Good Example Of Korean Movies

Korean Movies

Slide 1
Korean films feature diverse themes. They have managed to surpass even Hollywood after revising their cinematic strategies. The film industry is famous for

Political and revolutionary themes

Wars and action
Domestic government intervention
Communism
Women
Slide 2
Farewell My Concubine (1993) and Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Slide 3

The Vow below the Moon
This movie gave the chance to Lee Wolhwa as the first ever actress to play a female role on screen. Even though, this character was fictional but at least women got the chance to be a part of films’ cast. The men continued to play women roles as well.

With the time, women started to get roles in horror films and melodrama genre but gender discrimination continued.

Slide 4
Evolution in women roles
It started from playing fictional characters and gradually shifting to horror and melodramatic themes. Their main roles were related to following situations

Child birth (particularly son)

Object of desire for men
Element of seduction and romance
Wife as housemaid
Slide 5
Films with positive female characters
With the time, women were given place in film industry for playing positive roles as well. Some of the movies which came after 1980s involving “good” women are,
Spinning the Tales of Cruelty towards Women (1983)
Hanging Tree (1984)
The Surrogate Women (1984)
Windstruck (2004)

Slide 6

The Feminist Film Theory
According to Freeland “human subjects are formed through complex, significant procedures including cinema.”
Considering this in Korean films’ context, the male and females are placed differently. The men as subjects determining with mediators who drive the movie’s narrative edge while women, on the other hand, are objects of men’s desire, not to mention their lustful gazing.

The women portrayal in the film became important with time because it brings out the strengths of a man.

Slide 7
Three perspectives of The Feminist Film Theory
Mulvey provided different perspectives of this theory regarding the women. They are,
How the male character perceives the female character
How the spectators perceive the female character
Sexually objectifying the female character by men
Slide 8
Conclusion
The role of female in the Koream film industry has evolved. From the wicked and weakest characters, they are now given authoritative characters as well. They have been affectively portraying them as lawyer, senator, executive, career woman, and a working mother etc. The role of men is still dominative to an extent but the perception regarding females has improved a lot over the past few decades.