Monday, May 28, 2012

Review: Helpless, 2012

Young-joo BYUN is the female director of the documentary film series: The Murmuring(1995).... BYUN showed the deep sorrow of comfort women, forgotten by the public, who served under Japanese imperialism. After the series, she directed 3 commercial films which could not attract the public's concern.

7 years later, BYUN came back with Helpless. It had a box office hit, and also received favorable criticism. Caught two hares. Above all, Min-hee KIM's acting was great.

The original story comes from a Japanese novel. Helpless is a sort of mystery and thriller film, which is about a person who murders and lives with the victim's identity.

Mun-ho(Seon-gyun LEE) and his fiancee, Sun-young(Min-hee LEE) are on the way to give parents wedding invitations. While Mun-ho stopped by a highway rest to buy coffee, Sun-young received a call and suddenly disappeared.

Mon-ho though she was kidnapped and asks his cousin, a former detective, to find her. As search and research go on, they fall into a mystery: Sun-young is a totally different, missing, person. Mon-ho even does not know her real name, Kyung-sun.



Mon-ho finds out she inherited a debt from parents. She failed her marriage by threats of debt collectors, and forced to prostitute. She escaped and started living as a different person, Sun-young. Kyung-sun killed Sun-young, around her age with no family.

beaten, escaped from debt collectors

Now, Kyung-sun is planning to murder again to secure a new ID. The target is Mon-ho's customer, a widow living alone in a countryside. Kyung-sun is about to travel with the widow. Mon-ho chased her to the train station, and caught her asking "Did you love me?" He let her go, saying "Don't get caught"

don't get caught.
She was hunted by police and threw herself from the top. Her dead body is on a railway, bleeding. Mun-ho is crying.




When I saw this film, I hadn't any information on it. I guessed, it was about a guy looking for a missing or kidnapped fiancee.

It is quite speedy development and arouse curiosity, satisfying the convention of the genre. Considering director BYUN's feature films were melodrama, I could not imagine how she directed thriller movie. After watching it, I can say  BYUN mixed the two genres very well: Melodrama and Thriller. Some critics say, Byun should not put melodrama element in it, which means the main female character should be evil or vicious to the end just like I saw the devil, 2010. It would make it more artistic. I don't agree this opinion. Even though Kyun-sun turned into a monster, she must have wanted a loved or happy life.



Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Visiting Seoul Film Lab

Digital Era to Korean film industry came all of sudden. 5 film labs in Korea, 2 of them closed already. They give their statue, occupying for decades, to digital intermediate just in several years.   

I had a good chance to visit 2 films labs, so I'd like to briefly introduce what they have been doing in the darkroom.  


color analyzer
When original negative films arrive to the film lab, the films go to this analyzer for RGB color correction. The data from the analyzer are handed to a film printer.


contact film printer
The film printer prints positive films from the negative films and the data from the analyzer in the darkroom.

chemical prescription

developing equipment

developing equipment
developing equipment



developing equipment
developing equipment for b/w film
The positive films go through the film developer to develop the color.

theater
This is the theater in Seoul Film Lab.




Sunday, May 20, 2012

News: Wife of Everything

Wife of Everything released last 17th, May. Ticket sales are growing day by day. Now, box office is no. 1, it defeats Avengers.

There are many Korean films under 19 cannot watch on theaters: Eun-kyo, The Taste of Money, King's Concubine, The Scent, and Wife of Everything.

The investors and productions want to make easy money. Easy come, easy go. One official news, perverts are showing up in the theaters. Watch out.
Thursday, May 17, 2012

Review: Village of Haze, 1982



The story is about the furtive lives in a remote village where is misty all the time. Soo-ok assigned to an elementary school to the small village. There is one insane guy, Kkae-chul,  hanging around, but for some reason people treat him well, giving food and allowing to sleep in their houses.

Soo-ok guesses that women in the village sleep with him, but Kkae-chul is known as impotent. One day Soo-ok's fiancee supposed to visit her, but he couldn't. On the way back disappointedly, it suddenly rains and she is raped by him. She realizes that men satisfy their desire from a mute hostess, women do from Kka-chul in the village. She leaves, and a new female teacher comes. Kkae -chul is near them, but Soo-ok does not say anything about him to her.


