Lee Byung Hun 이병헌 Byunghun Lee

[rubie]

March 14, 2008

[THE HIGH TIDE OF THE KOREAN WAVE(22)]

Let me entertain you: The identity politics of contemporary Korean cinema

"A crisis in the Korean film industry -- the advance of foreign films." This was the essence of a 2007 report by the Korean Film Council. Is there a crisis in Korean cinema because films are losing half of their 146 screening days? Because of their weak content? Or their heavy dependence on theatrical releases?

"Crisis" seems to be the buzzword in 2008. The local industry's share of the domestic market slid from 63.8 percent to 50.8 percent in 2007. Of the 112 films screened in 2007, only 13 turned a profit. Three out of 2007's top 10 were Korean, compared to seven in 2006.

The Korean Wave is also said to be in crisis. The successive failure of Hallyu films in Japan was one of the reasons which led to the slowing of the Korean Wave. It also prevented Hallyu from reaching a broader audience.

Japan is Korea's biggest importer of films. In 2005, Japanese imports comprised 70 percent of Korean film exports. This declined to 42.4 percent in 2006 and 27.0 percent in 2007. Speculative investments and purchases relying on the ticket power of Hallyu stars generated numerous clones of Hallyu films but resulted in huge losses for the industry. The first year of the wave was astonishingly successful. But sacrificing quality for star power soon disappointed even the most ardent of Korean Wave fans. Film is the flagship of the Korean Wave. The growing concerns about the future of Korean cinema in Europe are somewhat similar. Between 2006 and 2007, film exports to Asia declined from 69.5 percent to 56.5 percent, while exports to North America decreased from 8.0 percent to 2.5 percent. In comparison, exports to Europe increased from 20 percent to 37.1 percent in the same period. However, the majority of buyers say that Korean films are not as popular any more. Only a couple of years ago, Korean films were applauded as the trendiest newcomer to the world cinema scene. So what happened?

Minor national cinema can easily disappear if it loses institutional support. At best, it can serve a limited number of art-house filmgoers through transnational cooperation and sponsorship. The success of Korean cinema is a different story. The revival of Korean cinema was possible because it entertained audiences. It started with commercial success.

Industrial instability and the necessity for structural changes had been discussed even before the amendment in the screen quota system was announced in 2006. The dramatic revival of Korean cinema was possible despite the prevailing difficult conditions at the time.

In order to provide a diagnosis on the future of Korean cinema, we need to scrutinize its current responses to the changing environment with a longer-term view. In this sense, Korean cinema is now facing new challenges which can consolidate its success in competing with the Hollywood-led global film culture.

New identity politics

The success of Korean cinema offers a new perspective on the homogenizing trends of globalization led by Western cultural commodities. Until recent years, Korea was a Hollywood-dominated market, but it has the world's seventh largest film industry.

When the government lifted sanctions on direct importation and distribution by foreign film companies in the mid-1980s, the Korean film industry seemed to be on the point of extinction owing to its vulnerability to the hostile marketing strategies of Hollywood. Despite the relentless protests of local filmmakers, United International Pictures began operations in 1987.

The domestic market share of Korean films sharply declined from 38.5 percent in 1984 to 15.9 percent in 1993. Faced with the threat of the extinction of local films, the public expressed strong support for Korean cinema. As a reaction against Americanization, the Screen Quota Civil Society was established in 1985.

Responding to popular demand, the government increased the mandated number of screening days for Korean films from 121 days to 146 days in the same year. Filmmakers justified the provision on the basis that they were creating cultural commodities to preserve and realize the collective identity of the people, in contrast to the indiscriminate operation of free and fair market principles.

The "sense of crisis" surrounding the loss of cultural identity resulted in the revival of the film industry. Accordingly, the thriving film culture in contemporary Korea is the result of cultural resistance to the power of Western-led globalization.

The rise of South Korean films in world markets, especially in East and Southeast Asia, can attest to the role of a minor national film industry in enriching the diversity and multiplicity of contemporary film practices. In the last two decades, Korean film has undergone tremendous changes in its industrial structure, thematic features, generic experiments and aesthetic attributes.

