Over the coming months the site will be reviewing several books on Korean cinema. We already have reviews of the excellent New Korean Cinema: Breaking The Waves (Darcy Paquet / 2009) and one of the books in the Korean Film Directors series Ryoo Seung Wan (Kim Yeong-jin / 2008). Using the Korean Blogathon as an excuse to put together a slightly post than ususal, I thought I would preview some of the books to be reviewed as well as ask for suggestions on additional titles to add to this list.
The two books already reviewed on the site are good places to start reading about Korean cinema:
New Korean Cinema: Breaking The Waves
(Darcy Paquet / 2009)
If you don’t already know of Darcy’s excellent website at Koreanfilm.org then you should head right over there. This book provides Darcy Paquets account of the creation of the New Korean Cinema and is an incredibly accessible account of the changes in the film industry that lead to the ‘Hallyu’ and the emergence of Korean cinema on the world stage. An incredibly helpful book that doesn’t assume a previous knowledge of Korean film or history, Darcy’s book is a must-read. Read the full review here.
Directors Film Series: Ryoo Seung-wan
(Kim Yeong-jin / 2008)
The Korean Film Directors series is a project set up by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) with the intention of providing information and analysis on Korean directors for international audiences, each volume includes biographical information, interviews (where possible) and critical analysis of the director in question. The volume reviewed here focuses on director Ryoo Seung-wan, but there have been six books produced each year for the last four or five years making a total of… quite a few volumes. Three different pdf editions are available for free download from the Korean Film council’s website here, along with a listing for all of the titles.
Read the review here of the Ryoo Seung-wan edition here.
Seoul Searching: Culture and Identity in Contemporary Korean Cinema
(Edited by Frances Gateward / 2007)
A collection of fourteen essays, Seoul Searching is roughly divided into three different sections: ‘Industry Treands and Popular Genres’, ‘Directing New Korean Cinema’ and ‘Narratives of the National’ – with essays examining aspects of each. The book will be reviewed in more depth in a future review, but it’s a generally very accessible collection for anyone looking for some analysis of Korean films. It may lean towards the more academically inclined rather than anyone with just a casual interest in Korean cinema, but most readers with at least a basic background knowledge of Korean film and history is sure to find something of interest, particularly in a few of the essays which focus mainly on one or two films and their relevance in the broader range of Korean cinema.
New Korean Cinema
(Edited by Chi-Yun Shin & Julian Stringer / 2005)
Similarly to Seoul Searching, New Korean Cinema is another collection of fourteen essays – again divided into three sections: ‘Forging a New Cinema’, ‘Generic Transformations’ and ‘Social Change and Civil Society’ – New Korean Cinema is similarly accessible collection of essays and makes an excellent pairing with Seoul Searching and although, again, it’s maybe not so much for the casual reader, New Korean Cinema provides a solid exploration of some ideas and themes common in the latest wave of output from Korea.
Korean Cinema: The New Hong Kong
(Anthony C.Y. Leong / 2002)
Easily the most accessible book on this list, many will dislike Anthony Leong’s subtitle and disagree with his assessment that Korea is, or could be considered back in 2002 as, the ‘New Hong Kong’, but misguided comparison aside this book which was written fairly early in the recent emergence of Korean films in the West contains plenty of informed reviews and observations. Consisting of introductory essays followed by a large number of reviews, there’s plenty of interest here and its a handy reference book.
The Remasculinization of Korean Cinema
(Kyung Hyun Kim / 2004)
Described as a ‘roller coaster ride through modern South Korean masculinity in the cinema’, The Remasculinization of Korean Cinema is a gender study, the book is divided into the sections ‘Genres of Post-Trauma’, ‘New Korean Cinema Auteurs’ and ‘Fin de siècle Anxieties’. If those titles don’t get you excited then it might be best to steer clear – it’s the toughest read of the books listed here (at least from a personal point of view), it will be reviewed if and when I actually manage to finish it!
Korea’s Place In The Sun: A Modern History
(Bruce Cummings / 1997)
Not a book on Korean cinema but a volume on Korean history, there’s a shortage of English launage books on Korean history that do not already assume some historical knowledge from the reader. I’ll be taking a look at the book that is often recommended to anyone those interested in finding out more about the history of the country producing the fine cinema that this site is dedicated to.
I love me some Korean cinema books! My favorite is the Remasculinization of Korean Cinema, I used it a lot for my thesis a few years ago. Some other great books are:
Contemporary Korean Cinema: Culture, Identity and Politics by Hyangjin Lee
The South Korean Film Renaissance: Local Hitmakers, Global Provocateurs by Jinhee Choi
I agree with Pierce, the Remasculinization of Korean Cinema is a great book, but also agree with Martin that it is a difficult for non-academics.
Here one more I’d definitely like to add on the list! Great book. “South Korean Golden Age Melodrama: Gender, Genre, And National Cinema” Ed. Kathleen McHugh and Nancy Abelmann
Yeah it’s a pretty heavy read alright. Only reason I bought it was because Peppermint Candy was on the cover.