The Best Korean Movies of the Decade: The Omissions

I haven't seen every Korean movie made in the last 10 years. I've seen a lot, but great movies have slipped passed. There have been other movies that I've seen that were also good, receiving a lot of attention from critics and audiences around the world, that I simply didn't enjoy. Before I start the top 5, I want to discuss the movies that didn't quite make my list. In no particular order, here are The Omissions:

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002):
I saw Oldboy first, Chan-wook Park's second film in the vengeance trilogy that started with Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. Since I was hungry for more Oldboy-type movies, I watched Mr. Vengeance and was disappointed. It is far less active than Oldboy, far less narrative and hard to connect with the characters (the protagonist is deaf, his girlfriend an anarchist). I've read enough about the movie to convince me I should give it another chance and try to see it separated from Park's later work. I agree, but I haven't done it yet. So until that happens, it's missing from my list.

Truck (2007):
Honestly, I don't remember too much about the movie. I do remember watching it with my girlfriend and misjudging the time, giving us 20 minutes of the movie left when she had 10 minutes before she had to be somewhere else. I remember the movie as really tense, filled with action and fun to watch. I thought about it for days afterward, re-watched several scenes and talked – at length – about it with her (probably ad nauseum). Usually I only do that if the movie was damn good. But I can't find it anymore and remember it less vividly than just about every other film on my list, meaning that despite my initial admiration, it didn't stick in my head long enough to make it to my list. While reading about the movie on the internet, I found little to convince me to try and find it again, so although it might be worthy, it doesn't make my list.

Mother (2009):
Everyone seems to love Mother. It was the Korean submission for the Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars (it didn't win). The acting, story, cinematography were all good, but overall, I just didn't enjoy the movie. I've read enough to convince me it might be worth another look, but like Mr. Vengeance, I just haven't gotten around to it.

Poetry (2010):
This was a hard choice, actually. I saw Poetry after I started my list, but believing it was going to be an amazing film, I reserved it a spot with other films. I honestly thought it would be here. I love poetry. I love artistic films. It seemed like a shoo-in. But after watching it, I was dissatisfied. Perhaps I set too high of standards. The acting was great and I adored the discussion about the most beautiful moment that I actually wanted more of that. It reminded me of the After Life monologues. But the movie had two problems that I couldn't accept. The first was pacing. The film started off aimless and stayed that way until we find out that the protagonist's grandson was involved with gang raping a young girl. I thought the movie was about the finally open up, anticipating that the grandmother would use poetry as a coping mechanism for the disillusionment. But that didn't happen. The film again lost some focus, drifting along without direction until the situation arose again. Although I wouldn't say I was bored at points, I certainly had trouble keeping attention on what the movie was trying to do. At some scenes, I thought it would pivot and go one direction, but it stopped short and returned to the rape.

The second criticism I had was that the protagonist had an unexplained connection or fascination with the girl that is gang raped. I never understood what made her take such an intense interest in the girl. I never understood why she cared about that girl over anyone else. I can speculate that perhaps that was the grandmother's experience at some point of her life, but there is almost no evidence to support that idea. I think her connection with the girl is the strength of the movie, the plot that justifies the movie's creation. But as hard as I try to see the connection between the characters, I just can't find it. So it was cut from my list. If anyone wants to comment on that relationship, please do so.

May 18 (2007):
I love May 18, the story of a city in Korea standing up to a tyrant and seizing the city in the name of freedom. Scary that the event really happened in 1980, only months before President Reagan was elected. The movie is entertaining and tragic at the same time. The only reason this movie didn't make the list is because I felt some context for Korean history was necessary to appreciate what the film attempts. Since I wanted my list to be an introduction to Korean cinema, I tried to pick movies that were international – movies that could be appreciated without any previous experience involving Korean cinema, or even foreign cinema for that matter. If you have some familiarity with the Kwangju Massacre or finding that you're enjoying some of the Korean film's I've listed, consider looking for May 18. You're also be happy to see Jun-ki Lee, the actor from King and the Clown that was sexually ambiguous. In May 18, he doesn't look anything like Gong-gil and if I didn't mention they are the same actor, I doubt many people would even notice.

Marrying the Mafia (2002):
The original movie spawned a number of sequels, which in Korean cinema is rare and shows strength in the original (unlike American movies which add sequels to almost anything). Sadly, I haven't seen any of them.