Due to these radical developments, Korean national cinema has seen a dramatic reversal of fortunes since the late 1990s. It has successfully recovered domestic popularity and vigorously penetrated overseas markets. In 2003, Korean films were exported to 56 countries including Japan, Hong Kong, China, Europe and America. The domestic market share of Korean films has also significantly increased since the late 1990s. According to a 2006 report by the Korean Film Council, Korean cinema saw record-breaking ticket sales in the domestic market -- 53.5 percent in 2003, 59.3 percent in 2004, 59.0 percent in 2005 and 63.8 percent in 2006.

The industry has constantly sought to establish an international reputation for its artistic achievements, having won awards at various international film festivals since the mid-1980s. The industry's new sensibility and creativity in representing local history and cultural traditions challenged global audiences familiar with Hollywood films. Furthermore, the film industry was the leading force in spreading Hallyu in Asia.

At the same time, Korean filmmakers have contributed to the creation of a pan-Asian film culture. Among the various international film events staged in Korea, the Pusan International Film Festival, which started in 1996, is the largest and most successful. By focusing on the discovery of works by non-mainstream national filmmakers, PIFF offers a range of new conceptual approaches to global film culture.

The remarkable growth of the Korean film industry was possible due to the democratic transition of its society. South Korea used to be known for its rapid economic development led by successive military governments (1962-1987). The economic miracle demanded the sacrifice of human rights, freedom of speech and expression. The mid-1980s democratization of South Korea ended the dark years, and filmmakers were allowed to explore the colonial/post-colonial years, and the harsh experiences of the "compressed" modernization process.

A new identity politics of Korean national cinema emerged during this revolutionary period. The film industry is no longer subject to the abuse of state power. However, it urgently needs a new identity reflecting the dynamics of social and democratic change. Audiences reject films which reiterate political apathy or cultural conservatism. In order to meet these new preferences and tastes, the new identity politics aim to change the old image of the national cinema into a more progressive paradigm.

By blending familiarity and novelty, the new identity politics express the transitional identity of contemporary Koreans. However, the reality is far more complex. Audiences still exhibit a strong preference for well-crafted Hollywood films over domestically made films. Society as yet cannot provide sufficient funding and institutional support for the filmmakers.

Furthermore, international trends in film culture can more easily undermine the national film industry because there is a vacuum left by the former protectionist government. To a certain extent, the democratization of society encourages filmmakers to involve themselves in the new identity politics in order to achieve greater industrial competitiveness and artistic excellence.

The hybridism of commercialism and artistic experimentalism is a significant factor in contemporary Korean cinema as it has successfully created its new identity politics in Asia. The creative adaptation of Hollywood dramatic conventions flavored by locality is essential to capture audiences. The filmmakers exploit history and cultural traditions to create national melodramas. The audience appears to experience more escapist pleasure in the new imaginary space, exposing resentment to the hegemonic ideologies of global powers.

In a sense, the historical and cultural intimacy presented by Korean films tends to gain a wider appeal among audiences. It achieves this through creating an emotional identification of being victimized by Western hegemonic powers by offering nostalgic romanticism, but with a richer, local flavor.

When "Shiri" (Kang Je-gyu, 1999) smashed box office records held by "Sopyonje" (Im Kwon-taek, 1993), many Korean filmmakers saw a chance to make a Korean-style blockbuster. Since the success of "Shiri," the record-breaking box-office sales of big-budget historical dramas has clearly marked this new development. The constant success of big-budget films, such as "Joint Security Area" (Park Chan-wook, 2000) and "Friend" (Kwak Kyung-taek, 2001) created a business-oriented filmmaking culture.

"Taegukgi" (Kang Je-gyu, 2004) and "Silmido" (Kang Woo-suk, 2003) ranked first and second at the box office in 2004. "The King and the Clown" (Lee Jun-ik, 2005) sold 12.7 million tickets in 2006. "The Host" (Bong Jun-ho, 2006) remains the bestselling local film ever with 13 million ticket sales -- enough for one-third of the whole population of South Korea to go and see it.

Romantic comedies fusing traditional Confucian family values and gender relations with Hollywood-style gangster films or screwball dramas -- such as "My Sassy Girl" (Kwak Jae-yong, 2001), "My Wife is a Gangster" (Jo Jin-gyu, 2001) and "Marrying the Mafia" (Jeong Heung-sun, 2002) generated the synthesis of different genres for the international bestsellers. These films will be remade in Hollywood. Selling remake rights is one of the ways that Korean filmmakers can access the American film market. "The Host" is one film whose remake rights were sold to Hollywood.

