Korean Kino
With a thriving movie industry and the popularity of 봉준호 (Bong Jun-ho)'s 기생충 (Parasite), many people may be left wondering what else the world of Korean cinema has to offer. Although the emotions of a fictional movie with developed characters can be quite high, nothing quite hit's home like a movie based on events that took place in the real world with actual people and real consequences. I have only included movies that I have watched myself, they are listed in order of their abundance of emotion. If you have any recommendations please comment below
코리아 (As One)
코리아 is a film about the processes of resolving tension within the Korean peninsula. After a commercial Korean Air flight was bombed mid-flight by the North Koreans in 1987. A summit was held with the resolution of using a popular sport, Table Tennis, as a way to bring the two countries closer together.
The film shows the contrast of two countries that had been separated for almost 50 years. Although the movie is slightly more biased towards the south being "the good guys" it does show how the athletes probably would have felt having had to spend time with each other and being on the 'same side' for once.
살인의 추억 (Memories of Murder)
Based on the Hwaseong serial murders spanning from 1986 to 1994. Probably the most loose adaptation in the list, the main events that occurred likely stays true to. The murder in question is sometimes known as the Korean Zodiac Killer. Personally I wasn't as emotionally invested in this just down to the portrayal of the detectives. However it does have some great scenes and I'm sure it was hard for the families of the victims to watch.
화려한 휴가 (May 18)
In 광주 (gwangju), 1980, students gathered at the closing of a local university to protest it's closing. The recent events with the assassination of the president left major general 전두환 (Chun Du-Hwan) as the de facto leader. The students within an hour were opposed by military personnel, soon after more people joined the protest in defiance of the violence which caused further action by the government. The conflict spanned 9 days with a suspected death toll between 1000-2000 civilians.
Another movie based on a foreign reporter called 택시운전사 (A Taxi Driver) also covers the event but from a different perspective.
태극기 휘날리며 (Taegukgi)
Probably one of the most faithful war adaptations to exist. It's very unbiased in it's story and actions of both sides. The Main characters are a pair of boys who are conscripted to fight in the Korean war and their very real experiences that many young men would have to face during any major conflict.
Even from the opening scenes it shares resemblance with Saving Private Ryan although I think it's a lot more faithful to the subject matter and is not afraid to show the horrors of war, not just on the battlefield but at home, an aspect that was missing from an American mission taking place thousands of miles away. An absolutely fantastic movie that will make you wish that you never have to behold such a tragedy.
소원 (Hope)
A heart-wrenching tale that will leave you with strong disdain towards criminals and the justice system. I watched this movie a month ago and I still think about it regularly. The subject matter is often avoided in commercial media and for good reason, any oversight could lead to harsh criticism, the actors however managed to do a superb job not to disrespect any victims affected by similar tragedies.
The film is based on an infamous case from 2008 called the 나영이 사건 (Nayoung Case) named using the alias of the victim. Make sure you get the tissues ready before starting this one.
Bonus - 국제시장 (Ode to my Father)
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