No Blood No Tears (2002) - 피도 눈물도 없이 (Pi-do Noon-mool-do Eobs-i)

Jeon Do-yeon Named One of the World's Leading Ladies

2007/08/07 | Source | Permalink |

US based entertainment trade magazine, Variety, has named South Korean actress JEON Do-yeon as one of its' 50 most important women in today's entertainment industry. In its' 10th annual Women's Impact Report, Variety shines the spotlight on "the industry's femme movers and shakers". JEON was selected in the category "leading ladies" as one of four accomplished actresses along with Marion Cotillard, Angelina Jolie, and Helen Mirren. 46 other top women were selected in categories such as filmmakers, producers, multi-taskers, music-makers, and executive set.

Earlier this year, JEON won the prestigious Best Actress Award at the 2007 Cannes International Film Festival for her leading role in director LEE Chang-dong's fourth feature "Secret Sunshine". In that film she plays a widow devastated by the loss of her son and her subsequent search for meaning.

JEON became only the second Asian actress to win the award at Cannes after Hong Kong star Maggie Cheung. As Variety points out,...| More

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A Tribute to Jeon Do-yeon

2007/05/31 | Source | Permalink |

Hearty congratulations to Korea's most ambitious and talented actress

Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)

On May 27, Jeon Do-yeon won the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival, for her searing portrait of a spiritually devastated woman in Lee Chang-dong's "Secret Sunshine". I strongly feel that, even more than "Old Boy" winning the Grand Prix in 2004, which I sort of predicted her win is the most deserved among all prizes ever garnered by a Korean film or Korean filmmaker in the high-profile film festivals.

(Okay, okay, I didn't really predict it. What I said exactly was that I would eat cheese and drink wine instead of soybean paste and soju for a year if "Old Boy" won the Grand Prix, by which I really meant the Palm d'Or, and I have at least kept the promise on the wine part, even though the latter prize was claimed by "Fahrenheit 911".)

Coming from a TV drama background, and in the early years of her career sometimes made fun of because of her slightly nasal, little-girl v...| More

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Film director teaches art of action genre

2006/04/27 | Source | Permalink |

For years, action flicks were not a popular genre in contemporary Korean cinema. They became even less so when Hong Kong gangster movies, which dominated the local film scene from the mid '80s, were able to provide just about all the action that local audiences craved.
Director Ryoo Seung-wan is from that generation and responsible for a new esthetic of "arthouse action" -- a merging of comic action scenes and film noir.
"In essence, I dislike violence", explained Ryoo, the director of "Arahan" and "Crying Fist", when he was accused of promoting violence in his films. "The only reason I am drawn to violence is because of the cinematic pleasure it provides. I am turned on by the bold body movements, the splashing blood and its fresh sounds in a film. For me, it's the action, not the violence, that matters".
"Anatomy of Violence: Ryoo Seung-wan's Action School" is a special program organized by the Seoul Art Cinema to better understand the art of action filmmaking.
For the program, R...| More

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Korean Film Directors series published by KOFIC

2006/04/04 | Source | Permalink |

To increase the international standing of Korean film directors and to promote the international circulation of Korean films, KOFIC announces the publication of the first three books in the Korean Film Directors series. By publishing this series, KOFIC aims to help Korean films and Korean film directors to receive more exposure abroad, as well as to attract more foreign investment for Korean film production.

The first publications in this series focus on PARK Chan-wook of JSA - Joint Security Area, Old Boy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance; BONG Joon-ho of Barking Dog Never Bites and Memories of Murder, and RYOO Seung-wan of Die Bad, No Blood No Tears, and Crying Fist. Each book features film criticism, interviews, a filmography, a biography, and reviews, both in English and Korean.

In 2006, KOFIC will publish an additional seven books focusing an another seven Korean directors. Among this group will be the classic auteur KIM Ki-young and renowned directors LEE Chang-dong, HONG San...| More

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'Crying Fist' [DVD Review]

2006/02/06 | Source | Permalink |

Ryoo Seung-wan's latest shows his growth as a filmmaker

Kim Kyu Hyun (internews)

Six years ago, Ryoo Seung-wan rode into the Korean indie film scene with his jaw-dropping debut "Die Bad". Scavenging the leftover film stock and employing his friends and family members as cast and staff, Ryoo and his young crew made four short films in strikingly diverse styles and contents. He then re-edited them as one feature, which was eventually distributed to commercial theaters. "Die Bad" is a viciously raw, deliriously inventive, and powerfully moving piece de resistance that recalls, among other great films, Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets". Ryoo followed this startling debut with more commercial efforts: the ultra-violent heist film "No Blood No Tears (2002)" and the martial arts fantasy "Arahan (2004)" in the Steve Chow-Jackie Chan mold. These films, while receiving strong support from some critics and fans, tended to draw mixed responses; Ryoo's bold experimentation with the well-e...| More

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