Regarding this phenomenon, the imitation of Hollywood tends to be suggested as the most effective way to challenge Hollywood's dominance in Asia and lead the successful "internationalization" of Korean national cinema. The popularity of "My Sassy Girl" in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam, and "Shiri," "JSA" and "Taegukgi" in Japan seems to support this argument. This shows an interesting contrast to Europe, the second-biggest foreign market for Korean film exports. European audiences prefer the auteur, art-house films, such as films by Kim Ki-duk, Park Chan-wook or Hong Sang-soo.

As noted above, the revival of the Korean film industry cinema is due to the success of its commercial films. However, this remarkable industrial expansion cannot shadow the accumulated achievements of the filmmakers in improving the quality of local films. Since Im Kwon-taek's "Chunhyang" was nominated for an award at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2002, Korean films have constantly received international recognition based on their artistic achievements. They include Im Kwon-taek's "Chihwaseon," which won the Best Director Award at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2003; Lee Chang-dong's "Oasis" and Kim Ki-duk's "3-Iron," which won the Special Award for Best Director at the Venice International Film Festival in 2003 and 2004 respectively; Kim Ki-duk's "Samaritan Girl," which won the Best Director Award at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival; and Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy." which won the Grand Prix of the Jury at Cannes in 2004. Significantly, these films cover a wide spectrum of genres, themes and film styles.

The various generic experiments and film styles pursued by contemporary Korean filmmakers predict an optimistic future for Korean film, indicating the presence of an alternative film culture for a global audience. However, the future of the Korean film industry is still uncertain. Increased production costs and the theatrical monopoly of a small number of "well-made" films cast serious doubts on the long-term stability and maturity of the film industry. The competition between "Silmido" and "Taegukgi" increased audience numbers and involved the most expensive budgets and marketing costs to date. "The Host" was criticized as having an unfair monopoly on distribution, clearly showing the polarization phenomenon. The spread of uncompromising commercialism pursued by overconfident investors resulted in many films being unable to attract buyers for their release and distribution.

Another warning sign is the negative growth of exports. But the regional differences varied. Whereas the decrease in exports to Asia in 2007 was due to the poor performance of commercial films, exports to Europe, which prefers art-house films, remained the same compared to previous years. Interestingly, exports to Hungary, Poland and South America -- where commercial films are more popular than art-house films -- increased.

In this sense, despite the success of Korean films in recent years, the fear remains. The world film market is still dominated by America, which maintains 85 percent of the international market and 97 percent of its own domestic market. In 2007, the Korean film industry showed the first negative growth in five years.

Film is a cultural commodity and needs to be treated differently from other consumer products. The protection of a minor local film industry is not merely a Korean issue. There are many countries maintaining similar film policies and raising serious concerns on the issue, including France, Spain and Canada. Also, there are countries which sustain a stricter protectionist policy, such as India, China, Egypt and Russia. At the same time, film is also mass entertainment.

The uncertain future of Korean cinema should be critically studied in order to help the industry reflect the everyday lives of its citizens. After all, film viewing should be a unique, cultural pleasure.

by Hyang-jin Lee (Writer's Profile)

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/

[rubie]

 

 

素顔のイ・ビョンホンinオールイン プレミアムDVDーBOX by イ・ビョンホン,ソン・ヘギョ,チソン, and パク・ソルミ (DVD - 2008)

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Source (in Japanese) at www.amazon.co.jp

[Guest celina86]

WAHH! Where's our Celina? :wub: HUG!

Such lovely, sexy banners await! Love the banners .. we're certainly in the mood for some Hunnie-love, huh.. huh. I like how the EHAS banner had turned out. Something different, well done! Mwah!

The last one.. is just precious. :blush: Indeed a DELIGHT!

---

H.. H.. hunnie ^^.. you've got to leave that poor neighbour out. What kind of garden statue he had.. was it a gargoyle, by any chance? LOL!

I know that you're practising your targets to keep our BH safe.

Aaaww thanks Rubie *Huggie* :wub:

Hehehe... that was only thing I could think of while making the last banner... he`s a special delight :blush: :blush:

[rubie]

March 10, 2008

Hollywood's remake of "Addicted" premieres in America

Addicted and Possession movie posters

Hollywood has remade the Korean movie "Addicted" into a thriller, "Possession" and will be premiering nationwide on the 28th. This is the second remake of a Korean movie following "Lake House" starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, which remade "Il Mare".

