I’ve been looking forward to something knew from Park Chan-Wook for ages, love all his films minus JSA. From the two trailers of Thirst i’ve seen it looks wonderful. If anyone is interesting it’s loosely based on Therese Raquin by Emile Zola.
Antichrist looks really interesting aswell from Von trier, only film i’ve seen previously of his was Dancer in the Dark which disturbed me for quite along time but which I thought was a great film.
Aside from OldBoy I think it’s Park Chan-Wook’s best film. One of the most unique film’s I’ve ever seen. The way he managed to portray mentally ill people without a sinister side to them really touched me, critics really disliked it which I really can’t understand.
Gladiator winning best picture in 2001 over Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I really like Gladiator but it’s not in the same league as CTHD.
I guess it won best foreign language film, but I think the film transcends language and should have won best picture.
Watched it for the first time a week ago, and I just thought it was really really overated. I really like lawrence of arabia and Bridge over the river kwai but I found that the film dragged and the “famous ending” was nothing special.
I dont necessarily believe these to be the greatest films ever made, and I know alot of people would be saying what the hell is the princess bride doing there! (above citizen kane), well with my top ten I have decided not to pick my chronological top ten (the top 5 is) but the films which i’ve seen which have left me after the first seeing happy/sad/inspired/thoughtful to an extent that no other film could after one showing. Also I wanted the films I picked to represent lots of different genres of cinema yet could all be seen as genre masterpieces i.e Psycho: thriller, Princess Bride: Spoof Rom-Com.
1. Rashomon
2. American Beauty
3. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
4. Singing in the Rain
5. OldBoy
6. 12 Angry Men
7. The Princess Bride
8. Citizen Kane
9. Psycho
10. Howl’s Moving castle.
3-4 months after Korean release thats what has happened with Park’s other films.
It’s as everyone probably knows getting it’s international debut at Cannes. I read a comment by somebody who has seen it in korea and they say thematically Park stays the same, and the ending is slgihtly predicatble and not as shocking as say OldBoy (but how could he top that?)
I’m still hoping for more genius :-)
Crime and Punishment. I just don’t think Dostoevsky suits cinema, maybe thematically, but a direct adaption I don’t think would work.
I heard Kurosawa did the idiot and didn’t do that good a job but i would be keen to see it as i love Kurosawa as a director.
The Alchemist, i don’t think that could be done either.
If you want good 20th century “classical” music check out the polish composer Penderecki, I always imagined his music would be perfect for a horror or thriller movie.
But in terms of your idea of classical I love Bizet
I imagine a lot of people will open this topic immediately thinking this will be homage to Park chan-wook’s critically lauded and loved masterpiece Old Boy (2003). I love this film, and if I was going to list my top ten film’s it would come very near the top as it wows me every time I watch it.
As many of your probably know Chan-Wook is fascinated by the concept of vengeance in his films, which lead him make 3 consecutive films on the theme, which has aptly been referred to as “The Vengeance trilogy”.
How he deals with this theme in his films is brilliant and I believe him to be a true auteur, but I think aspects of Chan-Wooks cinema is massively overlooked and some people are probably thinking of him as a one trick pony who thematically doesn’t have much beyond that, but I disagree.
Firstly my two favorite Park films are; Old Boy and I’m a Cyborg…but that’s OK, but yesterday after watching Lady Vengeance (2005) for the third time I was surprised by all that I had mixed symbolically and thematically in the film, I believe this is the most complex of all his films so far, but the one that sums up what I believe is another poignant theme or message in Park Chan-Wook’s films.
I’ll try not to reveal to many spoilers in the film, but we warned there may be a few.
I think in life we are all trying to create a perfect surface level picture of ourselves to the world, a structured and ordered image of what would love people to think of us as: it might be we wear smart clothes, or maybe we come across as genuinely polite people. In other words we do all we can to be moral. This is the average citizen of course, I’m not saying everyone fits this generalization but I would say most do.
