Introduction
After the end of the Pacific War, the South Korean president made an effort to encourage the film industry, which marked the beginning of the golden period of Korean cinema.
The Golden Age of Korean Cinema
The film business was regulated and the creative space was constrained throughout the course of the following ten years by a new government. The liberation era and the war era of filmmaking came before the golden age, which began in the 1950s and lasted until the 1960s.
The War Era
Between 1950 and 1953, a period known as the war era saw the production of around 14 movies. This essay will highlight the golden age of Korean cinema and establish some of the main themes, filmmakers and notable films that were produced during the time. Besides, the role of the government and its effect in the development of the Korean cinema will be discussed.
President Syngman Rhee's Efforts
President Syngman Rhee made attempts to rejuvenate the film industry in 1953 through tax exemption. The renaissance that had begun earlier during the end of the war was being advanced by the remaking of the Chunhyang-Jeon in 1955 by renowned director Lee Kyu-hwan.
The Rise of Director Kim Ki-young
Upon the release into the cinemas, it is estimated that 10% of the population of Seoul had seen it in the first 2 months. The percentage represented more than 200,000 of the city residents thronging into the cinemas to view the film. The successes of this film prompted the release of another film from director Kim Ki-young called Yang san province in the same year. The cinema acted as the beginning of a highly productive career for the director that only ended on death in 1998.
The Restrictive Government Policies
It is critical to note that it is during this period that the surge of the most talented directors was noticed. This uprising coincided with the time when the industry was benefiting from unmatched growth in receipts from box office. The industry experienced a period of non-censorship freedom between 1961 and 1962. However, the freedom was curtailed with the assumption into power of President Park Chung Hee who oversaw the increase of the control of the industry by the government.
The Motion Picture Law
With the institution of the Motion Picture Law (1963), highly restrictive measures were passed including the limiting of the number of movies that could be created and imported using a quota system. Indeed, within one year, the number of companies producing films stood at 16 from the 71 that were operational before the law. The censorship focused on checking for hints of obscenity and pro-communism which ultimately was detrimental to the industry.
The Impact on Creativity
The persons that could not manage to register their companies borrowed the names of other producers to either make films or import at very exorbitant rates. While the industry saw continued growth and production of quality films, it is without any doubt that such prohibitive policies would negatively impact the creativity of the industry. The audience that was devoted to cinema attendance was critical in sustaining the industry during this period. The Grand Bell Awards, established in 1962, is one such outcome of the period that remains prestigious to the modern day.
Notable Filmmakers and Films
Kim Ki-young
Regarded as one of the original directors to have come out of Korea, Kim Ki-young released one of the most famous productions, The Housemaid in 1960. The movie tells of a manipulative house help that is focused on seducing her master. The film does contradict the regulations of contemporary cinema in such magnitudes that the heroine of the film destroys the Confucian order of the family. One characteristic that is repeated in many of the films from Kim is the yielding of excessive power by the women to the extent that they can be considered a threat to the males.
Yu Hyun-monk
Another important figure to come out during the golden age is director Yu Hyun-monk. The director received attention with his 1961 film Obaltan which means "Aimless Bullet." The film uses a combination of social issues and Italian Neorealism themes to demonstrate the pain and desolation that were brought about the war and the development of Industrial Korea. Making use of expressionist visuals and sound, the film is considered to the most intellectual of this era. However, its highest value lies in its focus on the pain of the common and marginalized members of society.
Shin Sang-ok
The golden age also saw the rise of Shin Sang-ok and his establishment as a significant talent with the production of movies like A Flower in Hell released in 1958. This film was followed by the production of perhaps his most famous movie; the 1961 The Houseguest and My Mother. This movie is a story told through a young girl's perspective of a widow who happens to love her tenant. However, due to a strict social code, the young widow cannot express her feelings to the tenant. In the later works like The Dream (1967) Shin took up a more sensual tone and use of color. Shin was abducted alongside his wife and taken to North Korea where he worked about 8 years before moving to Hollywood. He produced The Three Ninjas and the subsequent sequels in Hollywood.
Themes and Female Empowerment
While there were a few films about the war during the golden age era, many of the greatest movies were dominated with themes of romanticism. Many of the films gave women and female characters starring roles. The intention was not to specifically appeal to the female viewers; instead it was the choice of many Koreans of the time to enjoy such movies. The "après-girl," became a common theme where the lady was portrayed as being independent, competent and a threat to the male population. As a result, they could often be punished and threatened. Such films like A Female Boss (1959), Madame Freedom (1956) produced by Han Hyung-mo, The Housemaid (1960), Lee Byung-il's The Love Marriage (1958) are just a few of the films that have highly sensualised scenes and substantive powers given to the female figures.
Influence of Politics and Society
The Korean cinema industry has been influenced to a large extent by the politics, society as well as laws and policies. In the 1950s, the Korean cinema experienced a renaissance of some sort with the production of Chungmuro. During this period, some films were themed around freedom as the country had come out of the war. However, this did not last long as the themes of romance and female power set in. The period also experienced a period of freedom from censorship before President Park assumed power and enacted the Motion Picture Law of 1963 that largely regulated the film industry. It is also during this golden age that some of the most talented producers came to be recognized with the production of outstanding films that are considered legends to the modern day.
Works Cited
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