"Addicted", starring Lee Byeong-Heon and Lee Mi-yeon, premiered in 2002. It was about two brothers who experienced an accident on the same day, and the mysterious love story that follows after only the younger brother wakes up and claims that their souls have changed. The basic outline of the Hollywood remake is the same. The main female character, originally Lee Mi-yeon, will be played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, who was in "Scooby Doo" and "The Grudge".

Also, the role of the brother-in-law that earned Lee Byeong-Heon a lot of praise went to new actor Lee Pace. Simon Sandquist and Joel Bergvall are the directors. The movie has not been revealed, and a preview in America is planned for this week. A release in Korea has not been determined.

The remakes of "My Sassy Girl" and "A Tale of Two Sisters" are to be released in the fall in America.

Original article at news.media.daum.net

English translation by www.hancinema.net

[AutumnLeaves]

ROFL your neighbour chasing you with garden shears :lol: that must have been a sight to see (jokes)

Thanks for the comment, H... the 3rd and 4th are my favourite too, I`m proud how they turned out :blush:

It did look rather comical Celina, especailly since his hair was sticking upright from all the running he was doing. Spikey hair and holding garden shears... he looked a lot like Edward Scissor Hands

WAHH! Where's our Celina? :wub: HUG!

Such lovely, sexy banners await! Love the banners .. we're certainly in the mood for some Hunnie-love, huh.. huh. I like how the EHAS banner had turned out. Something different, well done! Mwah!

The last one.. is just precious. :blush: Indeed a DELIGHT!

---

H.. H.. hunnie ^^.. you've got to leave that poor neighbour out. What kind of garden statue he had.. was it a gargoyle, by any chance? LOL!

I know that you're practising your targets to keep our BH safe.

He did have a vast collection of gargoyle statues and I just managed to hit the biggest one. While he was chasing me he was shouting something about it being his most expensive too... something about having genuine ruby stones for eyes, but I was to busy hauling my butt out of there

But it was all worth it in honour of target practice to keep our Hunnie safe

[rubie]

Mentioned on K-Popped! Click on link for the full story..

14 March 2008

Hallyuwood films sweep into Hollywood

Addicted (2002) - Possession (2008)

Lee Byeong-heon’s thriller Addicted (2002) is also being remade. It will be called Possession and stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and Lee Pace.

I’ve seen the original Lee Byeong-heon/ Lee Mi-yeon version and it is good albeit a little creepy.

The story revolves around two brothers, the elder one is already married. Both brothers are involved in separate road accidents on the same day and when the younger brother regains consciousness, he mysteriously develops traits and characteristics of his elder brother! Did a soul switch occur?

The Hollywood version, Possession, is reportedly being previewed in the US in March 2008 and a quick check at IMDb.com revealed that the movie’s release date has not been announced.

Addicted review here!

http://k-popped.com/2007/08/addicted-2002.html

Source: http://k-popped.com/2008/03/hallyuwood-fil...-hollywood.html

[Guest TY_KSW]

March 10, 2008

Hollywood's remake of "Addicted" premieres in America

Also, the role of the brother-in-law that earned Lee Byeong-Heon a lot of praise went to new actor Lee Pace. Simon Sandquist and Joel Bergvall are the directors. The movie has not been revealed, and a preview in America is planned for this week. A release in Korea has not been determined.

The remakes of "My Sassy Girl" and "A Tale of Two Sisters" are to be released in the fall in America.

Original article at news.media.daum.net

English translation by www.hancinema.net

aish.. i dun know who is Lee Pace.. hope he will be famous after this movie "possession"

good! Hollywood! they have right choice to remake from Addicted!

I would do same if i were them!

[rubie]

♥ Once in a Summer movie thread ♥

nobody does it better.. by kimchibabe at LBH soompi fanclub, summer banner by Celina

i didn't realize how much i missed Lee Byung Hun until i saw the movie Once In A Summer. after a year, i finally got a copy and i saw it twice in a row and i still feel like watching it one more time. its no wonder it won as best movie in Chunsa. its a different kind of love story, light and funny at first then sad and heartbreaking towards the end. LBH chose a very good script. i liked the part where he was cute and comical and it reminded me of him in Bunjee Jumping. Su Ae was perfect in her quiet role as village librarian. her eyes, her best asset, carried her thru. the film was a journey of emotions and it travelled so fast it was soon over. the dialogues were short and crisp, the settings finely chosen, the actors blending well. two things that i cannot forget about the movie, cypress trees and fish rocks. now i'm aching to see LBH in another drama for this is where he simply is the best. no, nobody does it better and i mean nobody!

