Rudy red face, frizzy hair, criminal fashion sense and a chronic case of inferiority complex and hopeless delusion, Miss Hongdangmu (carrot) is a new antihero among antiheroes. Such a pitiful role can be crafted with grace only by South Korean actress Kong Hyo-jin, who trades in her stylish image for a makeover as shocking as Charlize Theron a la ``Monster.''
Premiering Saturday at the 13th Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival (PIFF), ``Crush and Blush'' signals the promising directorial debut of Lee Kyung-mi as well as feted filmmaker Park Chan-wook's headway into producing. Lee, who had worked on the set of Park's ``Sympathy for Lady Vengeance,'' brings one of those rare movies that are propelled by a most unusual yet utterly believable character development, where the protagonist pushes forth the narrative by fulfilling her own destiny instead of a set of circumstances requiring a particular role.
The film wastes no time in painting an unmistakable caricature of Miss Hongdangmu. One is immediately struck by the awkward presence of the unpopular high school Russian teacher who is always looking in all the wrong places at the wrong time. She's like a cross between MTV's Daria and Morticia of the Addams Family, but neither smartly cynical nor eerily gothic, she dispels the golden rule in fashion that black goes with everything, as her uncomfortable looking turtleneck and shapeless long skirt only highlight her severe problem of going red in the face.
The unattractive 29-year-old had been infatuated with Mr. Seo (Lee Jong-hyeuk), her high school teacher-turned-colleague, for about 10 years. ``Last year he sat next to me at the faculty dinner and also right next to me in the car on the way home. Clearly he must be in love with me!'' insists this paragon of delusion. However, her happy thoughts are short-lived due to the arrival of every women's public enemy, the pretty woman Yu-ri (played by lovely debutant Hwang Woo-seul-hye 황우슬혜).
As Russian becomes increasingly less popular among the students, hardworking Mi-suk is assigned to instruct junior high English while Yu-ri, lax yet popular, maintains her position in high school Russian. Not only is she forced to learn English to teach it, Mi-suk must put a halt to a blooming romance between Yu-ri and Mr. Seo, who is among the beauty's many admirers. Her only hope is to keep Seo tied to his marriage for the meantime, and she forms an odd alliance with Seo's daughter and middle school loser Jong-heui (Seo Woo).
Rising starlet Seo Woo is another reason to watch the movie. The petite actress, known for some oddball TV roles, plays the perfect counterpart to Kong as another social misfit with no less psychedelic charisma. The two eccentrics deliver a multidimensional tragicomedy, spiced with what would be the American equivalent of ``blonde humor'' inspired by the pretty Yu-ri. Along the way, the viewer develops sympathy for the clueless Mr. Seo who gets caught in the middle of four feisty ladies (the fourth being his scary belly-dancing wife who is eight years his senior).
``Crush and Blush'' brings together the most unusual characters in the most embarrassing situations. Mi-suk starts digging a hole in the school yard as to divert eyes away from her ``clandestine'' talk with Jong-heui, but only draws more attention to herself _ physically manifesting her shortsighted ``sapjil,'' meaning hard shoveling and no pay, both literally and figuratively. Yet the viewer cannot help but warm to this self-esteem-less, frustrating character as she pursues her passions with utmost sincerity and futility. But life can surprise you, as the most meaningful secrets lie in things that may seem meaningless.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
'Modern Boy': Reinterpretation of Japanese Colonialism?
Following the footsteps of “Radio Dayz,” “Once Upon a Time” and “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” comes “Modern Boy,” another purely entertainment-driven movie set during the Japanese colonial era (1910-45). Gyeongseong, the name of Seoul at the time, is home to flamboyant flappers (so-called “modern boys and girls”), radio stars and charming bandits who aren’t necessarily working for Korea’s independence.
The symbolic power of cinema is extensive, as it often showcases a given country’s aesthetics, technical achievements and entertainment factors, and moreover portrays to varying degrees its cultural, historical and social values. Period pieces in particular become the subject of scrutiny as they speak for the shared history of a people.
A Japanese newspaper made a misleading report about “Modern Boy” and the above-mentioned Gyeongseong movies in January this year. Katsuhiro Kuroda, managing editor of Sankei Shimbun’s Seoul branch, announced “the reinterpretation of Japanese colonialism” in Korea ― how there was an effort to reexamine it as an era of modernization rather than one of exploitation, oppression and resistance, and that the conventional school manual “dark period” version has gotten a facelift and was drawing popularity among the younger generation.
The cheerful characters of “Modern Boy” deliver a colorful story, but by no means do they beautify history. It simply shows that life continued, and that there was love, friendship and fun even in oppressive times. Gyeongseong is another name for exoticism, and rich period details give way to a visually lush film. The film portrays a new side of Gyeongseong, brightly lit with neon signs, where swing dance and jazz music were in full swing.
One can argue that the moral distinction between “courageous” independence fighters versus pro-Japanese “traitors” and evil Japanese authorities has entered a gray zone. “Modern Boy” does indeed feature a sympathetic Japanese character (Lee Han) that suffers over his genuine friendship with a Korean. But this is because the area of central conflict has shifted.