When I think of Japan and Korea (maybe China) I think of very hospitable people, yet a people who create a persona for themselves to be able to deal with all the hardships in life. I don’t mean to stereotype but the formality in photos where everyone is avidly regimented and smiling. This may seem normal to these people or others, but I always imagined behind these super happy and super moral persona’s there is a hell of alot of repressed feelings going on there.
I think what Chan-Wook does very well in this film is show the whole cast outside of the prison as very moral people, for instance when Gueam-Ja is faced with the Christian Santa Clauses at the start of the film she faces them with hostility. When the priest asks her to embrace the church once more she shuns it. For me this is a sign of her rejection of this false morality that this high persona high morality of Korea seemingly places (or forces) among its people.
Park Chan-Wook was asked recently if his latest film which is currently in competition at Cannes film festival was an attack on the church, and he answered; “No I have a lot of respect for the church and what they do for people". Also reading that he was brought up a catholic shows to me he sees the virtuosity and righteousness in faith, and in him depicting a priest as a vampire in Thirst he shows that everyone is forced into mistakes (or sins) i.e his need for blood which he much take.
I’ll go back to Lady Vengeance soon but I just want to make another example from his film; I’m a Cyborg…but that’s OK. At the end of the film the two characters who seem to both suffer from schizophrenia and agoraphobia and one of an eating disorder, seem to come to terms with the fact that they are different and don’t suit this perfect picture society needs them to be, that ordered photo picture I mentioned earlier, but by giving up trying to be normal or despairing because of their differences from the world they end up happier as a whole.
In Lady Vengeance, the director shows the battle between the so called moral forces of the microcosm world (the church and the teacher) he shows in Korea and those who have been damned by it (i.e Gueam-Ja and the parents of the murdered children).
At one stage in the film Gueam-Ja has been tracked down by a priest to her residence, and the priest is waiting for her saying; “Can’t we start over?” and she says “i’m sorry I’ve converted to Buddhism”. In this act it is as if she has turned her back on conventional Korean society, and therefore the priest is later shown stalking Gueam-Ja and taking photos of her and selling them to the murderous teacher who she is planning to take revenge on.
When the teacher hands over a bank note the priest he says; “thank you, it will go towards the lord’s good work”. In this act it is as if the Korean church or society are being compensated for the loss of this “sinful soul”, and shows how people cannot accept the differences of others, (just like in I’m a Cyborg the mother of the child could not accept that she was a “Cyborg” and wanted her to hush it up to preserve reputation and standing of the family which meant that she had to live secluded in a mental asylum).
Near the end of the film when the parents of the murdered children “deal” with the teacher they do so in utter hatred and mutilate him with weaponry. I feel as much as they destroy this man through vengeance, I feel what they do is through disillusionment with an ordered and trusted hierarchy in society which they have as individuals throughout their lives their blind faith in. Flash backs of the teacher show him as happy and lively individual who the children seem to love, (for god’s sake his alarm clock is a child’s voice innocently shouting at him “wake up teacher! Time for lesson!”).
Some of the teachers final words in the film are very simple but looked in the wider context are oh so true; “look Ma’m nobodies perfect”. We hear how he gained money through the parents by playing back clips of their children before he killed them as if they were alive, with the children’s parents throwing money at the situation as a solution. This is the kind of man these people cannot understand who lack the morality and spirituality that is integrated in their facades they put up. We find out that he used all the black mailed money to buy a yacht, showing how in a way meaningless the killing was for this man.
After the teacher is “dealt with” all the parents take a ordered and group photo together as a memento of the occasion. This may seem quite sick to some, but it is as if (just like the priest taking the bribe money off the teacher) through this act the order in these people’s lives can carry on, along with their pretending. Through the vengeance they commit they prove the teachers point, yet return to their high standing morality and normal lives afterwards. In the penultimate scene of the film all the parents of the children look morbid round the table: is this for their guilt of killing? Or are they remembering the loss of their children? They eventually start singing happy birthday as if to nullify what they have done, and quietly all write down their account numbers do Gueam-ja can wire the stolen money to them, (as if that is what matters in this situation!) Once again the returning of the money symbolizes to me that the façade of a moral hierarchy is just what it is.