This film is by Kwon-taek IM, the representative director in Korea. It is based on a short novel. It unveils the repressed desire of women which is dissolved secretly. Long takes and long shots describe the static, but not actually, village. 

The scene, she is raped by Kka-chul and she resists first but later feels pleasure. It is quite male-centric viewpoint, and the scene is unnecessarily long and exaggerated just like the other erotic films. Maybe the director compromised commercial demands.

The last scene is very impressive, it implies Kka-chul is sort of uncontrollable and inevitable evil existence in our mind and society.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Review: Gabi, 2012

The title, Gabi, is the old pronunciation of Coffee. It is going back to the era of the last Chosun King Gojong, he escaped to the Russian Embassy from the threat of Japan. One beautiful barista infiltrated the Embassy to kill Gojong. 

The director is Yun-hyun JANG, who was famous for his debut film The Contact (1997).  His last film was a disaster, Hwang Jin Yi (2007). And Gabi is too.

Acting and story are not bad, but the film is sucks. If a director decide to make a film based on history, sort of reality or probability is the vital factor. He missed it. I am sorry to say this, it seems to be his last film....

Nowadays, cruel investors never give a chance to the director who results in box office failure.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012

News: King's Concubine, 2012

King's Concubine was unveiled only for the press. The actress, Yea-jung CHO is receiving attention by her revealing performance. She was spotlighted in her previous film, The Servant, (2010) by the same way. Anyway, eroticism is the keyword in Korean films now. The director is Dae-sung KIM who made the great movie, Bungee Jumping of their Own, (2000).   

Sunday, May 13, 2012

News: Crown of Danish Film

Denmark Crown Prince couple visited for Crown of Danish Film at the Korean Film Archive. The ticket for Melancholia, (2011) was sold out. http://www.melancholiathemovie.com/

Left: Actress Yun-ji LEE
Thursday, May 10, 2012

Year Plan for 2012, Film Conservation Center

영화천국의 지면 취지에 충실하게 2012년 보존기술센터의 한 해 사업을 소개한다. 보존기술센터의 사업은 스타 아이템인 디지털 심화복원을 제외하고 결과물이 확연하게 드러나지 않는 경우가 많다. 하지만 다양한 윈도우를 통해 우리 영화가 다시 빛을 보기까지 깨알 같은 고민에서부터 굵직한 정책적인 판단을 거쳐 결실을 맺은 결과물들이 있음을 알리고 싶다. 혹여 새로운 영화를 소개하고픈 열망으로 가득 찬 영화제 프로그래머라면 이글에서 반짝이는 영감을 얻을 수도 있을 것이다.

 
디지털 복원 vs 아날로그 광학 복원
 
우선, 올해의 디지털 심화복원 사업을 살펴보자. 이는 지난 2월 한국영상자료원 기자간담회 홍보용 자료에 이를 명시했지만, 아쉽게도 파주보존센터 건립과 구글 VOD 협력사업에 묻히어 전혀 기사화되지 않기도 했다. 이는 원본 필름의 훼손(스크래치, 화면 흔들림, 곰팡이 자국 등)이 심각한 영화를 선정해서 디지털로 복원하는 것으로 우리의 예산규모에 비해 상당한 비용이 투입되는 중요 사업이다.
 
금년에는 고 박상호 감독의 대표작 <또순이(부제 : 행복의 탄생)>”(1963)를 선정하여 디지털로 복원할 계획이다. 우리원은 2003년도에 감독님으로부터 16mm 프린트를 기증받아 보존하고 있는데, 이 원본 필름 전반에 걸쳐 스크래치가 매우 많고, 사운드 또한 아주 불량한 상태이다. 우리는 이 필름을 디지털 장비로 스캐닝을 한 후에 더스트(먼지), 스크래치, 플리커(깜박임) 등을 제거하고, 색보정 작업을 거쳐 디지털로 복원할 예정이다. 동시에 필름 사운드도 노이즈 제거 등을 통해 함께 디지털 복원을 시행할 계획이다. 이에 더해 아시아영화복원프로젝트의 일환으로 <빨간 마후라>(1964, 신상옥) 디지털 심화복원도 부산국제영화제 등 관계기관이 협의 중에 있다.
 
