100+1 Essential Korean Movies Features Lists

100+1 Essential South Korean Movies Everyone Should Watch

South , and particularly the mainstream part, has been developing at an uncanny pace since the beginning of the New Wave, which started during the last years of the 90s, and resulted in the renewed interest of local audiences for local movies. “Shiri” (1999) kickstarted the phenomenon by becoming the first film in South Korean history to sell more than two million tickets in Seoul alone. The success continued with a number of other blockbusters while by the 2000s, and particularly after “Oldboy”, the country's cinema started to attract significant international attention. The “trend” continued during the next years, and currently, S. Korean film industry is considered among the top in the world, with directors that have shot movies in Hollywood (Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho) actors that have become international stars (Bae Doona, Lee Byung-hun) and awards from most of the top festivals in the world (Lee Chan-dong for “Burning” and Bong Joon-ho for “Parasite”)

However, in terms of inspiration and actual context, the roots of this trend can be traced in the 80s, when the end of the long period of dictatorship resulted in the release of almost two decades of compressed creativity, in another surge that continued until the beginning of the 90s.

Further back, the Golden Age of S. Korean cinema is placed between 1955 and 1972, when a number of films that are considered still among the best (“The Housemaid”, “Aimless Bullet”) were released.

With all that in mind, and on the occasion of the anniversary of 100 years of Korean cinema, we decided to list 100+1 S. Korean films that we believe are among the most notable the local industry has ever produced.

Thankfully, the Korean Film Archive has given us the opportunity to watch a number of films that were produced before the New Wave, dating back to the 1930, thus expanding our view of Korean cinema quite significantly. Unfortunately, we have not managed to watch movies that were produced before the split, and thus, this list is by no means complete regarding the whole history of Korean cinema. Furthermore, 101 is not an adequate number to present every noteworthy film since the 50s and thus, a number of excellent productions were not included (we will not tell you which).

In our effort, we included films not only for their sheer cinematic quality but also for their significance, while a number of titles were included just because we like them (they call it personal taste, I think). At some degree, we also tried to have diversity in the selection, both in terms of directors and context.

Without further ado, here are 101 films that we believe every cinephile should watch.

1. Hand of Destiny (Han Hyeong-mo, 1954)

One of the most interesting features in “The Hand of Destiny” is perhaps how the idea of identity unfolds within the narrative. Whereas the first part progresses like a somewhat corny romance, the revelation of the characters' true identities, their motives and essentially the conflict as a result of that, also comes as quite a surprise to the viewer. Similar to works from film noir, the notion that people and the world are not what they seem to be constitutes the foundation of Kim Seong-min's script. Security turn into paranoia, fear and uncertainty as the real instances of power and influence, symbolized by the recurring image of the hand of Jung-ae's superior, who is never seen in full until the very last moments of the film, are uncovered. (Rouven Linnarz)

2. Piagol (Lee Kang-cheon, 1955)

The public and the authorities may have criticized the film for the humanization of the North Korean partisans, but seen in retrospective, the film is anything but pro-communist. The members of the band are portrayed as filled with faults, both as human beings and as soldiers. The love triangle (and the addition of So-joo) is probably the harshest element in that regard, particularly since General Agari is presented as a true satyr, a man who uses his authority to have sex, with the fact that he is eventually turned down by Cheol-soo being another “nail in his coffin”. Agari is actually the main source of anti-communist propaganda, since he is portrayed as overly proud, cruel, completely unforgiving, having almost no control over his troops apart from when he kills them, and in essence of being the only one who does not understand the situation. The fact that Ae-ran is portrayed as smarter, more down-to-earth and in essence more loyal, could also be perceived as a kind of mocking towards him. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

3. Madame Freedom (Han Hyung-mo, 1956)

The cinematic innovations found in “Madame Freedom” test not just ethical, but filmic propriety to the extremes. The first on-screen kiss of Korean cinema, for example, is by no means chaste. The camera swoops in on Han Hyeong-mo's custom crane, ready to capture Madame Oh's desperate intimacy up-close. After an hour and a half seeping in desire, even the act of adultery is more condoned than condemned. Indeed, like the network of taboo romance that eventually ensnares Madame Oh, each disloyal scene draws the viewer deeper into cahoots with her. In a twisted way, the film draws the viewer to cheer her blatant infidelity on. With this much emotional labor demanded from the viewer, it's little wonder that this film claims the title as the “Mother of K-Drama.” (Grace Han)

4. The Flower in Hell (Shin Sang-ok, 1958)

So despite the rather questionable buildup in places, “The Flower in Hell” is potent and mostly progressive early South Korean cinema that manages respectably level-headed examination of the society's outcasts. Furthermore, it serves as a fascinating progenitor of the genre-meshing trends that the industry would become known for worldwide today. (Wally Adams)

5. The Housemaid (Kim Ki-young, 1960)

Ultimately, “The Housemaid's” grotesque and disturbing (if not far-fetched and conservative) plot provides a fascinating context to Bong's “Parasite”, illustrating several concepts that would be later developed in the Oscar-winning project. It is a piece of haunting domestic drama which, shockingly, was based on a real-life story Kim read in the newspaper. (Olek Mlynski)

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6. Aimless Bullet (Yu Hyun-mok, 1961)

In the end, it doesn't matter whether you agree “Aimless Bullet” is the best Korean film ever. Nor it matters that in the time of its initial release, it flopped. It fully deserves its place among the classic masterpieces, simply because it is a great film. (Anomalily)

7. The Seashore Village (Kim Soo-yong, 1965)

In a filmography that spans nearly half a century, “The Seashore Village” remains one of Kim Soo-yong's finest and most successful features. A film fully deserving of both the “classic” and “masterpiece” monikers bestowed upon it, it should be essential viewing for someone with an interest in Korean cinema. It would, however, be interesting to see how certain elements of the film are perceived and received in the post-#metoo world today, specifically Sang-soo's pursuit of Hae-soon's affection. (Rhythm Zaveri)

8. The General's Mustache (Lee Song-gu, 1966)

“The General's Mustache” is a great film, that works both at an entertainment level through its crime-drama, sensualism, noir and melodramatic elements, and a contextual one, through its existential and sociopolitical comments. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

9. Early Rain (Jung Jin-woo, 1966)

In conclusion, “Early Rain” is a blend of drama and romance. While perhaps influenced by Hollywood movies, Jeong Jin-woo manages to direct a movie indicative of a crisis in identity for a young generation set on leading a different life than their parents, but held back by issues like reputation and materialism. (Rouven Linnarz)

10. A Water Mill (Lee Man-hee, 1966)

Despite the permeating sense of surrealism with elements of the supernatural that permeates the film, Lee Man-hee-I actually directs a rather harsh parable that unveils in two axes. The first and most obvious one revolves around love, but in this case, in order to highlight the blights of obsession and the destruction that female beauty can cause to a man, with Boon-i functioning as the femme fatale (although not a purposeful one, at least for the majority of the film) and Bang-won as the victim. The way that a strong, moral, but in essence innocent and fool man embarks on a non-stop downward spiral due to love is the narrative's most impressive aspect, with Shin Young-kyun giving a wonderful one-man show as Boon-i, with his performance actually carrying the whole film. On the other hand, Ko Eun-ah-I as Boon-i has a more minor role, as she exemplifies her beauty more than her acting. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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