The most poignant moment in the film for me is when they awkwardly ask for the money back and for a moment there is a silence. One of the parents breaks the silence and says; “In France when there is a break in conversation they say an angel is flying over”. This for me is such an important line as it could mean so many things.
1) It enlightens all the guilt ridden money craving parents in the room with a link back to their “ordered spirituality i.e the angel releasing them from their utter humanity. 2) It is Chan-Wook showing what an effect a western religion can have on those of an eastern nation.
I think what Park chan-wook has done may not be 100% understood yet in the western world as it deals with a culture clash of east and west in a country a lot of the western world does not know a hell of a lot about. I think vengeance is the most obvious theme in his films but I think more than anything he shows the fallacies of perfection and shows that imperfection is perhaps closer to the divine.
I haven’t touched much on Guem-ja and her daughter’s relationship, as I haven’t thought that all out yet, but if I do and think I have more to say I will post it.
Also just briefly, I feel the use of extreme violence in his films is justified, just as takakeshi Mikke(japan) and other east asian film makers use it. I think it’s justified because there is a purpose to it, and just like all the repressed feelings I talked about above that people dress over with a façade, I believe this new “wave” of film makers are exposing what’s below the skin of these complex societies.
go park chan-wook! (also if anyone is a fan of Chan-wook I have written an essay – http://www.theauteurs.com/topics/2610/comments – on Lady Vengeance and elements of his other films and what they convey apart from vegeance, and their potential wider meanings in Korean society)
Thirst got Jury prize tied with fish tank.
woudl someone care to explain how the jury prize differs to the other big prizes ?
He is a hungarian director that has done 8 feature lengths sicne 1979
All his films since 1988 are masterpieces
he films all in black and white and films almost as if in real time, the 2 hour film werkmeisnter harmonies only has 17 shots in.
His cinematographers are pure artists
I think in terms of what he has recommended. One thing stands out as the biggest disappointment. Ringu (the Japanese ring) I love korean and japanese horror films, and this was my first glimpse of one, but i thought it was SO average, SO overated (and still do).
Unlike the under rated Dark Water (japanese version which is genius)
Hey Kenji I don’t no where in the UK your from (im from birmingham) but i find a very small selection of people I know consider film as an art form. I think nothing can change before this changes. I think the hey day of British film is so far behind us (the if….‘s and loneliness of the long distance runners of British cinema-even though they aren’t my cup of tea).
All we are left with is the mockney philosopher of Guy Ritchie…
Hopefully this site will draw some people towards the notion that cinema truly is an art
I live in Moseley, yeah Birmingham has changed a hell of alot. Moseley has a good art house cinema in MAC. the city centre has one too. The problem is that it is quite expensive for a young (well relatively young, 18) person like myself to afford to go to an arthouse cinema. I’m seeing Herzog’s new film at 2:15 today and that is costing me 12 pounds!
The BBC is starting to get abit better, they had a Japanese season on BBC 4 a few weeks ago which showed some really good quality stuff, which i hadnt heard of (modern stuff).
But yeah shame what happened to channel 4 and film 4 etc.
and the concept of what happens to Oh Dae Su is terrfying. I don’t see how it could not be?
I love the trial like Kafkaesque concept Park Chan-wook works with in his film he is wonderful.
also if your interested in korean cinema and Park Chan-wook. I wrote an essay on his cinema and what it is “beyond vengeance”
What it says about east asian/south korean society etc.
I’d appreciate it if you’d give it a read and check it out. it doesn’t focus on Old Boy as most people will have watched that, but Lady Vengeance and why i think it is the most complex and interesting of Park’s films. Please comment on what you think; http://www.theauteurs.com/topics/2610/comments
Cannes 2009 about 3 years ago
I’ve been looking forward to something knew from Park Chan-Wook for ages, love all his films minus JSA. From the two trailers of Thirst i’ve seen it looks wonderful. If anyone is interesting it’s loosely based on Therese Raquin by Emile Zola.
