Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Korean “Cinema Of Assimilation” And The Construction Of Cultural Hegemony In The Final Years Of Japanese Rule, Brian Yecies, Richard Howson

Dr Brian Yecies

During the late 1930s, as Japan escalated war preparations with China, and after Governor-General Minami formalized the assimilationist ideology of “Japan and Korea as One Body”, cinema in Korea experienced a fundamental transformation. Korean filmmakers had little choice but to make co-productions that aimed to draw Koreans toward Japanese ways of thinking and living, while promoting a sense of loyalty to the Japanese Empire. Within this colonial context, and especially after the 1940 Korean Film Law facilitated the absorption of the Korean film industry into the Japanese film industry, a particular type of masculine hegemony was encouraged by a comprehensive …

The Chinese-Korean Co-Production Pact: Collaborative Encounters And The Accelerating Expansion Of Chinese Cinema, Brian Yecies

Dr Brian Yecies

Official film co-production treaties are designed by policymakers to stimulate a range of collaboration and media flows as determinants of country rankings. China, where , technology transfer, and joint funding initiatives in the industry. Since July 2004, the Chinese government has used this top-down approach to cultural diplomacy as a symbolic tool for advancing Chinese cinema and opening the domestic market to a host of willing international partners. Korean filmmakers in particular have exploited the (often informal) opportunities presented, engaging in vigorous cooperation between film industry firms and practitioners is making significant inroads, is one such case, having fallen outside …

The Douban Online Social Media Barometer And The Chinese Reception Of Korean Popular Culture Flows, Brian Yecies, Jie Yang, Ae-Gyung Shim, Kai Ruo Soh, Matthew J. Berryman

Dr Brian Yecies

Since its launch in 2005, the Chinese online social networking site Douban has become a key platform for creating and sharing user-generated content on a rising tide of global popular culture. Such content and its corresponding user data has become so prolific that Western media outlets are now using Douban a key barometer for gauging representative opinions and attitudes towards foreign content in China. However, a full range of tools for harvesting and analyzing Chinese-language datasets has yet to be explored in English. This article attempts to fill this gap by investigating the applicability of an analytical framework that can …

Film Pioneer Lee Man-Hee And The Creation Of A Contemporary Korean Cinema Legend, Ae-Gyung Shim, Brian Yecies

Dr Brian Yecies

At the peak of Korean cinema's contemporary golden age in the mid-2000s, 1960s auteur director Lee Man-hee and his films were rediscovered and have since become appreciated in ways that Lee himself never experienced. In 2010, his classic Late Autumn was remade as a transnational coproduction for a pan-Asian audience. Four decades after his death, Lee remains one of the most influential directors in Korea's history. To understand his legacy and its sociohistorical conditions, the authors analyze how Lee's provocative genre experimentation reinvigorated the Korean film industry in the 1960s under Park Chung-hee's authoritarian regime, a spirit that remains alive …

Power Of The Korean Film Producer: Dictator Park Chung Hee's Forgotten Film Cartel Of The 1960s Golden Decade And Its Legacy, Ae-Gyung Shim, Brian Yecies

Dr Brian Yecies

After censorship was eliminated in 1996, a new breed of writer-directors created a canon of internationally provocative and visually stunning genre-bending hit films, and new and established producers infused unprecedented venture capital into the local industry. Today, a bevy of key producers, including vertically integrated Korean conglomerates, maintain dominance over the film industry while engaging in a variety of relatively near-transparent domestic and international expansion strategies. Backing hits at home as well as collaborating with filmmakers in China and Hollywood have become priorities. In stark contrast to the way in which the film business is conducted today is Korean cinema’s …

Digital Intermediary: Korean Transnational Cinema, Brian Yecies, Ben Goldsmith, Ae-Gyung Shim

Brian Yecies

Since censorship was lifted in Korea in 1996, collaboration between Korean andforeign filmmakers has grown in both extent and visibility. Korean films have beenshot in Australia, New Zealand and mainland China, while the Korean digital postproductionand visual effects firms behind blockbusters infused with local effectshave gone on to work with filmmakers from greater China and Hollywood. Koreancinema has become known for its universal storylines, genre experimentation andhigh production values. The number of exported Korean films has increased, ashas the number of Korean actors starring in films made in other countries. Koreahas hosted major international industry events. These milestones have facilitated …

Somewhere Between Anti-Heroism And Pantomime: Song Kang-Ho And The Uncanny Face Of The Korean Cinema, Brian Yecies