[Guest zoeve]

Hi rubie, celina, AutumnLeaves, kdramafanusa! Hi everyone!

I've missed this thread so much. Just dropping by and checking back on the pages I've missed. Hope you all are doing great!

Just want to share some thoughts too.

So there will be more Korean movies that will be remade by Hollywood. I am a little apprehensive about that news. I've seen a couple of Hollywood remakes and unfortunately it pales in comparison to the original film. Like "The Ring" and "Lake House" for example. The original Japanese movie "The Ring" was so much scarier and it was a shame on what Hollywood did to its version. More so on "The Lake House" --I absolutely loved "Il Mare" with its quiet beauty and little nuances that made you feel more for the characters. Dont get me wrong I absolutely love Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Their acting in the film was substantial but cant help but feel there should have been more. More in the sense on how the story should have been delivered. "Lake House" was stripped of the enchanting otherwordly beauty of its original and instead was left with this flashy melodramatic Hollywood film.

I havent seen "Addicted" so I suppose I have to watch it first before I watch "Possession". Then see for myself.

But I love "My Sassy Girl" and "Tale of Two Sisters" so I'm wondering how the Hollywood version will turn out.

Remakes always has the burden of matching the original's success. But the original always prove to be better. So I dunno why they even bother making remakes. In my opinion, remakes should only be done if the original is already decades old. Like "King Kong" for example.

[rubie]

Oh my.. "The Ring" scared the he** out of me although I only watched .. like.. very brief glimpses of the movie (curiosity killed the cat!). There's a gif that I unexpectedly saw from the movie and I had nightmares from it. Like.. the movie is crazy.. very scary crazy!

For me, the subtlely romantic Il Mare is simply perfect! I don't think I'll watch The Lake House at this moment despite that it had the famous Speed couple. :blush:

So there will be more Korean movies that will be remade by Hollywood. I am a little apprehensive about that news. I've seen a couple of Hollywood remakes and unfortunately it pales in comparison to the original film. Like "The Ring" and "Lake House" for example. The original Japanese movie "The Ring" was so much scarier and it was a shame on what Hollywood did to its version. More so on "The Lake House" --I absolutely loved "Il Mare" with its quiet beauty and little nuances that made you feel more for the characters. Dont get me wrong I absolutely love Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Their acting in the film was substantial but cant help but feel there should have been more. More in the sense on how the story should have been delivered. "Lake House" was stripped of the enchanting otherwordly beauty of its original and instead was left with this flashy melodramatic Hollywood film.

Remakes always has the burden of matching the original's success. But the original always prove to be better. So I dunno why they even bother making remakes. In my opinion, remakes should only be done if the original is already decades old. Like "King Kong" for example.

zoeve-hunnie.. do watch Addicted, and share with us your thoughts... would really love to hear them. But you have to watch it first, now that Possession will be out. Wouldn't it be nice if any remakes were to be screened.. the first thing they should put in the opening montage credits.. should be something like.. "Adapted from the South Korean feature film, XXXXXXXX" you know... before the names of the cast comes out. It's just too bad, most producers of the remakes would either suddenly forget about this fact and if there is a mention.. we'll need a microscope to read the very fine wordings.

You brought up a good point.. to remake old classics but clearly.. these classics would cost so much more than any new (imported and especially unknown) movies from outside of Hollywood?

ps: crunchyroll has Addicted but.. it's a censored version though. This is when and where the original beats anything else.

TY, I've also posted some thoughts at the Addiction thread about the remake.

[rubie]

Always a brother's love to lean on

Happy Together captures credited to original fan sharing

♥ Happy Together drama thread ♥

Happy Together VODS (some with Chinese-subs)

Happy Together cut 01 clip from catchafallingstar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWhnDt6mWRU

Happy Together cut 03

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdQoIEoFrBo

Happy Together cut 04

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUEVwFbI9tk

Happy Together cut 05

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zW624paKdY

Happy Together 1_2 clip from clover0101

Happy Together clip from clover0101

Happy Together - NG's & Behind the Scenes clip from sushiboiii

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-MOF3uUZsg

[Guest zoeve]

^^

It should be a practice that the original is mentioned in the credits of the remake. There was a reference to "Il Mare" in "Lake House" because the restaurant wherein Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves supposed to meet is named "Il Mare". I havent really checked out the credits of the movie but when synopsis or reviews of the movie was released there was no mention of "Il Mare" the movie as a reference.

