Hi im currently doing an A2 Media Course at college on Korean Cinema and would appreciate if anyone could help me out in my research. I'd like to know people's views on Western Audiences response to Korean Films? Does a knowledge of Korean history and culture generate a greater meaning & understanding of Korean Films? (Any comments would be greatly appreciated, thanks)

Doesn't it depend what the films all about though?
I mean if it was a historical film then yes,surely a knowledge of korean history and culture would generate a greater understanding of the film but if it wasn't then surely not?
I have seen a few Korean films (I know nothing about Korea,I'm a Japan person myself.Absolutely love it lol) and I've found they're all just as good as English/American/Whatever films and as easy to understand.


(Watch Old Boy-It's korean and great )

I think there is some very interesting stuff coming out of Korea at the moment, stuff like Oldboy, Infernal Affairs, Memories Of Murder, and The Host.

I think as the world gets smaller due to cheaper air travel, and the increased integration of cultures, people from the West are more receptive to what they once would have percieved as simply 'foreign films'.

However, it's not all good news - I still know a lot of people that will just not entertain the idea of watching a subtitled film, and the media and publicity people are still unsure as to how they market these films to a mass audience.

Having watched the excellent The Host recently (the R3 version on dvd),I was horrified to see UK magazine adverts for it describing it as 'Jaws meets Jurassic Park', with lurid artwork to match, and calling it a monster movie - which although it has some elements of that genre, it is patently not just a monster movie.

I agree Alan, the Host was more about the family than the monster but was still a great movie.

Thanks alot for your replies! really aprreciate it. Was getting worried that no one would reply.
If anyone has any more to say about the matter i would greatly appreciate it!

P.S Ive seen Oldboy and Memories of Murder, thought they were great. They are my close study films for my course at college, along with Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and Shiri.

I'm not sure if Western audiences are entirely receptive to asian cinema just yet. It is definiely growing though - just look at the posts on this forum.
However, hollywood still seems intent on remaking asian films in general where they feel would be palatable for a western audience, rather than marketing the asian original. A lot of the more popular asian cimema at the moment are in the horror and thriller genre and wouldn't require a whole lot of cultural knowledge to enjoy the film in it's original form.
In general remaking these films lead to an inferior film (the departed, Ring etc). It's kind of a catch 22 situation - people need to get used to watching asian films with subtitles, but won't be allowed to watch them until they are ready to watch them.

korean films are leading the way in film exploring they seem to take an everyday film and put twists in it if u know what i mean.

I mean oldboy is a groundbreaking film with a superb story, i maen gets imprisoned for 15 years gets released and has to find who did it to him in 5 days.

just genious.

I ahve seen brotherhood an all thats a good war film