다음으로 유일본 필름의 광학 복원 사업을 보자. 우선 필름 수축, 퍼포레이션 손상, 초산화 현상이 진행되고 있는 유일본 릴리즈 프린트를 대상으로 듀프 네가티브와 활용용 프린트를 제작할 예정이다. 필름 세척(Cleaning)과 보수(Repair)를 실시하고, 광학 복원 과정에서 16mm 필름의 35mm 블로우업, 스크래치를 없애기 위해 웨트(Wet) 작업과 더불어 디지털 사운드 복원도 거친다. 광학 복원 사업의 대상은 작품성보다 복원의 시급성에 따라 결정되는데, 공교롭게 올해의 라인업이 아주 흥미롭다. 한국영화에서 보기 드문 좀비물 공포영화인 <괴시>(1980, 강범구)를 비롯해서 애니메이션인 <로보트 태권브이 제3탄 수중특공대>(1977, 김청기/정태규)와 <떠돌이 까치>(1987, 조봉남), 전통 활극인 <쾌걸 흑두건>(1962, 장일호), 그리고 몇 해 전 녹슬어 가던 필름 캔에서 극적으로 발굴한 <흑룡강>(1965, 이만희)이 그 대상이다. 참고로 <쾌걸 흑두건>과 <흑룡강>은 디지털화도 완료해서 DCP로 이번 5월 복원전에서 감상할 수 있다.
 
테크니스코프 복원과 우수 한국영화 디지털화
 
영화필름 한 프레임에 두 개의 화면을 넣었던 테크니스코프 필름은 우리 자료원이 2K급의 디지털 스캐너를 도입하면서 복원이 가능하게 되었고, 그 작업은 꾸준히 계속되고 있다. 올해에는 <공포의 숨소리>(1974, 박태원), <그건 너>(1974, 신성일), <낭자한>(1974, 박윤교), <소>(1974, 최하원), <아랑낭자전>(1974, 박윤교), <인왕산 호랑이>(1972, 장일호), <작은 새>(1974, 이두용), <청녀>(1974, 이만희), <해뜰날>(1976, 서윤모), <홍의 장군>(1973, 이두용)이 복원될 계획이다.
 
또 하나 소개할 프로젝트는 우수 한국영화 디지털화 사업이다. 올해는 <마부>(1961, 강대진), <산불>(1967, 김수용), <영자의 전성시대>(1975, 김호선), <이어도>(1977, 김기영), <겨울여자>(1977, 김호선), <꼬방동네 사람들>(1982, 배창호), <안개마을>(1982, 임권택)을 디지털 리마스터링을 거쳐 상영본 DCP를 만들어 공개할 계획이다.
 
기타 사업들
 
필름 아카이브의 기반이 되는 중요한 일로 보존용 마스터 필름 제작 사업이 있다. 이는 오리지널 네가필름이 점차 마멸/열화됨에 따라 마스터 필름에 그 영상을 옮겨 담아 보존용 사본을 만들어 두는 일이다. 우리원은 2005년부터 245편에 대해 흑백 마스터 필름을 제작해왔다. 이 필름들은 상영용 포맷이 아니기 때문에 일반 관객들이 볼 수는 없지만, 보존부서 스태프가 필름 세척과 보수 등 많은 시간과 노력을 기울여 이일에 매진하고 있다. 올해에는 <5인의 해병>을 비롯해 21편의 영화를 작업할 예정이며, 2014년에 드디어 흑백 마스터 필름 제작 완료된다. 다음 타겟은 칼라다.
 
