Demystifying Korean Film Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Published on 2023/08/25

Korean films are gaining in popularity on the international stage. Recently South Korea won two major trophies at the Cannes Film Festival. Song Kang-ho received the best actor award for "Broker". Park Chan-wook won the best director trophy for "Decision to Leave". With the increasing popularity of Korean films, students at university may have to write an analysis of them. The following information will be helpful.

Watch the film with a critical eye

Students who want to know how to write a film analysis essay must consider all the parts of a film and the choices of the director to create it. They don't only have to analyze the plot and acting but the lighting, sound, costume choices, etc. In Korean films there is usually more emphasis on character development than on the plot. Students must take factors like this into account when writing a film analysis essay. They need to pay close attention to details, make observations, and take notes.

Analyzing a film is much like analyzing an article. What is an article analysis and how do we write one? At aresearchguide.com, students can get insight into how to analyze an article. They must break down the piece and address every point independently to enhance the understanding of the reader. Students having difficulty doing this can check guides from professional writers and boost their essays on a high level.

Film analysis essay outline

Creating an outline helps to ensure a film analysis essay has a sound structure. Students need to look for the central themes in a film. A theme that's recurrent in the acclaimed films of director Bong Joon-ho like "Memories of Murder" and "Parasite" is a distrust of the rich and authority. The film Parasite was made in 2019 and was one of the first Korean movies to receive critical acclaim and become a worldwide hit.

The outline should include all the major headings and subheadings. Each paragraph must present a single point and offer evidence such as dialogue, sound edits, decisions about cinematography, etc. �

Students may want to know how to start an essay for a movie like "Parasite". In the introduction, they could include information about the director, Bong Joon-ho, and the release date. The creator describes the film as a "comedy with clowns and a tragedy without villains". This could be a great introduction for students who want to know how to write a movie in essay form.

Different types of film analysis

How to write a film analysis will depend on the type of analysis the student has to write. The core of the essay will be the critical analysis that gives the student's impressions supported by relevant evidence.

A narrative analysis requires students to examine the narrative structure and the plot. A narrative analysis of "Parasite" would involve focusing on the Kim family that manages to bluff their way into the lives of the wealthy Park family. Students would need to consider the telling of the story, the characters, and how they develop.

A cultural analysis requires students to examine the relationship of a film to its cultural context. Parasite is a good film for this type of analysis as it is about two families at different ends of the socio-economic spectrum. Other cultural differences in Korean films are that romance often seems more innocent and violent scenes are bloody and graphic rather than focusing on stunts and special effects.

A mise-en-sc�ne analysis discusses the arrangement of compositional elements in a scene. When considering how to write an essay about a movie in this way, students will focus on all the elements that add to the effect of the scene. They also need to discuss how the scene contributes to the overall plot.

Analyzing the ending

The ending of a film is often significant. American films, except for horror films, often have happy endings. Korean film endings are often unhappy or unclear. In the Korean film "Oldboy" directed by Park Chan-wook, the ending is deliberately unclear.

When students have written their first draft, it is helpful to get feedback to see if the analysis holds together and if they convey their insights to readers.

Conclusion

Following the above guidelines can help students to structure a film analysis essay and use the appropriate form of analysis. Korean films may be different in certain respects. However, writing an analysis of Korean films requires paying attention to the same details as any other film analysis.

Author's Bio

Jana Mitchell is a blogger and paper writer who loves every subject that can present a challenge to her and test her skills. She finds her motivation in tasks that are difficult because she believes that she gets to learn new things when working on complex assignments. Her dedication to writing and taking up challenges has made her a star writer in quick time.

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"Parasite" is directed by Bong Joon-ho, and features Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Wooshik, Park So-dam, Lee Jung-eun. Release date in Korea: 2019/05/30.