Kim Ji-woon (김지운)

[Review] An abysmal Manchurian horseback ride

2008/07/24 | Source | Permalink |

"The Good, The Bad, The Weird", a Korean western in theaters now, is a decidedly Asian take on the usually grim genre.

Instead of sticking to a palette of muted earth tones, director Kim Ji-woon paints his picture with sumptuous colors, with the scarlet red of women's lips, the purple crushed velvet of a gunman's jacket and the jewel-toned silks on the wealthier characters.

The choice seems appropriate, considering the manic neon lights that illuminate the Seoul streets, as compared to the dusty prairies of the American west.

The Asian setting of the film also allows for a whole new magazine of weaponry. In addition to six-shooters and shotguns, the men of the Manchurian desert arm themselves with bamboo spears and even a medieval mace or two.

One of the story's main characters, "the weird" Yoon Tae-goo (Song Kang-ho), also provides a distinctly Asian form of comic relief. His antics are considerably goofier than anything audiences would see in say, "3:10 to Yuma", but judg...| More

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?

Space to breathe in days of heavy censorship

2008/07/24 | Source | Permalink |

The center was small enough that if you came late, all the tickets were sold out. We went so often we became friends with the center's projectionist.

Bae Chang-ho, director of "The Last Witness" and "Road"
"I was a college student and an aspiring film director in the early 1970s when I first visited the French Cultural Center.
The majority of us went because the number of foreign films imported to Korea was limited to 20 or so a year and most were commercial Hollywood films that were heavily edited by the government.
We really didn't have that many choices. The center presented a rare venue for auteurist films from the French New Wave cinema. I remember there was a screening room on the first floor called Salle Renoir. I don't know if the name referred to the French impressionist or his filmmaker son, Jean Renoir.
When you went there, you expected to meet certain people. These people later became noted directors, critics and French experts. It was also one of the few places wher...| More

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?

China desert comes to life in 'Good, Bad and Weird'

2008/07/23 | Source | Permalink |

A suspense-filled wilderness creates an unpredictable scene for a cowboy gunfight, but a bloody battle begins that will only end in absolute victory or absolute defeat.

Director Kim Ji-woon was captivated by such a scene from Sergio Leone's 1966 so-called spaghetti western, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly".

And last week, he released his own take on cowboys, "The Good, the Bad, the Weird".

The film, which had a budget of 18 billion won (US$18 million), attracted more than 2 million viewers in the four days after its release, according to the Korean Film Council. The CGV Yongsan in central Seoul is now offering English subtitles until Aug. 31.

"The cheeky characters in cowboy pictures are very charming", Kim said. "They're antihero and antisocial".

While researching the film, Kim came across a Korean-made Manchurian western, "Break the Chain" (1971), directed by Lee Man-hui.

"Lee's film was all about lawless male characters", Kim said.

"Break the Chain" reflects t...| More

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?

[MOVIE REVIEW] 'The Good, The Bad, The Weird' aspects of English subtitles

2008/07/21 | Source | Permalink |

"The Good, The Bad, The Weird", a $17-million oriental Western by veteran filmmaker Kim Ji-woon, topped the domestic box office in its opening weekend, selling a record 2.19 million tickets in four days since its release on Thursday.

The strong performance was widely expected, not least because the blockbuster project included Korea's three most bankable actors -- Lee Byeong-heon, Song Kang-ho and Jeong Woo-seong.

What's notable is that the movie has also signed on for a rare deal: English subtitles. Although only CGV Yongsan theater provides the Korean movie in English subtitles, it seemed a welcome change for a growing expat community in Korea.

The English subtitle for "The Good, The Bad, The Weird" is part of the program that CGV, the country's biggest multiplex chain, kicked off earlier this year with "A Man Who Was Superman", starring Jeon Ji-hyeon ("My Sassy Girl"), targeting non-Korean audiences here.

CGV's decision to screen the movie with English subtitles also ref...| More

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?

"Kimchi Western" debuts amid great interest

2008/07/20 | Source | Permalink |

The much-awaited Korean movie The Good, the Bad, the Weird based on a spaghetti Western and nicknamed a "Kimchi Western" after the nation's signature spicy national dish, is expected to be the hottest pick of local theatergoers here but viewers overseas seem to want to get a taste of it as well.

The film, directed by Kim Ji-woon and inspired by Sergio Leone's spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, the classic 1966 film starring Clint Eastwood.

The story line follows three Korean men and their entanglement with the Japanese army, Chinese and Russian bandits, accompanied by many exciting action scenes set in Manchuria in the 1930s.

The movie was screened in the gala section at the Cannes film festival this year and it is reported to have received a standing ovation.

Derek Elley, a writer for the entertainment news magazine Variety, said in a review: "a Kimchi Western that draws shamelessly on its spaghetti forebears (Italo-Western) but remains utterly, bracingly Korea...| More

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?