Back in the day, Korean cinema had its fare share of political films. Director Choi In-kyu, for example, made a 180-degree turn away from movies propagating Japanese militarism in the 1930s into making ultra-patriotic ones after Liberation in 1945. Such “nationalistic” filmmaking is not unusual. Hollywood continues to demonstrate the political agenda du jour, as Middle Eastern and even North Korean “axis of evil” terrorists began replacing the public enemy role long held by scheming Russian communists, Neo-Nazis and the ruthless Vietcong.
For Korean cinema’s quintessential bad Japanese imperialist, it’s a different story. The new Gyeongseong films mark a role shift rather than a reinterpretation of history. The Japanese oppressor is still evil but has melted into the background rather than being a strictly dishonorable character. The bitterness over losing sovereignty remains intact. Some of the most affecting moments in “Modern Boy” are when the protagonist, wealthy but deprived of his country, recalls his childhood dream of becoming Japanese rather than a doctor or such, and how a talented artist cannot sing in her own language.
“Modern Boy” is about a rich, hedonistic playboy played by the fabulous Park Hae-il who cannot care less that his country was colonized and falls head over heals in love with a beautiful independence fighter, ingeniously brought to life by Korean sex symbol Kim Hye-soo. Director Jung Ji-woo crafts a dramatic femme fatale story that evokes “Carmen” and “Original Sin,” but which can also be compared to Ang Lee’s “Lust, Caution.” It is essentially a love story, and the dynamics of the time period set the heartbreaking mood for the narrative.
So whether it’s Hollywood or Chungmuro, a common denominator is that no matter who plays the bad guy, movies shift their focus away from the political problem at hand. That’s entertainment.
In theaters Oct. 2. 121 minutes. 12 and over. Distributed by CJ Entertainment.
The symbolic power of cinema is extensive, as it often showcases a given country’s aesthetics, technical achievements and entertainment factors, and moreover portrays to varying degrees its cultural, historical and social values. Period pieces in particular become the subject of scrutiny as they speak for the shared history of a people.
A Japanese newspaper made a misleading report about “Modern Boy” and the above-mentioned Gyeongseong movies in January this year. Katsuhiro Kuroda, managing editor of Sankei Shimbun’s Seoul branch, announced “the reinterpretation of Japanese colonialism” in Korea ― how there was an effort to reexamine it as an era of modernization rather than one of exploitation, oppression and resistance, and that the conventional school manual “dark period” version has gotten a facelift and was drawing popularity among the younger generation.
The cheerful characters of “Modern Boy” deliver a colorful story, but by no means do they beautify history. It simply shows that life continued, and that there was love, friendship and fun even in oppressive times. Gyeongseong is another name for exoticism, and rich period details give way to a visually lush film. The film portrays a new side of Gyeongseong, brightly lit with neon signs, where swing dance and jazz music were in full swing.
One can argue that the moral distinction between “courageous” independence fighters versus pro-Japanese “traitors” and evil Japanese authorities has entered a gray zone. “Modern Boy” does indeed feature a sympathetic Japanese character (Lee Han) that suffers over his genuine friendship with a Korean. But this is because the area of central conflict has shifted.
Back in the day, Korean cinema had its fare share of political films. Director Choi In-kyu, for example, made a 180-degree turn away from movies propagating Japanese militarism in the 1930s into making ultra-patriotic ones after Liberation in 1945. Such “nationalistic” filmmaking is not unusual. Hollywood continues to demonstrate the political agenda du jour, as Middle Eastern and even North Korean “axis of evil” terrorists began replacing the public enemy role long held by scheming Russian communists, Neo-Nazis and the ruthless Vietcong.
For Korean cinema’s quintessential bad Japanese imperialist, it’s a different story. The new Gyeongseong films mark a role shift rather than a reinterpretation of history. The Japanese oppressor is still evil but has melted into the background rather than being a strictly dishonorable character. The bitterness over losing sovereignty remains intact. Some of the most affecting moments in “Modern Boy” are when the protagonist, wealthy but deprived of his country, recalls his childhood dream of becoming Japanese rather than a doctor or such, and how a talented artist cannot sing in her own language.
“Modern Boy” is about a rich, hedonistic playboy played by the fabulous Park Hae-il who cannot care less that his country was colonized and falls head over heals in love with a beautiful independence fighter, ingeniously brought to life by Korean sex symbol Kim Hye-soo. Director Jung Ji-woo crafts a dramatic femme fatale story that evokes “Carmen” and “Original Sin,” but which can also be compared to Ang Lee’s “Lust, Caution.” It is essentially a love story, and the dynamics of the time period set the heartbreaking mood for the narrative.
So whether it’s Hollywood or Chungmuro, a common denominator is that no matter who plays the bad guy, movies shift their focus away from the political problem at hand. That’s entertainment.
In theaters Oct. 2. 121 minutes. 12 and over. Distributed by CJ Entertainment.
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