Review by Booklist Review
Recently, the global community has "discovered" Korean film, but it has a long history. Meiresonne uses a chronological approach, beginning in 1903, though the more formal beginning of the industry started after WWI. The 1960s were considered the golden age, while the 1970s witnessed a decline; the last dozen years reflect a new era. Korean filmmakers have been influenced by many cultures and sociopolitical events throughout the decades, yet they have also maintained a unique voice. Chapters include details about specific Korean approaches to cinema, such as melodrama, renditions of folklore and literature, nationalism, martial arts, sociorealism, eroticism, youth films, and webtoons. Several directors are featured as well. The book is richly illustrated with film stills. A few creative interludes describe specific, groundbreaking films. A bibliography and index conclude the volume. Hallyu means wave, and Korean cinema has certainly created a strong wave of films. This book deals not only with the visible crest of the industry but also reveals its undercurrent. Whether readers surf or deep dive in the book, they will experience an ocean of engaging writing about Korean filmmaking.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this entrancing debut chronicle, film historian Meiresonne charts the evolution of Korean cinema against the country's transformation into a democracy. In the early 1900s, Korean theaters mostly showed European and American films and employed byeonsa (narrators) who stood near the screen to translate intertitles and explain cultural nuances. Japan's colonization of the Korean peninsula loomed large over the country's early films, Meiresonne contends, discussing how the blockbuster success of 1926's Arirang, which follows a Korean protestor driven mad by his Japanese torturers, sparked a nationalist strain in early Korean film. The Korean War spurred a wave of melodramas--whose popularity, Meiresonne suggests, stemmed from their ability to capture audiences' "extreme sense of helplessness in a ravaged country"--as well as a series of dictatorships that banned any movie "likely to tarnish Korea's image abroad," effectively stamping out realist films. Elsewhere, Meiresonne discusses how independent movies tackled such formerly taboo topics as the Korean War after the country's democratization in the late 1980s, and how such films as Parasite garnered worldwide interest in Hallyuwood (a portmanteau of hallyu, a term for the growing prominence of Korean pop culture, and Hollywood) in the 2010s. Meiresonne seamlessly weaves film and political history into a riveting account of how Korean cinema alternatively capitulated to and challenged autocracy before growing into an internationally celebrated cultural export. Enriched by generous movie stills, this is a must for cinephiles. Photos. (Jan.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
K-movies are riding the Korean wave, and this account shows how the peak was reached. There was a great deal of surprise when the Korean filmParasite won Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars, but, says Meiresonne, there shouldn't have been. He explains that the Korean film industry has a long history, with many successes and setbacks. An Asian cinema specialist, he is well placed to tell the story, and a large part of this book examines the development of the form in Korea. It has not been an easy ride, with the industry often caught up in the country's turbulent politics. The long Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945) restricted the types of films that could be made. After the Korean War, the focus was on the domestic market, and many excellent productions emerged, with talented directors seeking to tell the national story. Some aspects of Korean culture did not play well in foreign countries, and it was not until the 2000s and the rise of thehallyu ("Korean Wave") that directors found the right formula. Movies likeOldboy,The Handmaiden,Train to Busan (and its sequelPeninsula), and the historical blockbusterThe Admiral: Roaring Currents won a global audience. Meiresonne has a good time tracking all this, but there are some surprising gaps in the narrative. The section on sci-fi movies--a big part of the modern industry--is disappointingly small. Nevertheless, Meiresonne offers some interesting insights into the future, discussing collaborative projects and the growing role of streaming. The book includes plenty of movie stills, posters, and photographs that help make it an entertaining, informative read. A handsome compendium on the rise of Korean cinema. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