I will give "Addicted" a try, rubie. Dont worry. I plan to watch it sometime soon since I've read so much about it. I'm sure LBH will be amazing and I will definitely share my thought on the movie.

[Guest jicks]

Hello! Long time no post!

I had heard about Possession but didn't realise it's been made so quickly!! Sarah Michelle Gellar is turning into the Asian movie remake queen lol

To reiterate/clear things up:

The motion picture Il Mare was clearly acknowledged in the opening credits of The Lakehouse but its country of origin wasn't mentioned there. My friend thought it must've been some Italian or French movie lol (of course I informed her!)

Anyways, it seems clearly Hollywood are impressed by all things Lee Byung Hun! Just as well cos we certainly are XD

PS- love the Happy Together caps~~!

[rubie]

Hello! Long time no post!

I had heard about Possession but didn't realise it's been made so quickly!! Sarah Michelle Gellar is turning into the Asian movie remake queen lol

To reiterate/clear things up:

The motion picture Il Mare was clearly acknowledged in the opening credits of The Lakehouse but its country of origin wasn't mentioned there. My friend thought it must've been some Italian or French movie lol (of course I informed her!)

Hi jicks! Always love your "hellos"

Thanks for the Il Mare clarification.. but it's always like that huh.. nothing is ever complete.. as if.. it's not that important to mention the origin of the movie?!? I just hope that Addicted would be given its due credits by Possession. Btw, I sure agree that SMG is becoming the queen of Asian remakes. She has just signed on to another (Asian) remake!

Anyways, it seems clearly Hollywood are impressed by all things Lee Byung Hun! Just as well cos we certainly are XD

PS- love the Happy Together caps~~!

Indeed.. indeed.. from JSA to Addicted.. to A Bittersweet Life! And coming soon, ICWTR (although it's not entirely Hollywood-made) and GI Joe, of course.

Hope our dear Hunnie is doing well in LA. Despite his Asian status.. he's definitely .. like.. starting all over in Hollywood.. like from scratch. WONDER HOW IS HE? Absolutely.. absolutely.. absolutely missing our Byunghun-ssi.

The more time passed, the more I love Happy Together (it's the family thing ^^).. JJH and BH clicked very well in the siblings' role. And there's this unspoken closeness.. between them.. even though they had other brother and sisters, these two.. are just 'quite identical'. aWww.. I love Happy Together.. like chula.. just looking at the caps/clips.. makes me want to watch it again. :blush:

[Guest TY_KSW]

It's good to hear Hollywood film makers remaking some projects from Asian's especially from Korean's.. m not surprised to hear Hunnie's Addicted 's re-version... That is one of the best film i have ever watched.. I have the original dvd collection...

Speaking of Hunnie, all pandas are missing him... n clueless to where is he now...

I just hope Hunnie to hide somewhere calm n peace to relax.. He spent toooo much energy this year into 3 big projects... Hhahhah! 3 baddie roles hahahhah!

[rubie]

March 14, 2008

Hero

Posted by luna6

Name : Hero

Release Date : September 8, 2007

Country : Japan

Director : Masayuki Suzuki

Starring : Takuya Kimura, Takako Matsu

“Hero” is based off the immensely popular 2001 Fuji television show of the same name. Back in 2001, the television “Hero” garnered ratings in excess of 30%, an unheard of number at the time. After watching the movie “Hero” I can certainly understand why the television was such a hit in its native Japan. Simply put the star studded cast of “Hero” makes watching the movie a whole lot of fun to watch, even with its run-of-the-mill script.

For the movie version of “Hero”, eccentric District Attorney Kuryu (Takuya Kimura) returns to Tokyo after a six year absence. Dressed in tattered denim jeans and hooded sweatshirts, you would never guess Kuryu is an attorney. His assistant Maiko Amamiya (Takako Matsu) still works at the D.A.’s office and is ready to help Kuryu. Before Kuryu has time to settle in, his boss assigns Kuryu a new case. The case formerly belonged to Shibayama (Hiroshi Abe), but because of Shibayama’s divorce proceedings, his boss would rather have Kuryu handle the case.