Brian Yecies

This article explores the trajectory of Song Kang-ho’s on-screen performances from the release of his fourth film, Number 3 (1997), to one of his most recent films, Thirst (2009). As a case study, it reveals new insights about this popular and representative actor’s numerous screen personae and how they have enabled audiences to peer into a cinematic surface that reflects back a mixture of anti-heroism and pantomime. Beneath the many costumes and performance styles he adopts, audiences have come to see a human being with everyday problems and concerns. In a way reminiscent of the French pantomime clown Pierrot, Song’s …

Contemporary Korean Cinema: Challenges And The Transformation Of ‘Planet Hallyuwood’, Brian Yecies, Ae-Gyung Shim

Dr Brian Yecies

This article examines how the South Korean cinema has undergone a transformation from an ‘antiquated cottage industry’ in the 1980s into a thriving international cinema – albeit with a host of new challenges and tensions – in the ‘post-boom’ years of the 2000s right up to the present. Its analysis of film culture in the 1980s sets the stage for the Korean cinema’s transnational development over the last decade, and points to a longer historical continuum involving the ‘re-emergence’ in the 1980s of a ‘cinema of quality’ that was marked by widespread critical acclaim. Additionally, this article canvasses the key …

Power Of The Korean Film Producer: Dictator Park Chung Hee's Forgotten Film Cartel Of The 1960s Golden Decade And Its Legacy, Ae-Gyung Shim, Brian Yecies

Dr Brian Yecies

After censorship was eliminated in 1996, a new breed of writer-directors created a canon of internationally provocative and visually stunning genre-bending hit films, and new and established producers infused unprecedented venture capital into the local industry. Today, a bevy of key producers, including vertically integrated Korean conglomerates, maintain dominance over the film industry while engaging in a variety of relatively near-transparent domestic and international expansion strategies. Backing hits at home as well as collaborating with filmmakers in China and Hollywood have become priorities. In stark contrast to the way in which the film business is conducted today is Korean cinema’s …

In Search Of The Korean Digital Wave, Brian Yecies, Ben Goldsmith, Kwang-Suk Lee

Brian Yecies

This article sets the context for this special themed issue on the `Korean digitalwave by considering the symbiotic relationship between digital technologies, theirtechniques and practices, their uses and the affordances they provide, and Korea`compressed modernity and swift industrialisation. It underscores the importanceof interrogating a range of groundbreaking developments and innovations withinKorea digital mediascapes, and its creative and cultural industries, in order togain a complex understanding of one of Australia most significant export marketsand trading partners. Given the financial and political commitment in Australiato a high-speed broadband network that aims to stimulate economic and culturalactivity, recent technological developments in Korea, and …

Digital Intermediary: Korean Transnational Cinema, Brian Yecies, Ben Goldsmith, Ae-Gyung Shim

Brian Yecies

Since censorship was lifted in Korea in 1996, collaboration between Korean andforeign filmmakers has grown in both extent and visibility. Korean films have beenshot in Australia, New Zealand and mainland China, while the Korean digital postproductionand visual effects firms behind blockbusters infused with local effectshave gone on to work with filmmakers from greater China and Hollywood. Koreancinema has become known for its universal storylines, genre experimentation andhigh production values. The number of exported Korean films has increased, ashas the number of Korean actors starring in films made in other countries. Koreahas hosted major international industry events. These milestones have facilitated …

Somewhere Between Anti-Heroism And Pantomime: Song Kang-Ho And The Uncanny Face Of The Korean Cinema, Brian Yecies

Brian Yecies

This article explores the trajectory of Song Kang-ho’s on-screen performances from the release of his fourth film, Number 3 (1997), to one of his most recent films, Thirst (2009). As a case study, it reveals new insights about this popular and representative actor’s numerous screen personae and how they have enabled audiences to peer into a cinematic surface that reflects back a mixture of anti-heroism and pantomime. Beneath the many costumes and performance styles he adopts, audiences have come to see a human being with everyday problems and concerns. In a way reminiscent of the French pantomime clown Pierrot, Song’s …

Contemporary Korean Cinema: Challenges And The Transformation Of ‘Planet Hallyuwood’, Brian Yecies, Ae-Gyung Shim

Dr Brian Yecies

This article examines how the South Korean cinema has undergone a transformation from an ‘antiquated cottage industry’ in the 1980s into a thriving international cinema – albeit with a host of new challenges and tensions – in the ‘post-boom’ years of the 2000s right up to the present. Its analysis of film culture in the 1980s sets the stage for the Korean cinema’s transnational development over the last decade, and points to a longer historical continuum involving the ‘re-emergence’ in the 1980s of a ‘cinema of quality’ that was marked by widespread critical acclaim. Additionally, this article canvasses the key …

Korean Post New Wave Film Director Series: Kim Ki-Duk, Brian M. Yecies, Aegyung Shim Yecies

Dr Brian Yecies

Shortly after the release of his new film Bad Guy (Korea 2001), KIM Ki-Duk announced that he was not giving any more interviews. He took a vow of silence, because many of his critics had been criticizing him. I decided to ask him for an interview anyway. He accepted my invitation right away. I reviewed his website (www.kimkiduk.com), which includes my harsh criticism about his films, and I read his past interviews. There were 21 interviews and 37 reviews about his new film Bad Guy. I printed 184 articles written by his fans and harsh opponents and read them randomly.

