South Korean New Wave Cinema: Dir. Park Chan-wook
A spoiler-free review of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy (2003) and The Handmaiden (2016).
The South Korean New Wave Cinema is changing the world of film as we know it. Despite the fact that South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world following the Korean War, South Korean films now receive international recognition and win prestigious accolades at festivals overseas. Park Chan-wook, along with many other talented South Korean directors, is the cause of this rising popularity and cult following. In this article, I will be reviewing two of his films: Oldboy (2003) and The Handmaiden (2016).
Who is Park Chan-wook?
Before Park Chan-wook became one of the most acclaimed directors and filmmakers in the world, he intended to work as an art critic. After seeing Hitchcock’s Vertigo for the first time in college, Park decided to he wanted to become a film director. Everything Park knew about film stemmed from his childhood; he grew up on black and white foreign films and Bond movies without any Korean subtitles. His first film was so unsuccessful, he was its only reviewer. Over the years, Park cultivated his approach to directing and filmmaking. His third film, Joint Security Area, a mystery thriller about a shooting incident at the DMZ (Korean Demilitarized Zone), the border dividing North and South Korea, became South Korea’s highest-grossing film when it opened in theatres. His film, Oldboy, won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Park also worked as a producer for Snowpiercer (starring Tilda Swinton, Chris Evans, John Hurt, and Octavia Spencer), a South Korean-Czech post-apocalyptic film. These are just a few of the many awards and filming credits he’s received in his career so far. So without further ado…
Oldboy (2003)
Oldboy, a neo-noir action film, tells the story of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) who is abducted on his daughter’s fourth birthday (Kang Hye-jung) and locked in window-less hotel room. When Dae-su is released fifteen years later, he then embarks on an arduous path to uncover the identity of his captor (Yoo Ji-tae) and the reason he was imprisoned. Oldboy won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.
I started off with Oldboy. I was drawn to this film because I really just wanted to see what all the fuss is about. People won’t stop talking about this iconic hallway fight scene (which, I have to say, is pretty impressive). Oldboy’s unique style and direction are even praised by Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee! It’s so famous that I knew every single revelation and plot twist before I began. But that didn’t matter in the long run. Ultimately, what really drew me into this film was not only its story but how it was visually being told.
The overall visual aesthetic of this film is stunning. The green-red contrast creates a visually striking image, red representing the themes of violence and vengeance against the more soothing or natural green backgrounds. Purple pointed towards key objects and important points in the plot. The intentional use of shots and purposeful camerawork often disappears towards the second half of most movies, yet they remain strong throughout Oldboy. The film’s bold, unconventional shots and unpredictable pacing kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. You never know what you’re going to see next. This attention to detail and care for every single frame was incredibly refreshing to see.
That isn’t to say that Park also presents us with an extremely compelling, complex script. The acting effectively carried the story into film. Yoo Ji-tae does a phenomenal job portraying Lee Woo-jin, Dae-Su’s captor and film’s villain. Despite his motivations and background, the audience still can’t help but feel a little bit of remorse for the poor, sick bastard. Choi Min-sik really gets to shine towards the end of the film, when it reaches its climax. Dae-Su’s inner dialogue and narration offered important insight into his character. Throughout this serious action thriller, the film’s comedic small moments allowed the viewer to have take a breath from the incredibly intense and serious storyline. Overall, the film’s script shone through.
When I told my mom I was going to watch this film, she told me she absolutely hated the movie. Her reason was that she thought the film added excessive violence just for shock value. I ended up partially agreeing with her. At certain times, it worked. It really did. After all, it is an action thriller. Other times, it did feel a little bit excessive. Overall, the film’s violence still remained relevant to the plot and served some sort of purpose.
Would I recommend it? Maybe… The film is definitely not for everyone. However, if you’re a fan of action movies and psychological thrillers, and aren’t afraid of a little gore here and there, I’d say give it a try. Don’t let the subtitles scare you.
My rating…
Directing: 4.5/5
Acting: 4/5
Cinematography and Editing: 5/5
Music/Score: 4/5
Story: 4/5
(Overall: 4/5)
The Handmaiden (2016)
Park’s adaptation of the Victorian era novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters takes place in 1930s Korea during the Japanese colonial occupation. The love story/psychological thriller follows Sook-Hee (Kim Tae-ri), a young Korean woman, who is hired to work as the handmaiden for Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee), a rich Japanese book collector. However, Sook-Hee is secretly a pickpocket from a family of con artists, involved in a plot to rob Lady Hideko of her inheritance. Things get a little more complicated when the two women begin to feel an attraction for one another… The film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and won Best Film Not in the English Language at the 71st British Academy Film Awards.
Park directs film with yet another ridiculously complex and entertaining story. The movie is divided into three parts, sometimes told through different perspectives. The film does a completely unexpected 180 very early on in the film. Just when you think you know anything, everything is turned on its head. The film effectively manipulates the information shown to the audience, and every little detail falls into place by the end of the film.
Park creates extremely distinct characters in his films; everyone has a clear motive and objective. Park’s employment of voiceovers further emphasized this air of mystery and secrecy. Considering that Sook-Hee and Lady Heiko are placed in an environment where they feel the pressure to contain themselves and can’t reveal too much, the voiceovers worked perfectly. Especially when Sook-Hee is unable to verbally express her jealousy or conflicted feelings. However, I hope that voiceovers don’t become a storytelling crutch for Park.
The camerawork in Park’s films are distinct, very conscious, and serves the plot. Unfortunately, this intentionality is lost towards the end of the film, around the second section of the movie. It could be argued that unlike his other movies like Oldboy, the camerawork was toned down a little for this time period and setting. Hopefully, Park isn’t losing his touch. Still, the aesthetic of The Handmaiden is absolutely gorgeous. The film transports its viewers into a different world. It beautifully portrays the unique blend of modern European influences and traditional Japanese culture during the time period in every detail. With every frame, the story comes alive.
In terms of delivering a realistic depiction of a romance between two women, the film generally does a really good job. But, when things got intimate, it was hard to draw the line between sensual moment and male pornography (emphasis on the male). Blue is the Warmest Color received similar criticisms as well. It’s difficult to put into words, but something about these moments felt off.
The Handmaid comes really close to delivering the whole package, but some areas fell a little short. And it’s hard to find really, really good LGBTQ+ movies made by cisgender straight dudes…
Would I recommend it? Maybe. I totally would, I’m just not really sure to whom. I think it’s worth watching to see how the film’s plot unravels and is told to the viewers. It’s quite unique. And while I’m glad that South Korea, a pretty conservative country, got to see some tough lesbian women kick some ass, I’ve seen better films that feature LGBTQ+ issues and characters.
My rating…
Directing: 3/5
Acting: 4/5
Cinematography and Editing: 4/5
Music/Score: 3.5/5
Story: 4/5
(Overall: 3.5/5)
If you are interested in reading more about the director, I highly recommend this article by the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/16/t-magazine/park-chan-wook.html.
