This blog post will deeply examine how the film “Failan” maintained the traditional excess of melodrama while achieving a new genre balance through restraint in mise-en-scène, music, and emotional expression. Introduction The Melodrama Genre and Men The suppression of men’s tears has long dominated Korean society. I, too, remember lifting my head toward the ceiling in theaters...
Why do melodramas about love become mirrors reflecting the essence of human existence?
In this blog post, we explore why melodramas centered on love become mirrors reflecting humanity’s most primal emotions and the essence of life, and why we are drawn to this genre. What is ‘melodrama’? I believe the starting point of this article lies in first clarifying the very concept of what the melodrama genre signifies. When people hear ‘melodrama,’ they typically conjure...
Why Does the Gangster Genre Ultimately Lead Its Heroes to Ruin?
In this blog post, we explore the narrative structure and social significance of the gangster genre through the film ‘Sunflower’, examining why it elevates heroes only to ultimately lead them to ruin. ‘Sunflower’: What is the Purpose of the Gangster Genre? Robert Warshaw states in ‘The Gangster as Tragic Hero’: “The gangster is a man of the city. But this city is not the real city; it is a...
How Did ‘Christmas in August’ Become a Turning Point for Korean Melodrama, Moving Beyond Sentimental Drama?
This blog post examines how ‘Christmas in August’ broke away from the formula of conventional sentimental melodrama, creating a new trend in Korean melodrama through realistic and nuanced emotional portrayal. Korean melodramas are often described as impossible to watch without tears. In short, they can be seen as close to melodramas. The 1998 film ‘Christmas in August’ is frequently cited...
Why does ‘Our Sunhi’ end with the men’s story, not Sunhi’s?
This blog post examines why ‘Our Sunhi’ concludes not with Sunhi’s inner world, but through the gaze of the men pursuing her, and explores the meaning this structure conveys. It Began with Sunhi, Yet Only the Men Remain Just as the title of the film 『Our Sunhi』 suggests, the protagonist Sunhi appears at the very beginning of the movie. When first hearing the title, the word ‘our’...
When did romantic comedies start telling stories about men’s inferiority complexes?
This blog post examines the evolution of romantic comedies from a male perspective, exploring the inferiority complexes revealed in the face of love and the meaning of these realistic emotions. Love Fiction and 500 Days of Summer Romantic comedies have long been perceived as a genre primarily for female audiences. Narratives centered on love, romance, and marriage were often linked to...
Why Does ‘House of Himiko’ Use a Gay Nursing Home to Speak of Reconciliation?
This blog post examines how House of Himiko delicately reveals life and death, family and prejudice, and the possibility of reconciliation through the space of a gay nursing home, focusing on scenes and symbols. Around the time I was discovering and becoming engrossed in Japanese dramas, “House of Himiko” was the catalyst that drew me into the charm of Japanese cinema as well. While...
Why does “Paradise Murdered” present brutal murders alongside humor?
This blog post examines why the film “Paradise Murdered” presents brutal murders alongside humor, focusing on the conventions and narrative strategies of the hybrid genre blending thriller, horror, and comedy. Genre Definition The genre of “Paradise Murdered” is thriller. More precisely, it centers on the splatter film subgenre of thriller, infused with elements of horror. It also...
How Does ‘The Host’ Expose the Violence of Korean Bureaucracy Through the Language of Noir?
This blog post interprets the film ‘The Host’ from a noir perspective, analyzing the mechanisms of structural violence and social indifference revealed by Korean bureaucracy. Introduction The film ‘The Host’ is commonly known as a work that surpassed 13 million viewers, a Korean film that enjoyed a long-running theatrical release in the US, or the highest-grossing film of all time. But how...
How did ‘The Host’ usher in the “10 Million Audience Era” of Korean cinema?
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how Bong Joon-ho’s The Host ushered in the “10 million audience era” of Korean cinema and how it changed the perception of the kaiju genre. What ‘The Host’ left behind for Korean cinema The record 13.097 million people. This is the final number of moviegoers mobilized by The Host. It became the highest-grossing Korean film of all time...