Kuri-Obi (2007)Kuro-Obi (English Title: “Black Belt”) is a great martial art movie about Karate. In fact, it is one of the greatest martial art movies I’ve seen, period. It potently reflects the martial art dilemma: a martial artist trains for years, with the intention of never using his skill. This is so contrary to any other kind of skill. We practise the piano, so that we can play do a public recital. We practise painting so that our painting can be hung up in a gallery for people to view. But true martial artists train how to kill; however, the highest goal is not to kill. Kuro-Obi and The Legend of Ip-Man has something in common, although the martial arts (Karate and Wing-Chun) depicted are stylistically very different. The commonality is in theme -- when is it to appropriate to use ones martial art skill? Furthermore, both movies have militant Japan during the turn of the previous century as backdrop.
Kuro-Obi also clearly depicts other values of Karate, for instance that only one technique ought to be enough. Although it has a somewhat stereotypical martial art storyline, it is well executed, with beautiful cinematography that does not rely on Hollywood special effects, nor acrobatic choreography so typical of the Chinese / Hong Kong influenced martial art films. The power of this movie lies in its simplicity.
I definitely encourage any martial artist to see Kuro-Obi.
Blood: The Last Vampire (2000)Blood: The Last Vampire is an anime film done in the realistic style of the great Ghost in the Machine (it is in fact by the same animators). The film tells the tale of a vampire girl that works for a cohort government agency that hunts demons. A good, albeit too short film (just under 50 minutes). A good film to see for anime fans.
Apparently a non-anime, full length movie version came out earlier this year. In fact, it showed in South Korea during June, but since I hadn’t seen the anime by that time yet, I assumed that the posters I saw was for a typical horror movie, which are so common during Korean summers. I’m not into horrors that much, but I am disappointed at not having seen Blood – the movie. I’ll have to find it on DVD now.
Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid (2005)The last Japanese movie on this list is also anime, but is actually not a movie – rather a TV series. Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid (2005) continues on Full Metal Panic (2000) and the lives of Sousuke Sagara (the boy soldier) assigned to protect Kaname Chidori, a feisty girl with special technological insights that should not fall into evil hands. While I enjoyed the series, it did not really have me hooked, and is not necessarily something I’ll recommend watching.
IMDb suggest that a movie version is coming out in 2011.
Full Metal Panic is not to be confused with Full Metal Alchemist which is a anime series I definitely recommend.
Silmido (2003)Moving onto Korean films. Silmido (실미도) is loosely based on true events during the 1970s. Apparently it was the first film to attract more than 10 million views at the Korean box office. The name "Silmido" is in fact the name of a small island off the North Western coast of South Korea and merely 50 km from the North Korean border. Silmido is a harrowing tale of convicts turned commandos in order to go and assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Il Song. The film reflects on the common practise of dehumanization in the military, and considering human lives as disposable commodities.
A good, enraging, rather violent and bloody, and typically sad film.
Gangster High (2006)Ganster High (폭력써클), is a film about school violence, which is actually quite common according to some Koreans I’ve spoken too. It tells the story of a group of high school boys whose soccer club ("The Tigers") is forced to become a fighting gang in order to protect themselves against the highschool delinquents. If you like violent movies, then watch this. If not, give it a skip. Another typically sad Korean movie, but quite good.
The Art of Fighting (2009)The Art of Fighting (싸움의 기술), also about school violence, is about a bullied boy that pleads with an old street fighter to teach him how to fight. The movie debunks many of the typical martial art stereotypes, and shows street fights for what they really are – dirty and brutal. A good movie, well worth seeing. And, as is customary of a Korean film, sad. (Read a full review here.)
Haeundae (2009)"Haeundae" (해운대) is the name of a famous beach in Busan, on the South Eastern Coast of Korea. The movie is about a number of people and how their lives are dramatically changed by the sea. There is firstly the major plot of a “mega tsunami” that hits Busan, but also a subplot of a death on a fishing boat that happened years before. What I like about the great Korean disaster/action movies like Haeundae and The Host, is that Korean film defies Hollywood’s action hero. The great action hero so typical of Hollywood is awkwardly absent, leaving one with common people that is much easier to associate with. Although Haeundae’s special effects and computer graphics are at times dodgy, the tsunami is mostly believable.
I found myself cringing on numerous occasions – as I have a peculiar fear of tsunamis. I call it peculiar because I didn’t grow up close to the sea, but have been afraid of tsunamis since I was a child. So this movie forced me to confront my own fear a bit.
Haeundae is currently (July '09) showing in Korea with English subtitles at the CGV cinemas in Myeongdong and Gangnam.
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HanCinema is a nice website to search for information on Korean movies. I'm also a fan of Koreanfilm.Org, and often search Koreanfilm for good Korean movies, before I decide to watch them or not.
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