At first the case seems fairly straight forward. The defendant, Keiseke Umebayashi, appears to be a hot-tempered young man who beat up another man in a fit of rage resulting in the other person’s unintentional death. They also have Umebayashi’s confession and an an eye witness to the fight. Case shut right? Not quite.

When Kuryu arrives in court a red flag immediately goes off. Kuryu notices that Umebayshi has one of the most renown “not-guilty” attorneys in all of Japan, named Gamo (Koshiro Matsumoto - Takako Matsu’s real life father), as his personal attorney. Kuryu and his staff are stumped on how a low level street kid could retain such an elite lawyer like Gamo. Furthermore, it doesn’t take Gamo long to refute all the seemingly clear cut evidence brought forth by the D.A.’s office. Kuryu and his staff must now work furiously to uncover the mystery behind Umebayshi and his elite connections.

The hows and whys behind the Umebayshi case is unveiled without much thrills, but rather in a light hearted manner staying true to its television lineage. The movie also makes a side trip to Busan, South Korea and features a cameo appearance by popular South Korean actor Byung-hun Lee, but don’t watch “Hero” for this reason alone. Kuryu and and Amamiya are in South Korea for only 15 minutes of the movie runtime and Byung-hun Lee appears in two scenes that lasts no longer than a minute combined. (Nice way for Byung-hun Lee to pick up a paycheck, but not so nice for the fans that wanted more from the Korean connection). Furthermore, the filming locations chosen for the backdrop of their Korean trip was lousy, never revealing any of the charm found in the port city of Busan. The best thing about their 15 minute escapade to Korea was to hear Takako Matsu recite a few Korean lines in a charmingly broken manner. (as I've mentioned in my comment at Lunapark6, LBH was not paid for his pro bono appearance in Hero but he might be allocated some reward after the very successful run & top box-office record that the movie had in Japan especially)

As stated earlier, the storyline found in “Hero” is strictly marginal stuff, which would normally kill most movies. But “Hero” isn’t your normal movie and like the Umebayashi character himself, the movie holds some very elite connections. The cast of “Hero” does wonders to make something so remedial into a charming affair. The chemistry between Takuya Kimura and Takako Matsu seems real and their relationship turns out to be the true drawing card for the film. The impressive supporting cast (Hiroshi Abe, Teruyuki Kagawa, Fumiyo Kohinata, Ittoku Kishibe, Haruka Ayase) collectively give the movie a feel good ensemble cast type of feel, something like “The Wow-Choten Hotel” but with a weaker script. “Hero” is mostly a lightweight shtick, but works anyways because of its charming performers.

Credits to lunapark6.com

[silvermine]

Being a LBH fan it goes without saying I liked Addicted.

I saw it a while back and perhaps it is time to see it again. I seem to remember that it was not an easy film to get immersed in perhaps because of the subject matter of the film. But I remember all the actors were great in the film especially our very own - he is in his element here - all these various emotions to carry out perfectly - passion, envy, love, insecurity, sibling ties, guilt, rationalization, acceptance & of course addiction - he is an essay come to life.

[rubie]

I saw it a while back and perhaps it is time to see it again. I seem to remember that it was not an easy film to get immersed in perhaps because of the subject matter of the film. But I remember all the actors were great in the film especially our very own - he is in his element here - all these various emotions to carry out perfectly - passion, envy, love, insecurity, sibling ties, guilt, rationalization, acceptance & of course addiction - he is an essay come to life.

BH is indeed an essay comes to life, always a true & realist portrayal to what he believes in.. to deliver in any performance he promises.

Well-said, silvermine.. always so good to see you posting and sharing your thoughts.

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This is just a rough list on what we could do as a group at the thread while basking in the lull of non-existant Hunnie news :blush:

Please take note of the items listed, ok? Any thoughts, any ideas, any suggestions, any objections, anything.. please share with us. At the thread or via PM, whichever preferable.

Interested in joining these.. all are most welcomed! ^^

1 - Ideas on what to get for LBH's birthday in July 2008. This may seem too early but the days will move so fast. (quite our priority ^^)

2 - Banners for GBW/ICWTR movie releases - still have to wait for some good caps but never to early to start on something.

3 - Anyone interested or with ideas and sources to start a subtitling project for BH past work e.g. 'Fragrance of Love' as voiced out by silvermine a few days ago.