Antichrist looks really interesting aswell from Von trier, only film i’ve seen previously of his was Dancer in the Dark which disturbed me for quite along time but which I thought was a great film.
Go to Comment
Movies you love, but everyone else hates. about 3 years ago
I’m a cyborg..but that’s OK.
Aside from OldBoy I think it’s Park Chan-Wook’s best film. One of the most unique film’s I’ve ever seen. The way he managed to portray mentally ill people without a sinister side to them really touched me, critics really disliked it which I really can’t understand.
Go to Comment
most overrated oscar performances or robberies about 3 years ago
Gladiator winning best picture in 2001 over Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I really like Gladiator but it’s not in the same league as CTHD.
I guess it won best foreign language film, but I think the film transcends language and should have won best picture.
Go to Comment
Movies you hated that everyone else loves about 3 years ago
Doctor Zhivago…
Watched it for the first time a week ago, and I just thought it was really really overated. I really like lawrence of arabia and Bridge over the river kwai but I found that the film dragged and the “famous ending” was nothing special.
Go to Comment
Here it is... Top 10 films of all time? about 3 years ago
I dont necessarily believe these to be the greatest films ever made, and I know alot of people would be saying what the hell is the princess bride doing there! (above citizen kane), well with my top ten I have decided not to pick my chronological top ten (the top 5 is) but the films which i’ve seen which have left me after the first seeing happy/sad/inspired/thoughtful to an extent that no other film could after one showing. Also I wanted the films I picked to represent lots of different genres of cinema yet could all be seen as genre masterpieces i.e Psycho: thriller, Princess Bride: Spoof Rom-Com.
1. Rashomon
2. American Beauty
3. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
4. Singing in the Rain
5. OldBoy
6. 12 Angry Men
7. The Princess Bride
8. Citizen Kane
9. Psycho
10. Howl’s Moving castle.
Go to Comment
Ten Worst Movies You've Ever Seen? about 3 years ago
Open water
Last days
Go to Comment
Last movie you saw and rate it about 3 years ago
Let the right one in 9/10
Go to Comment
Thirst Trailer about 3 years ago
Cyborg is AMAZING, one of the most entertaining and original films i’ve seen in years.
Go to Comment
Top performances of all time. about 3 years ago
Toshiro Mifune – Rashomon
Min-sik Choi – Oldboy
Bjork – Dancer in the Dark
Orson Welles – Citizen Kane
Daniel Day-Lewis – there will be blood
Wei Tang – Lust, Caution
Tony Leung – Lust, Caution
Go to Comment
You choose the book to make into a film. Then choose the director. Go! about 3 years ago
The Alchemist – Ang Lee
Crime and Punishment – Bela Tarr
Go to Comment
Thirst Trailer about 3 years ago
3-4 months after Korean release thats what has happened with Park’s other films.
It’s as everyone probably knows getting it’s international debut at Cannes. I read a comment by somebody who has seen it in korea and they say thematically Park stays the same, and the ending is slgihtly predicatble and not as shocking as say OldBoy (but how could he top that?)
I’m still hoping for more genius :-)
Go to Comment
What Film Are You Most Looking Forward To In 2009? about 3 years ago
Thirst -
Nine -
The Road -
The Antichrist -
Go to Comment
which books are unfilmable? about 3 years ago
Crime and Punishment. I just don’t think Dostoevsky suits cinema, maybe thematically, but a direct adaption I don’t think would work.
I heard Kurosawa did the idiot and didn’t do that good a job but i would be keen to see it as i love Kurosawa as a director.
The Alchemist, i don’t think that could be done either.
