Korean Job Discussion Forums

[FistFace]

Apparently, there is a quite a to-do going on in the Korean world over this movie, "D-War."

My girlfriend tells me that the Chungmuro group of filmmakers responsible for most Korean films are "extremely jealous" over the success of D-War. Apparently, these Chungmuro guys are Korea's Hollywood equivalent, and are used to getting their own way with anything to do with film in Korea. Ha.... imagine that.... a bunch of pissed ajosshis losing their power. It's kind of fun to think about, actually.

True, it sucked beyond measure, except for some of the special effects maybe, but it has drawn over 3 million Koreans to the theaters to see it. When I asked my girlfriend why so many Koreans are interested in this sub-par flick, she said:

1. Koreans can identify with the struggle the director had to go through, and are proud that he fought for years to release it. She wanted to see it just to support him. Other Koreans felt the same.

2. It's the first big "special effects" movie, other than The Host to come out of Korea. She, and other Koreans, are sick of the same old typical films made by the Chungmuro crowd: Gang stories, Mafia crap, War movies with a political motivation behind them, etc.. They welcome something new.

3. Koreans feel that even though his film is lacking in many ways, they know his next movie will improve, and they are looking forward to it.


There may be some other points I missed, but hearing about the hoopla that has been created over this is interesting. Apparently, the netizens have gotten involved on the side of the director. There were something like 1000 complaint posts on one website or another about something the Chungmuro filmmakers said.

Oh, and one more interesting twist....

MBC has gotten into some serious hot water over this for showing parts of the film that they weren't cleared to show. Promotional sections of the film were given to them to use in news clips, HOWEVER, they chose to use a telescene cut of the most important part of the animation in the film (where the dragon changes to a bigger dragon) at length. The original intent of the filmmaker and his agency was NOT to show that part of the film -- which everyone was talking about. MBC claims the ad agency let them show it, but they vehemently deny allowing MBC to show it -- let alone bring a camera into a theater and film what was on the screen. Netizens seem to think that, perhaps, MBC may be colluding with "old boy network" friends from Chungmuro in an attempt to curb ticket sales (many people wanted to see the movie merely for this animation, apparently).

The only time they allowed MBC to bring a camera into the theater was for some audience reaction shots OUTSIDE of the theater.

So where did MBC get camera shots from INSIDE of the theater?

I hope MBC fries over this, and they obviously overstepped their bounds, even though I felt the movie sucked. I just hate MBC.

[endo]

The support for D-War in this country basically reinforces the notion that many Koreans will support something with full force no matter how bad it is.



Sure you want to be proud of the directors accomplishments and I'm sure he and his staff went through a hell of a lot of work to complete the movie.

But that doesn't change the fact on how bad the movie was. It was simply horrible!


And to see and hear so many Koreans praise that piece of crap encourages my notions that many people here lack the self critical skills to truely grow up as a culture.

All right that was probably a little too deep and overanalyzed. But I hope you see the point I was trying to make.

[monkinwonderland]

Read the imdb reviews. Mostly, just the Koreans give it very high ratings.

I did enjoy this gem:

[dogshed]

It's like the first Star Trek movie. We had all heard it was bad, but we
went to see it anyway. We wanted to show there was a market for
more movies and TV shows.

[endo]

[doggyji]

[endo]

Here's where I'm comming from doggyji;

I know that Koreans can be very self criticle. I've been fortunate enough to see glimpses of this myself.


Anyways, I've just heard a lot of praise for this movie simply based on the fact that it was written/directed by a Korean. Like the review posted in the OP, it was only given support because of a nationalistic bond.

And that's sad. Sure when someone from your country sets out to do something you want them to do well. Hell when I first started watching D-War and initially saw the Korean connection, I was pulling for the movie myself. (I do have a soft spot in my heart for the Koreans )

But the movie just stated getting worse and worse.

And as a result I question anybody who supports the movie (and especially those who champion it), because I think they are being fake. i.e. they are not "real".



You know I come from Canada where our sense of nationalism is well.....admittedly weak. Sure us Canadians can get stirred up from time to time over a hockey game or whatever, but for the most part we are reserved. (except when some of us travel abroad - we become nationalistic morons)

So comming to a nation like South Korea where love of country expressed in an almost cult like fashion, one can't help but be confused or annoyed. And I really do feel that this inflated sense of nationalism that the Korean people share (and which is stirred up by politicians, media, and chaebols) comes from the Korean peoples insecurity complex stemming from thousands of years of being a weak and socially/economically divided nation.

It's not the support of the movie through ticket sales that bothers me. Hell Pearl Harbor made hundreds of millions in America and that movie was a piece of crap. But at the same time I don't remember hearing American movie critics giving extra points to a movie because it represented America.

What bothers me are Koreans who champion and praise D-War as a good/great movie simply because of the Korean connection to it.

[RACETRAITOR]

My wife is supremely annoyed with this movie, and says that everyone is going to see it as some pathetic patriotic gesture, simply because the film was an ambitious attempt to put Korea's name out there in film by making a special effects blockbuster with no other redeeming value. She compared it to the reaction of people who don't care about sports suddenly becoming soccer fans in 2002.

[Treefarmer]

i havent seen the movie yet, only the trailers, i am going to see it, despite it getting slated, but the whole idea and concept sums up what i don't like about korea

the most expensive korean movie ever made, and a blatant attempt to 'break america' but instead of making a korean movie they made a samsung version of an american movie, it isn't even set in korea or starring any korean actors. movies like duelist and oldboy are succesful in europe and america despite being low budget because they have some sense of originality. korea is a country which has a lot going for it, and a glut of talented directors, actors, writers etc. but they aren't america

it's the same with britain, the films that export best are ones like trainspotting or lock stock, which are about england, noone is intestreted in our substandard clones of american movies

[minorthreat]

[Treefarmer]

[Vancouver]

[Squid]

Funny thread.

The message I get is that this director has been around for donkeys years producing crap for the mass consumption of minors. Fair enough I guess- look at Jerry Bruckheimer or George Lucas.

I appears the arguments stem from professional jealousy. Elements within the "established" film industry here however have made spurious claims to his use of nationalism to sell movie tickets, while they are producing "art".

Well Boo hoo.

As FF said, if they'd stick to making original films with interesting plotlines and the talent available instead of the incessant and peurile fixation they seem to have with adult actors dressed as schoolchildren pretending to be gangsters waving balsa sticks at each other perhaps they'd get the recognition they so obviously crave.

I haven't seen it, but having a soft spot for the fine and longstanding tradion that is b-grade sci-fi, I'll be renting it when it comes to DVD

Funny thread...

[mishlert]

Review from a non Korean/ biased source.
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117932736.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0

[doggyji]

Endo,

The movie was THAT bad? I'm gonna check it out.

I can't seem to find enough Koreans who praise the movie as a 9 out of 10 material. When they say it was rather good, I find they usually mean their expectations weren't that high and it had its enjoyable moments with decent CG despite the apparent shortcomings.

I don't have a problem with people supporting (just watching it once in the theatre after all) the movie because of a "nationalistic bond". As pointed out, many seem to already look forward to more Korean SF movies with better quality and interesting plots with Korean contexts they can identify with in the coming years. Investment even.