4 - Drama & movie banners for the compilation that's currently in progress :blush:

5 - BH clips & vods compilation mini-project

6 - BH CFs compilation mini-project

7 - ideas to improve the LBH soompi fanclub and Byunghun of our Hearts' news blog

8 - anything anyone would like to comment.. feedbacks would be nice..

[rubie]

A double BEAUTIFUL DAYS' treat ♥ Happy 7th Anniversary & 100pages BD-soompi.com

Our Charming Lee Byung-hun, One & Only

"I once told the scriptwriter to refrain from scripting my character to perfection. A drama centered around a love affair is so run-of-the-mill and the dramatic scenes merely helps to garner high ratings. The ultimate reason for a viewer to follow the show to the end is the perfect leads."

Although it has an ordinary storyline, "Beautiful Days" has became an obsession for many female viewers. The arranged love triangle among the characters played by Lee Byung-hun, Choi Ji-woo and Ryu Si-won reflects the popularity of each of the cast. Lee Byung-hun's portrayal of the handsome and suave Lee Min-chul who has his heart set on Choi Ji-woo's character has won him the hearts of many female fans.

The role of Lee Min-chul was originally meant for another actor but after a meeting by the SBS management team, it was unanimously agreed that the role be given to Lee Byung-hun. As such, the scriptwriter had to modify the role several times to better suit Lee Byung-hun. This was also the reason for emphasising the importance of Lee's role in the love triangle with Choi Ji-woo and Ryu Si-won.

"My role encases a great amount of charisma, it extends even to the decisive style that is clearly visible even in the speech, as such, I faced great pressure initially. I told the scriptwriter not to create a character that embodies only the good qualities. I'm glad that even Min-chul's speech and gestures differs as the story progresses. Such changes reflects the gentleness in him that has arised because of his attitude towards love."

The acceptance of Lee Min-chul by many female viewers could be due to the absence of such men in reality. Such attention was extended to his tinted hair and fringe, his impeccable dress style of black suits, red and blue-shaded ties and his white dress-shirts. All these further enhances the character.

With the success of "Beautiful Days", Lee Byung-hun naturally became the most interviewed artiste. However, wanting to retain the air of mystery as an artiste, he was only willing to answer questions pertaining to his career. As he has been slated to attend a film awards event this fall, we wonder about the air of mystery that we will sense through the camera lens.

Gratitude to beaudays.tripod.com & miuchinyu.exblog.jp

More to read at the fanclub ♥

[rubie]

There are 2 articles quoted at LBH media pages today that might or might not be BH news at all. The one with Mr. Ahn Sung Ki relates to something about SBS' Beautiful Days (I think ?) while the other with Lee Beom Soo.. I have no idea unfortunately.. :blush:

Wonder if there's actually.. anything about BH to be shared..

Articles (in Korean)

http://isplus.joins.com/enter/star/200803/...0002010401.html

http://isplus.joins.com/enter/star/200803/...0002010401.html

--- With the very successful small-budgeted movies topping the Jan-March 2008 box-office, must say that it's getting quite a bit of nerve-wrecking waiting for the GBW verdict

Copied from koreanfilm.org, credits to Darcy Paquet

The year 2008 started with the industry still reeling from a very tough 2007. Nonetheless there was some good news early on, with two unexpected hits in January and February: Lim Soon-rye's handball drama Forever the Moment, which sold over 4 million tickets, and the low-profile thriller The Chaser, which thanks to strong word of mouth was well on its way to selling even more tickets. At the same time, Night and Day, the eighth film by Hong Sangsoo, was invited to screen in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it was roundly praised by some critics, and criticized as being too long by others. Bad news awaited the film on its commercial release in Korea, though, with shockingly low box office returns.

Looking ahead, the year will see new films from several established names. Kim Jee-woon returns with his ambitious spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad, the Weird, scheduled for a July release, and Park Chan-wook's long-awaited vampire movie Thirst may be ready in time for December. Lee Yoon-ki of This Charming Girl fame will shoot a new film with acclaimed actress Jeon Do-yeon, and rising director Yu Ha is shooting an ambitious period film about a gay love triangle involving royalty (sound familiar?). Meanwhile Lee Joon-ik, director of King and the Clown, has a big-budget release lined up for summer in Sunny, about a woman who travels to Vietnam in the 1970s as a singer to entertain Korean troops fighting in the war. (written on Mar. 10)

Source: http://koreanfilm.org/kfilm08.html