Go to Comment
MOST BEAUTIFUL FILMS IN COLOR about 3 years ago
Lady Vengence (Chan-wook)
Hero (Yimou)
Go to Comment
YOUR PREDICTION FOR THIS YEAR'S PALM D'OR WINNER? about 3 years ago
looking at the panel, some have been involved in films of a violent visceral nature, plus I think the korean judge will push for Park. So i believe
winner: Antichrist
runner up : Thirst
Go to Comment
Let's Talk Classical (music) about 3 years ago
If you want good 20th century “classical” music check out the polish composer Penderecki, I always imagined his music would be perfect for a horror or thriller movie.
But in terms of your idea of classical I love Bizet
Go to Comment
Beyond Vengeance...Lady Vengeance and a new way of looking at Chan-Wook about 3 years ago
I imagine a lot of people will open this topic immediately thinking this will be homage to Park chan-wook’s critically lauded and loved masterpiece Old Boy (2003). I love this film, and if I was going to list my top ten film’s it would come very near the top as it wows me every time I watch it.
As many of your probably know Chan-Wook is fascinated by the concept of vengeance in his films, which lead him make 3 consecutive films on the theme, which has aptly been referred to as “The Vengeance trilogy”.
How he deals with this theme in his films is brilliant and I believe him to be a true auteur, but I think aspects of Chan-Wooks cinema is massively overlooked and some people are probably thinking of him as a one trick pony who thematically doesn’t have much beyond that, but I disagree.
Firstly my two favorite Park films are; Old Boy and I’m a Cyborg…but that’s OK, but yesterday after watching Lady Vengeance (2005) for the third time I was surprised by all that I had mixed symbolically and thematically in the film, I believe this is the most complex of all his films so far, but the one that sums up what I believe is another poignant theme or message in Park Chan-Wook’s films.
I’ll try not to reveal to many spoilers in the film, but we warned there may be a few.
I think in life we are all trying to create a perfect surface level picture of ourselves to the world, a structured and ordered image of what would love people to think of us as: it might be we wear smart clothes, or maybe we come across as genuinely polite people. In other words we do all we can to be moral. This is the average citizen of course, I’m not saying everyone fits this generalization but I would say most do.
When I think of Japan and Korea (maybe China) I think of very hospitable people, yet a people who create a persona for themselves to be able to deal with all the hardships in life. I don’t mean to stereotype but the formality in photos where everyone is avidly regimented and smiling. This may seem normal to these people or others, but I always imagined behind these super happy and super moral persona’s there is a hell of alot of repressed feelings going on there.
I think what Chan-Wook does very well in this film is show the whole cast outside of the prison as very moral people, for instance when Gueam-Ja is faced with the Christian Santa Clauses at the start of the film she faces them with hostility. When the priest asks her to embrace the church once more she shuns it. For me this is a sign of her rejection of this false morality that this high persona high morality of Korea seemingly places (or forces) among its people.
Park Chan-Wook was asked recently if his latest film which is currently in competition at Cannes film festival was an attack on the church, and he answered; “No I have a lot of respect for the church and what they do for people". Also reading that he was brought up a catholic shows to me he sees the virtuosity and righteousness in faith, and in him depicting a priest as a vampire in Thirst he shows that everyone is forced into mistakes (or sins) i.e his need for blood which he much take.
I’ll go back to Lady Vengeance soon but I just want to make another example from his film; I’m a Cyborg…but that’s OK. At the end of the film the two characters who seem to both suffer from schizophrenia and agoraphobia and one of an eating disorder, seem to come to terms with the fact that they are different and don’t suit this perfect picture society needs them to be, that ordered photo picture I mentioned earlier, but by giving up trying to be normal or despairing because of their differences from the world they end up happier as a whole.
In Lady Vengeance, the director shows the battle between the so called moral forces of the microcosm world (the church and the teacher) he shows in Korea and those who have been damned by it (i.e Gueam-Ja and the parents of the murdered children).