마지막으로 소개할 업무는 필름 보존관리 및 점검이다. 우리부서는 매일 매일 보존고의 온도와 습도를 유지 관리하고 있고, 연간 1,600벌(Copies)의 보존 필름에 대한 정기 점검을 실시하고 있다. 그 세부 업무는 필름 수축도 및 농도 측정, 캔 교체 및 코어 삽입, 리와인딩, 초산화 방지약품 투입 등과 같은 일이다.
 
그 외에 언급하려고 했던 비필름 보존사업에 대해서는 지면상 소개하지 못했지만, 올해 매우 만족할 만한 수준의 필름 복원/복사 결과물과 안정적인 필름의 보존관리를 위해 불철주야 뛰리라 다짐해본다.

Ssit-Kkim, BFI’s Century of Cinema

1995년 영국영화원(British Film Institute)은 영화 백주년을 기념해 18개국의 유명 감독들이 자국의 영화사를 조망하는 다큐멘터리를 시리즈로 기획했다. 이 시리즈에는 미국의 마틴 스콜세지, 프랑스의 장 뤽 고다르, 일본의 오시마 나기사 등이 참여했는데 한국편은 장선우 감독이 연출을 맡았다. <한국영화 씻김>이라는 타이틀을 단 이 52분짜리 다큐멘터리에서 장선우 감독은 당시 유망한 영화감독들을 인터뷰해 한국영화사를 반추하고 한국영화의 미래를 전망했다. 이 <세계영화 1백년 다큐멘터리 BFI’s Century of Cinema> 시리즈 중에서 7편의 작품이 제48회 칸영화제에 특별 초청되었는데 <한국영화 씻김>이 포함되었다.

Korean Short Film Archiving

장편영화 감독이 연출한 단편영화 수집 이제 시작합니다!

우리는 보통 어떤 영화에 매료되고 나면 그 감독이 과거에 어떤 영화들을 연출했는지 챙겨보곤 한다. 그러고는 자연스럽게 기대를 갖고 다음 작품을 기다린다. 최근에 이윤기 감독의 2006년 영화인 <아주 특별한 손님>을 보고 나서 그의 필모그래피를 검색해 <여자, 정혜>(2005), <러브 토크>(2005), <멋진 하루>(2008), <사랑한다, 사랑하지 않는다>(2011) 등의 다른 영화들을 DVD로 챙겨 보았다.

News: Korean Classic Film Theater at YouTube

Hey Look, Korean Classic Film Theater just opend at YouTube http://www.youtube.com/koreanfilm It is free and English-subtitled.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Review: An introduction to Architecture, 2012

An introduction to Architecture, (2012) is on the theater, selling almost 400 mil tickets. 


The production company was ready to pop champagne, but now in  panic. Because an illegal copy is spreading on the net. They say it is highly possible to be leaked from the post production. Years ago,  Haeeundae (2009) was also uploaded to the web. 


X-men pirate got 1 year in jail. Korean police will catch the uploader?


Here goes a short review: This film is about First Love we went through, which remains in the hidden room of our memory. The room is open when Seong-min was visited by Seo-yeon, flashbacks tell the story what happened to them 15 years ago.


Seong-min is working for an architectual firm, and Seo-yeun asks him to build a house. They start designing a house, quarrelling each other for the design. Seong-Min notices she divorced, and Seo-yeun gets to know he has a fiancee. The house is being built, they reminisce their first love.

quarrelling for the house design



They met in a lecture, an Introduction to Architecture, and became close doing a homework together. Young Seong-min had no idea how to express and love her because it is the first love.

Young Seong-min planned to confess at the day of the first snow, and promised to meet. One day, waiting for her house with a present, Seong-min witnessed she was drunk and led by his senior student to her house. That was the end of their first love.
heart-pounding date
heart-pounding date
having an advice from close friend
enemy in love, the senior student
The last scene implied that they have been to the promised place separately where they supposed to see on the first snowy day of the year. And, the screen shows, they are back to the normal life keeping the first love.

First love is vulnerable and delicate, so it easily gets hurt by misunderstanding. We all have the first love.

