abducted a child, raised her, and eventually . . . well, no spoilers.

[swigs]

I have seen about three films of his, and enjoyed them. I would love to watch more of his work, but it is hard to find state side.

To the previous poster, I think you are talking about "the bow". It was pretty good, but I think he has better films. (The acting was incredible though.)

I recently just watched "3-iron" and really enjoyed it. I can see how he talks about serious Korean issues through his films. And pop cultural for the most part does not like serious social issues in their "entertainment", but he is making great cinema!!

[eamo]

The world must be littered with creative, individualistic Koreans who have fled the smallmindedness of their homeland.

[Jeweltone]

Hollywood Video carries most of his titles. Off the top of my head:

The Bow
Bad Guy (excellent psychological thriller)
Winter, Spring Summer, Fall, and Winter Again
The Isle (too grotesque - fishhooks and an interesting way to reel in a woman...bleech)
Samaritan Girl (haven't seen)
Breath

[Justin Kimberlake]

[Jeweltone]

LOL - I'm sure you can somewhere!

I am teaching General English at a four-year arts school now; that is what two years of ESL university teaching experience in Korea will get you... I enjoy their weird research topics though; that is why I wanted to see if anyone knew more about this director.

[Underwaterbob]

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring and 3-iron (or more apt it's Korean name: 빈집 meaning "empty house") were both excellent films. He's not all that "arthouse", I find his films quite accessible. Definitely nothing like Warhol's sleep inducing "Sleep".

His older films are apparently quite gritty with some pretty disturbing scenes which I think is what turned his Korean audience away from him originally. My Korean friend was aware of him but hadn't heard of anything he had done since "The Isle" (섬) which was one of his most controversial films and thus garnered the most attention.

[genezorm]

out of the films of his i have seen, here is how i would rate them

1. spring, summer, fall, winter and spring
2. samaria
3. 3 - iron
4. the bow
5. the isle

i would recommend (1-5)

6. time
7. bad guy
8. the coast guard

weren't really to my liking

but almost all over his later films are visually stunning and well made

[Jeweltone]

By "arthouse," I mean not-coming-to-a-mall-near-you...

I have been offered the possibility of teaching a visual art theory class next semester (although I haven't taken a class in this myself since 1994), and I was considering using one of his films if I am given the class. If I recall correctly, Kim doesn't use a lot of dialogue.

[mindmetoo]

Samaria was okay. I would have probably enjoyed it more in a film fest setting than a dvd bang with my gf. I have Bin Jip on DVD but haven't watched it yet.

[samd]

Not a huge fan of the one's I've seen.

I watched The Isle and Bad Guy with no subs when I first arrived, and even though I couldn't understand the dialogue, I understood the movies.

Watched them later with subs and they weren't much better.

[swigs]

[SHANE02]

I like his movies. His stories are so different than the usual. The Bow was really out there.

[Grab the Chickens Levi]

3 Iron (bin jib - 'empty house' in Korean) is my fave of his.

Spring Summer Fall Winter a close second.

Bad guy was ok.

He is an outcast in the Korean film world (and society at large) because he shows truths about Korea to the world that Korea doesn't want them to see...

An ex Korean friend of mine who was a film major and had simmilar tastes in film as me didn't even like his movies, even though I know many directors from other countries who's films might be considered to close to KKD's in style who he really likes.

He just said that Koreans 'think he is not really Korean. His films are not Korean style and are made for Europeans.' He didn't sound convincing when he said this though.

Later an older colleague told me that the real reason Koreans don't like him is what I wrote in the bolded part of this post.