At one stage in the film Gueam-Ja has been tracked down by a priest to her residence, and the priest is waiting for her saying; “Can’t we start over?” and she says “i’m sorry I’ve converted to Buddhism”. In this act it is as if she has turned her back on conventional Korean society, and therefore the priest is later shown stalking Gueam-Ja and taking photos of her and selling them to the murderous teacher who she is planning to take revenge on.
When the teacher hands over a bank note the priest he says; “thank you, it will go towards the lord’s good work”. In this act it is as if the Korean church or society are being compensated for the loss of this “sinful soul”, and shows how people cannot accept the differences of others, (just like in I’m a Cyborg the mother of the child could not accept that she was a “Cyborg” and wanted her to hush it up to preserve reputation and standing of the family which meant that she had to live secluded in a mental asylum).
Near the end of the film when the parents of the murdered children “deal” with the teacher they do so in utter hatred and mutilate him with weaponry. I feel as much as they destroy this man through vengeance, I feel what they do is through disillusionment with an ordered and trusted hierarchy in society which they have as individuals throughout their lives their blind faith in. Flash backs of the teacher show him as happy and lively individual who the children seem to love, (for god’s sake his alarm clock is a child’s voice innocently shouting at him “wake up teacher! Time for lesson!”).
Some of the teachers final words in the film are very simple but looked in the wider context are oh so true; “look Ma’m nobodies perfect”. We hear how he gained money through the parents by playing back clips of their children before he killed them as if they were alive, with the children’s parents throwing money at the situation as a solution. This is the kind of man these people cannot understand who lack the morality and spirituality that is integrated in their facades they put up. We find out that he used all the black mailed money to buy a yacht, showing how in a way meaningless the killing was for this man.
After the teacher is “dealt with” all the parents take a ordered and group photo together as a memento of the occasion. This may seem quite sick to some, but it is as if (just like the priest taking the bribe money off the teacher) through this act the order in these people’s lives can carry on, along with their pretending. Through the vengeance they commit they prove the teachers point, yet return to their high standing morality and normal lives afterwards. In the penultimate scene of the film all the parents of the children look morbid round the table: is this for their guilt of killing? Or are they remembering the loss of their children? They eventually start singing happy birthday as if to nullify what they have done, and quietly all write down their account numbers do Gueam-ja can wire the stolen money to them, (as if that is what matters in this situation!) Once again the returning of the money symbolizes to me that the façade of a moral hierarchy is just what it is.
The most poignant moment in the film for me is when they awkwardly ask for the money back and for a moment there is a silence. One of the parents breaks the silence and says; “In France when there is a break in conversation they say an angel is flying over”. This for me is such an important line as it could mean so many things.
1) It enlightens all the guilt ridden money craving parents in the room with a link back to their “ordered spirituality i.e the angel releasing them from their utter humanity. 2) It is Chan-Wook showing what an effect a western religion can have on those of an eastern nation.
I think what Park chan-wook has done may not be 100% understood yet in the western world as it deals with a culture clash of east and west in a country a lot of the western world does not know a hell of a lot about. I think vengeance is the most obvious theme in his films but I think more than anything he shows the fallacies of perfection and shows that imperfection is perhaps closer to the divine.
I haven’t touched much on Guem-ja and her daughter’s relationship, as I haven’t thought that all out yet, but if I do and think I have more to say I will post it.
Also just briefly, I feel the use of extreme violence in his films is justified, just as takakeshi Mikke(japan) and other east asian film makers use it. I think it’s justified because there is a purpose to it, and just like all the repressed feelings I talked about above that people dress over with a façade, I believe this new “wave” of film makers are exposing what’s below the skin of these complex societies.
cheers.
Go to Comment
Beyond Vengeance...Lady Vengeance and a new way of looking at Chan-Wook about 3 years ago
also sorry for a few typos and stuff, hope it makes sense as a whole even if some sentences are written weirdly slightly.
Hope you enjoy either way.
Go to Comment
Greatest samurai film of all time? about 3 years ago
Rashomon by a MILE.