Most other Ki-duk Kim movies:
Bad Guy, Spring Summer Fall Winter and Spring, 3 Iron, Breath and other Ki-duk Kim movies didn't make the list. I like Kim's movies – like I said in the Samaritan Girl review. His movies are artistic, brilliant, but slow. Samaritan Girl is one of the best introductions, meaning if you enjoyed Samaritan Girl, take a peek at any of the movies I just listed. Bad Guy uses some of his trademarks that make sense if you've seen his movies, but without it, don't make sense (for example, Kim uses kisses to create an absolute bond between characters. So in Bad Guy, when two characters kiss, the audience knows they are attached forever, meaning that despite the man forcing the woman into prostitution, she will never escape). Spring is a nice Buddhist tale about a circular life, but is quiet and meditative, meaning you have to be ready for a movie that doesn't use music or dialogue to tell the story. 3 Iron is also quiet and slow – if I remember right, the two main characters don't talk to each other despite spending about half the film together (may be an exaggeration). Breath is a little more standard, but isn't as good as Samaritan Girl. If you enjoy Samaritan Girl, you'll probably enjoy Kim's other films. 

The Good, The Bad and the Weird (2008):
I liked this movie, a lot in fact, but decided to cut it at the last minute in favor of adding Our School. This western homage takes place in the wild wild...well...east. Actually, it takes place in China (so I guess it's an Eastern. Ha-ha, made you laugh there didn't I?). The mixture actually was refreshing because it seemed to make that Western-lawlessness illuminating again. All three main characters are fun to watch and the action is intense and entertaining, like we would expect from a western film. The movie also enjoyed a limited release in American theaters, including (somehow) making it into a local Alabama theater. Here’s the link on Amazon: The Good, the Bad, the Weird

Sex is Zero (2002) and Sex is Zero 2 (2007):
Sex is Zero was a late cut from the list. The movie is Korea's take on American Pie. It's interesting to see how other cultures make their teenage sex comedies since these comedies often reflect youth perceptions on adulthood. Sex is Zero is funny for the first half, but takes a genre-blending course and turns serious when the female lead decides to get a tearful abortion. The emotional weight of the decision and consequences make the film suddenly serious where it was playful before. This isn't bad, but is a little hard to swallow because after the abortion, the film keeps trying to be funny. I found myself laughing up until that point, then never cracking a smile – the mood was destroyed. The sequel, which isn't too different, doesn't take such a dramatic and serious turn. In many ways, I preferred the sequel.

I think there are two big reasons I almost added one of these movies to the list. The first is that the trailers reveal something very interesting about Korean sexuality. Watch the first trailer now to get some context for what I mean:

Remember, this is the trailer and it shows the main character's TSA-approved full body scan. Now watch the trailer for the second:

When the girl is riding the elevator and lifts her skirt, she's only showing underwear. I found it a little different that underwear was so ardently censored, but the TSA penis was not.

The other thing in this movie relates to an off-the-screen choice. In the first Sex is Zero, one of the male friends is this effeminate psudo-gay student (in the first trailer, the guy with blond hair). He mostly seems to play on the stereotype by seeming so disinterested in sex with women that he is almost forced to strip and have sex with the “drunk” girl forcing him to a hotel. The actor, Dae-hak Lee, chose to have gender reassignment surgery after Sex is Zero was released. In other words, the actor decided to change his gender to female. The same actor(actress) returns to the same character in the sequel, except now the character has also become female. So when the character's previously mentioned sexual partner finds out, she almost faints from surprise as the character asks the personal questions that many others were asking: does she sleep with men or women? Dae-hak Lee (now Si-yeon Lee) has a boyfriend in Sex is Zero 2. Give this a lot of thought because Lee is significant for a few reasons. As mentioned in other articles, Korea is more conservative on many sexual issues. This means there are very few openly homosexual/transsexual celebrities and artists. Yet this actor(actress) is still making movies and audiences are still accepting the actress in romantic situations.

Since I had a lot to say on Sex is Zero, I almost considered adding it to the list. I applaud the makers for taking this HUGE gamble and supporting Lee in her new life, allowing the character to answer questions typically directed at the actress, protecting the privacy of the individual while alleviating some of the mystique of her choices.

No Regret (2006):
Although King and the Clown played with homosexuality, I almost included this movie because it was the first(only?) mainstream movie made by an openly gay director. This movie wasn't anything amazing, but did beg the question if a LGBT movie made by an openly gay director would be more authentic to the romance.

Friend (2001):
The movie once held the number one spot for tickets sold, a helm later taken by Taegukgi, King and the Clown and now The Host. I remember seeing the movie, but it didn't leave a great impression on me.

7 Days (2007):
Another kidnapping movie, 7 Days was on the first few drafts of my list because I really enjoyed it. It is full of action and fast paced. It also starts Yun-jin Kim, the woman from Lost (which I also love). I eventually removed it from my list because Voice of a Murderer is so much better. 7 Days also indulges with plot twists that are somewhat inconsequential. I would still recommend 7 Days, so here is the Amazon link: Seven Days

Turning Gate (2002):
This artsy production was a pretty good movie. I liked it, quite a bit actually. I ended up removing it from the list because it was just a little too independent, a little too artistic. If someone were to watch this movie as their introduction to Korean cinema, it would be hard to convince that person to see more. Notwithstanding, if you've seen some other smaller Korean productions and enjoyed them, consider Turning Gate.