In this blog post, we’ll analyze how ‘Castle in the Sky’ combines its fantasy adventure world, characters, and plot to spark the audience’s imagination. Definition of the Fantasy Adventure Genre The fantasy genre is not fundamentally evaluated based on realism or strict logic. Fantasy is free from reality and persuades the audience through the story’s “plausibility.” Here...
Why “The Hitchhikers”?
In this blog post, I’ll analyze the impact the movie “The Hitchhikers” had on me and examine its documentary-style elements. Why “The Hitchhikers”? I don’t remember exactly when, but there was a time when I decided to seek out a variety of films—not just those shown exclusively in multiplexes. I clearly remember watching it before starting college in 2014, and since the film was released...
Why Did “Oldboy” Captivate Audiences So Much?
In this blog post, we’ll examine the film “Oldboy”—one of Park Chan-wook’s “Revenge Trilogy”—in terms of its plot, concept, art direction, editing, characters, and marketing. Plot Oh Dae-su, the head of an ordinary family, is kidnapped one day while returning home with a birthday gift for his daughter and held captive for 15 years. Suddenly released after 15 years, Oh Dae-su sets out to...
Is “Oh! Soo-jin” a realist film? How does it differ from a fantasy film?
In this blog post, I’ll analyze the narrative and mise-en-scène of “Oh! Soo-jin” to reveal how the film subverts audience expectations through its everyday storytelling, and I’ll compare the differences between realist and fantasy films. Introduction A few days ago, I had a conversation with my boyfriend. When he said, “There’s an indie documentary festival,” I replied, “What? Indie, and a...
How does the movie “Marathon” portray the natural reconciliation between autism and the world?
In this blog post, we’ll examine how the movie “Marathon” elicits empathy from audiences by presenting disability—particularly autism—not as a simple story of overcoming adversity, but as a glimpse into a person’s inner world and daily life. What is a human drama? While “human” originally means “a person,” the film genre “human drama” carries a slightly more specific meaning. Generally...
“The War on Crime” and “Good Friends” are both crime films, so why do they offer different kinds of thrills?
In this blog post, I’ll compare and examine the structure of desire shared by “The War on Crime” and “Good Friends,” and how their differing cinematic realisms create distinct thrills and levels of immersion. The Challenges and Thrills of Crime Films Depicting crime in film is surprisingly tricky. While romantic dramas focus on the emotions of love, comedies on laughter, and horror films...
Why does ‘Art Museum by the Zoo’ make our hearts flutter even more in the fall?
In this blog post, we’ll analyze how director Lee Jeong-hyang’s ‘Art Museum by the Zoo’ (1998) uses its characters, narrative, and cinematic frames and devices to depict a love that blossoms gradually. Film Overview Title: ‘Art Museum by the Zoo’ (1998) Director/Screenplay: Lee Jeong-hyang Starring: Ahn Sung-ki, Shim Eun-ha, Lee Sung-jae, Song Sun-mi Runtime: 108...
Is ‘Infernal Affairs’ a crime film rather than a true film noir?
In this blog post, I’ll examine how ‘Infernal Affairs’ can be systematically interpreted as a “crime film” in terms of imagery, characters, and plot, based on Thomas Schatz’s genre theory. Why Is It a Genre Film? I recently watched a Japanese film titled ‘The Disgusting Life of Matsuko’. Thanks to the dazzling colors that dazzled my eyes throughout the film and a...
What characteristics of the film noir genre does the ‘Infernal Affairs’ series exhibit?
This blog post focuses on the genre characteristics of Hong Kong film noir as exemplified by the ‘Infernal Affairs’ series and their variations. The Origins and Typical Characteristics of Film Noir Film noir originated when French critics began using the term to describe low-budget “B-movies” produced in Hollywood after World War II that featured crime or thrillers with a dark...
What effect do the fantasy elements have in the romantic drama ‘Bungee Jumping of Their Own’?
In this blog post, I’ll examine how the fantasy elements woven into the film ‘Bungee Jumping of Their Own’ amplify the emotions and narrative of the romantic drama. Why I Chose This Film I was drawn to unrealistic, cinematically expanded romantic dramas—that is, the “romantic fantasy” genre—rather than realistic ones. I found it intriguing that unrealistic love stories can...