It is the greatest film ever :-)
the opening scenes of that film give me the chills its such genius.
Seven Samurai is brilliant though, but I think Rashomon is Kurosawa s masterpeice
Go to Comment
Last movie you saw and rate it about 3 years ago
irreversible 8/10
Go to Comment
Current Filmmakers Whose Films You Look Forward To about 3 years ago
Park Chan-Wook
Go to Comment
YOUR PREDICTION FOR THIS YEAR'S PALM D'OR WINNER? about 3 years ago
go park chan-wook! (also if anyone is a fan of Chan-wook I have written an essay – http://www.theauteurs.com/topics/2610/comments – on Lady Vengeance and elements of his other films and what they convey apart from vegeance, and their potential wider meanings in Korean society)
Thirst got Jury prize tied with fish tank.
woudl someone care to explain how the jury prize differs to the other big prizes ?
Go to Comment
YOUR PREDICTION FOR THIS YEAR'S PALM D'OR WINNER? about 3 years ago
either way go Thirst! Hopefully the award will draw more media attention to Park Chan-wook and Korean cinema and the potential it has as a whole.
Go to Comment
Mark Kermode about 3 years ago
I like Kermode alot minus the fact that he is a sucker for some rubbish horror films which dont deserve the plaudits he gives sometimes.
Go to Comment
Current Filmmakers Whose Films You Look Forward To about 3 years ago
He is a hungarian director that has done 8 feature lengths sicne 1979
All his films since 1988 are masterpieces
he films all in black and white and films almost as if in real time, the 2 hour film werkmeisnter harmonies only has 17 shots in.
His cinematographers are pure artists
Go to Comment
Mark Kermode about 3 years ago
I think in terms of what he has recommended. One thing stands out as the biggest disappointment. Ringu (the Japanese ring) I love korean and japanese horror films, and this was my first glimpse of one, but i thought it was SO average, SO overated (and still do).
Unlike the under rated Dark Water (japanese version which is genius)
Go to Comment
YOUR PREDICTION FOR THIS YEAR'S PALM D'OR WINNER? about 3 years ago
I reckon an asian director will win in the next few years.
Park Chan-wook was runner up in 03
Go to Comment
Mark Kermode about 3 years ago
Hey Kenji I don’t no where in the UK your from (im from birmingham) but i find a very small selection of people I know consider film as an art form. I think nothing can change before this changes. I think the hey day of British film is so far behind us (the if….‘s and loneliness of the long distance runners of British cinema-even though they aren’t my cup of tea).
All we are left with is the mockney philosopher of Guy Ritchie…
Hopefully this site will draw some people towards the notion that cinema truly is an art
Go to Comment
Mark Kermode about 3 years ago
I live in Moseley, yeah Birmingham has changed a hell of alot. Moseley has a good art house cinema in MAC. the city centre has one too. The problem is that it is quite expensive for a young (well relatively young, 18) person like myself to afford to go to an arthouse cinema. I’m seeing Herzog’s new film at 2:15 today and that is costing me 12 pounds!
The BBC is starting to get abit better, they had a Japanese season on BBC 4 a few weeks ago which showed some really good quality stuff, which i hadnt heard of (modern stuff).
But yeah shame what happened to channel 4 and film 4 etc.
Go to Comment
OLDBOY - A DISAPPOINTMENT about 3 years ago
Old Boy is genius.
and the concept of what happens to Oh Dae Su is terrfying. I don’t see how it could not be?
I love the trial like Kafkaesque concept Park Chan-wook works with in his film he is wonderful.
also if your interested in korean cinema and Park Chan-wook. I wrote an essay on his cinema and what it is “beyond vengeance”
What it says about east asian/south korean society etc.
I’d appreciate it if you’d give it a read and check it out. it doesn’t focus on Old Boy as most people will have watched that, but Lady Vengeance and why i think it is the most complex and interesting of Park’s films. Please comment on what you think; http://www.theauteurs.com/topics/2610/comments
cheers
Go to Comment