If you’ve kept up even casuÂalÂly interÂnaÂtionÂal viewÂing habits over the past fifÂteen years, you’ve watched a KoreÂan movie or two. Maybe you’ve enjoyed the unusuÂal tonal mixÂture of Bong Joon-ho’s politÂiÂcal satire/monster extravÂaÂganÂza The Host, the elabÂoÂrate grotesqueÂness of Park Chan-wook’s revenge thriller OldÂboy, or the slick HolÂlyÂwood pasÂtiche of Kang Je-gyu’s North-verÂsus-South heap of spy-verÂsus-spy action Shiri. But look just beyond those high-proÂfile interÂnaÂtionÂal KoreÂan blockÂbusters and you’ll find the most vibrant, advenÂturÂous cinÂeÂmatÂic culÂture active today.
Upon disÂcovÂerÂing it, I perÂsonÂalÂly got excitÂed enough to move to a KoreÂan neighÂborÂhood, study the KoreÂan lanÂguage, and dig deep for knowlÂedge about the KoreÂan filmÂmakÂers whose names even cinephiles rarely bring up outÂside Asia. You’ll find it rather easÂiÂer to immerse yourÂself, now that the KoreÂan Film Archive has come to Youtube. (NOTE: To actiÂvate EngÂlish subÂtiÂtles, make sure to hit the “CC” butÂton on the lowÂer right of the playÂer.)
The Archive has uploaded many a notable film, includÂing Im Kwon-taek’s SopyÂonÂje, which surÂprised the counÂtry by both rekinÂdling interÂest in the traÂdiÂtionÂal music of panÂsori and by breakÂing box-office records despite playÂing on only three screens. The KoreÂan Film Archive offers three more films by Im, one of KoreÂan cinÂeÂma’s most respectÂed elder statesÂmen, and nine othÂer films from the nineties. You can also watch selecÂtions from the eightÂies, sevÂenÂties, sixÂties, fifties and forÂties, as well as sevÂerÂal from othÂer KoreÂan auteurs like the transÂgresÂsive Kim Ki-young and the proÂlifÂic Shin Sang-ok. It parÂticÂuÂlarÂly thrilled me to find The Day the Pig Fell Into a Well, the very first picÂture from Hong SangÂsoo, a direcÂtor acclaimed by critÂics worldÂwide as a comedic forÂmal experÂiÂmenter, in essence KoreÂa’s Woody Allen. If you don’t know quite what to feel thrilled by here, read KoreÂan film speÂcialÂist DarÂcy PaqueÂt’s “Short HisÂtoÂry of KoreÂan Film,” then lisÂten to my interÂview with him about his book KoreÂan CinÂeÂma: BreakÂing the Waves. If you love film, you’ll cerÂtainÂly find films to love from Korea.
AccordÂing to Google, which helped put the colÂlecÂtion on YouTube, there are some othÂer highÂlights you won’t want to miss. They include A HomeÂtown in Heart, made in the earÂly years of KoreÂan IndeÂpenÂdence, and also A CoachÂman, the first KoreÂan film to win awards interÂnaÂtionÂalÂly. Many othÂer titles like AimÂless BulÂlet and The BareÂfootÂed Young are availÂable in HD.
The films menÂtioned above will be listÂed in our colÂlecÂtion, 4,000+ Free Movies Online: Great ClasÂsics, Indies, Noir, WestÂerns, DocÂuÂmenÂtaries & More.
ColÂin MarÂshall hosts and proÂduces NoteÂbook on Cities and CulÂture and writes essays on litÂerÂaÂture, film, cities, Asia, and aesÂthetÂics. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall.
KoreÂan films, and why i find them to be a litÂtle over draÂmatÂic ? from the ear of a passÂer by you would think this man, or woman was being killed ? But when you look closÂer their are just upset about what to wear. The actÂing is a bit overÂboard, But this is only my opinÂion, i’m no t.v. expert. just a guy with a KoreÂan girlÂfriend who like’s to watch the KoreÂan soap’s.
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I’ve watched about 50 KoreÂan films (about the same numÂber of JapanÂese ones, plus 100 or so Hong Kong films) LOL I can find all these films where I watch KDraÂmas (or KoreÂan TV shows — most are NOT soaps, you know) & othÂer Asian TV. Still this is a great thing. I love Asian films, & many of the KoreÂan ones are fabÂuÂlous. Rather than overÂly draÂmatÂic, I find AMERICAN films to be UNDER draÂmatÂic — as in, oh my brothÂer died, too bad so sad, let’s move on…
The westÂernÂers are not so hysÂterÂiÂcal a race
except when they win on game shows:)
It’s just a culÂturÂal difÂferÂence.
i only see 2
Love all AsĂan Movies,Doramas.It is great when they are not influÂenced by Occident.Some ir them start to look like HolÂlyÂwood and it kills the freshÂness of their authenticity.Wisdom is what’s overÂflows when they are not conÂtÂaÂmÂiÂnantes with othÂer culÂtures.
I would love to watch KoreÂan movies by way of your webÂsite.
very good movies webÂsite inforÂmaÂtive links.www.openculture.com
Agreed
I love Asian cinÂeÂma. Watched over 200 movies and over 700 draÂmas in about 10 years, most of which are KoreÂan.
i will film makÂer so,i learn top koreÂan movie send me please