The trailer: 









 
Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The Two Sang-soo : Sang-soo HONG vs. Sang-soo IM



Sang-soos' new films are invited by the Cannes this year.  Usually Korean journalists make all the fuss when a film goes to the festival. Anyway, I want to compare the two Sang-soos' films shortly.


I am not a professional film critic, so I will write this based on my impression.

First of all, Hong's works are very low budget ones. He makes 1-2 films a year. The staff is less then 10! Wonderful productivity!

It looks actors and actresses are not paid at all. Some times, his friends or students seem like appearing on the films.

Style wise, I cannot see any shooting techniques, looks like only one camera is used. And narrative is unconventional: time is not important, it is reconstructed by the director. So, audience cannot follow the story, and some critics laboriously tried to analyze it. Maybe he intentionally tortures critics.

Lets talk about the characters, they are such losers mirroring us. They are not hero and heroin. They misunderstand each other, and upset about very small things...

When students, who want to become a director, watch Hong's works, they hold a delusion that they can become a director, because Hong's works look easy. However, they realize they are the losers just like in the movie characters.

Lastly, French critics love him too much. He is recognized as a film master in the world.

Let me talk about Sang-soo IM. He usually picks up a very unique subject different from Hong's, and the subjects are various.
For instance, Girls' Night Out, (1998) Tears, (2003), The President's Last Bang (2004), The Old Garden, (2005), The Housemaid, (2010).

Because of the unique, even radical theme, his works arouse the public's interest. That can be a good marketing point, so his works look mostly commercial. Investors like him. He is wise!

Mise-en-scene of his works is wonderful.

Everything is different except the two common things of the two Sang-soos : They have the same name and they are good directors.

I cannot wait for their new films.
Monday, May 7, 2012

News: Eungyo, 2012

Eungyo, (2012) by Ji-woo JUNG arouses audiences' attention by the exposure of the actress.  It is because of journalism or marketing? Anyway, statistics say, it is over one milion today.

I haven't seen the film, but for me it is very much expecting to see. Because I love his former works like Happy End (1999), Blossom Again (2005).

I remember, the bed scene in Happy End was unconventional, and I guess Eungyo is the same. His last film Modern Boy (2008) was just so so, but he is one of the best director, I think. 
Here is the trailer:

Keywords 2012 at the film conservation center

매년 예산을 편성하는 시즌이 돌아오면 다음해에는 어떤 일을 중점적으로 추진해야 할 것인지에 대한 고민에 빠지게 된다. 여러 현실적인 제약사항을 고려해 올해 보존기술센터에서는 기존 사업의 안정화, 필름 산업 쇠퇴에 따른 환경 변화에 대한 대응, 업무 밸런스 조정, 신규 사업 발굴, 그리고 청사진 수립이라는 몇 가지 키워드를 염두에 두고 사업을 계획하고 있다.
Friday, May 4, 2012

News: Whats going on with Dir. Myung-sae Lee?

Whats going on with Dir. Myung-sae Lee? He is the cinematic stylist, someone says "visualist", in Korea and his filmography is over 10 titles.

He recently stepped down from a new big budget film due to a conflict with the production company, JK Pictures. JK says the reality is broken when they watched the shooting scenes compared with the script.

Dir. Lee claims JK ignores the creativity of his direction. Moreover, Dir. Lee registered the script as his copyrights. JK will go to the court.
Thursday, May 3, 2012

News: Korea, 2012

Korea (2012) is on the screen against the hollywood movie The Avengers which breaks through 2 mil audience. Do you know the actress Bae Du-na is over 170cm? She looks so small....

5 Korean films go to the Cannes this year: The Taste of Money, In Another Country, Circle Line, The King of Pigs, Dangerous Liasions.

I cannot wait to see Dangerous Liasions by Hur Jin-ho who directed Christmas in August, One Fine Spring Day, and April Snow. He knows what the romance is!.


 



  

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Love Fiction, 2011

A novelist falls in love with an attractive lady who grows underarm hair. I heard, underarm hair removal is a big conspiracy by the razor companies.

Officer of the Year, 2011

2 cops compete for the title of the officer of the year.

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