Book Review Of James, D & Kim, K.H (Eds) Im Kwon-Taek: The Making Of A Korean National Cinema, Brian Yecies

Brian Yecies

No abstract provided.

Reading Korean Stardom: Number 3 And The Reel, Real And Star Transformation Of Song Kang-Ho, Brian M. Yecies

Dr Brian Yecies

This article focuses on Number Three and attempts to provide a window of understanding of Song Kang-Ho and the development of his artistry, which became crystallized in the early part of his filmmography. Number Three is an important film because Song Kang-Ho’s recognition and popularity began to spread after his performance in it. However, to date, few scholars have methodically explored and analyzed the transformation of his persona. Over the last seven years Song has appeared in some the most popular films as well as on the covers of numerous issues of Cine21 and Filml.O, two of Korea’s largest film …

Sejong Park's 'Birthday Boy' And Korean-Australian Encounters, Ben Goldsmith, Brian Yecies

Brian Yecies

This chapter focuses on some of the flows of film work between Australia and South Korea, and some of the roles taken by Australians in the performance (and particularly the sound) of Koreanness in different film contexts. We will explore Korean-Australian collaboration on film, through case studies of Sejong Park's Oscar-nominated short animated film Birthday Boy (2004) and two Korean feature films Musa (2001, Kim Sung-su Kim) and Shadowless Sword (2005, Kim Young-jun Kim) for which Australian firms provided sound post-production services. We are interested in how these films instanciate and expand Korean, Australian, diasporic and transnational filmmaking.

Traces Of Korean Cinema From 1945-1959, Brian Yecies

Brian Yecies

The first in a planned series of books about Korean film history, published in bilingual editions by the Korean Film Archive (KOFA). This particular edition contains essays on Korean film history focused on the period between Korea's liberation from Japan and the end of the 1950s. Articles within are written by KOFA President Yi Hyo-in and researcher Chung Chong Hwa. A large number of reproductions of period film stills and posters are also included. The original Korean articles as well as translated versions by Shim Ae Gyung are included together in this volume.

Hurray For Pusan And The Korean New Wave!, Brian M. Yecies, Aegyung Shim Yecies

Dr Brian Yecies

For nine days in November 2001 (9th-17th), the 6th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) rocked the seaside city of Pusan. A record 659 industry guests from 30 countries, 3100 official Korean guests, and more than a hundred thousand moviegoers filled the seats of 332 completely sold-out, or near sell-out screenings in 15 different theatres. Thousands and thousands of curious festival fans filled the small streets and alleyways in the Downtown-Nampodong festival area, enjoying the stars, lights, cameras, and all of the promotional PIFF booths and kiosks. A total of 126,613 paid tickets were sold to 201 films from 60 countries, …

Cinematic Hooks For Korean Studies: Using The ‘Apache’ Framework For Inspiring Students About Korea In And Through Film, Brian M. Yecies, Ben Goldsmith

Dr Brian Yecies

Developing awareness of and maintaining interest in Korea and Korean culture for non-language secondary and tertiary students continues to challenge educators in Australia. A lack of appropriate and accessible creative and cultural materials is a key factor contributing to this challenge. In light of changes made to ‘fair use’ guidelines for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in the United States in July 2010, and in order to prepare for a time in the near future when Australian copyright regulations might follow suit, this article offers a framework for utilizing film and digital media contents in the classroom. Case studies of …

Post-Burden Or New Burden Korean Cinema?: Outside Looking In At The Latest Golden Age, 1996-?, Brian M. Yecies

Dr Brian Yecies

This work-in-progress examines the paradoxical nature of what I call Koreas post-burden cinema a present-day film industry that has survived Japanese colonialism, American occupation, civil war, prolonged dictatorship, rapid industrialization, economic crisis and severe censorship. For nearly a century filmmakers have learned and practised their trade under these challenging social, political, cultural, economic and industrial constraints, and outlived them. This paper uses a case study of The President's Last Bang to illustrate the divergent freedoms that have enabled representative commercial, art-house, independent and animation filmmakers to transcend national and cultural borders by telling previouslyforbidden stories and breathing a universal but …

Review Of Happy Endings, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

God’S New Whiz Kids? Second-Generation Korean American Evangelicals On College Campus, Rebecca Kim

Rebecca Kim

No abstract provided.