I love a good story. I really love good story telling. It is an art that I got a glimpse of long ago when I took acting lessons (http://ahoosierinkorea.blogspot.com/2011/10/million-strangers-with-million-stories.html). Whether sitting around a campfire or in front of a 60 inch TV, a good story is just a joy. In today's post I hope to convince you to experience some Korean story telling. It can be really good.
In 2010 I had the privilege of meeting an independent movie maker who is Korean American. He had just completed a short film entitled Underground Sonata (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRaaBiRo5Lo). A detective reunites with a long lost love. Unfortunately, that reunion is the result of an illegal weapons sting; his lost love has become a weapon trafficker. That is a really good premise, but what I really loved about this short was the way the story was told. Using cut scenes and flashbacks, the characters were developed without disturbing the rhythm of the movie. I think having only 14 minutes and a shoestring budget actually helped this process. He had to be extremely efficient which necessitated a lot of creativity. Or perhaps his creativity resulted in an efficient story line. Regardless of cause and effect, it is a really good short that I highly recommend (http://www.amazon.com/Underground-Sonata-Arun-Storrs/dp/B003OUXH94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327331103&sr=8-1).
The reason I relate the Underground Sonata short is not because the film maker is Korean American. It is because when you have limited resources you can not afford to lose track of the story. I enjoy a good block buster with explosions, chase scenes, and great special effects, but those movies run the risk of focusing on those special effects at the expense of telling the story. My sampling is not that large but the Korean movies that I have seen to date are simple stories that are beautifully done. Like Underground Sonata, the focus is on the story.
I have already described in a previous post a scene from the 2010 movie Come, Closer (A Million Strangers with a Million Stories, part 1) in which a Korean woman listens to a random stranger on the phone (http://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_Come_v__Closer.php#pictures). I loved that scene. I don't know much about the rest of the movie since there were no English subtitles. Here is a link to the trailer (with English subtitles): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMsmKX9B0ws). A note about the subtitles - sometimes the translation is not perfect. I actually like that since it forces me to interpret what is meant. I can't be a passive observer.
The next movie can be watched completely on youtube with English subtitles. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring is a 2003 movie by Kim Ki-duk. This movie shows five different phases in the life of a Buddhist monk, but not in a way you would expect. Quoting Kim Ki-duk, "I intended to portray the joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure of our lives
through four seasons and through the life of a monk who lives in a
temple on Jusan Pond surrounded only by nature." I think you will be surprised that this is a modern day story.
The movie is very slow yet rather abrupt. The scenery is spectacular. Roger Ebert put this movie on his great movie list. I was only so-so about it until the final scenes which sent shivers down my spine. As I write this post, I have watched some of the scenes again. I missed a lot of the analogies the first time. And I am sure I am still missing many more. That is okay. It is a good story. Here is a link to get you started: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l60PamQWMZA
The next movie is another Kim Ki-duk movie called 3 Iron. Do not google this movie or Kim Ki-duk for that matter. There is an extraordinary scene in this movie. It is so extraordinary that it is hard not to see the scene or a particular image from the scene before watching the movie. In the opening scene a guy goes around posting flyers on house hold doors. Those flyers that aren't removed become targets for him to rob since no one is home. This is a thief of hearts story and that is all I will say about it. Here is a link to the opening scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5oN6IMV8g8
The last movie I will talk about today is a 2011 movie by Choi Ik-hwan entitled Mama which can also be seen with English subtitles on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgnZC5pAwEY). This movie is about the relationships of three mothers with their sons or daughters. This is one of the most touching movies I have ever seen. The opening scene shows pictures in a photo album. As the pages are turned, we see pictures of moms in various stages of their lives with the following captions:
Some one who drives me crazy (the page turns)
Who fills me with fear (the page turns)
Who's thrifty (the page turns)
Who prefers cash to flowers (another picture)
Who only likes my brother (another page)
Who loves me more than I love myself (the page turns again)
Who embarrasses me (yet again)
Whom I don't want to resemble (the page turns)
The first word of a lifetime (the page turns)
MAMA
I hope from those captions you can sense a degree of surprise. Not everything is positive and not every story has a happy ending... or maybe it does. I find it hard to predict what will happen in these movies.
One of the things I really like about movies (and stories in general) is how universal they are. We all share the same dreams, fears, troubles, and joys. I do not get the sense that these movies are made to make a lot of money. They seem to be made to tell a story. And they do it very well. As such, they have brought me great joy. I hope the same will go for you. Here's to good story telling no matter what the language.
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