After five weeks on the top of the charts,... it looks like ODE TO MY FATHER will finally
make way for a new film this weekend.
Following a long line of Korean gangster films,...
GANGNAM BLUES, starring Lee Min-ho, opened this week in theaters.
Our film critic Pierce Conran is here to tell us about the film,.. and to fill us in on
the history of the gangster genre in Korea.
Welcome Pierce.
So, what can you tell us about this new entry to the Korean gangster genre?
GANGNAM BLUES, called GANGNAM 1970 in Korean, is a return to gangster films for director
Yoo Ha, who previously made A DIRTY CARNIVAL in 2006, considered one of the very best Korean
gangster films.
Set in the 1970s, this new work deals with two friends who become separated, each ending
up in different gangs during a period when mobsters and politicians got into skirmishes
as they were buying up farmland in the area which would later become today′s world-famous
Gangnam district.
It stars Lee Min-ho, an enormously popular star from TV shows such as CITY HUNTER and
THE HEIRS.
It′s his first leading role in a film, and he′s joined by KIM Rae-won of SUNFLOWER.
Quite an interesting premise Do you think it will do well in Korea?
It′s off to a good start, after attracting 300,000 viewers in its first two days and
I imagine that the presence of Lee Min-ho alone will send a lot of people its way, at
least initially.
Gangster films also have a history of success, particularly in the last few years, and with
the period setting, rife with political context, it could also draw an older audience than
usual.
That said, the film is dark and quite ambitious and I′m not entirely sure how word of mouth
will pan out.
It′ll surely do well but we′ll have to see if it has what it takes to break out and
become a real hit.
How you seen it yet?
How did you feel about the film?
I had very high expectations as I love A DIRTY CARNIVAL, not to mention gangster films, and
I′m glad to say I wasn′t disappointed.
It′s ambitious and has a fascinating backdrop but it′s also
filled with all the fun that comes with the gangster genre.
It′s also one of the most beautifully made Korean
films I′ve ever seen, with stunning period detail and luminous photography.
I also have to mention the terrific soundtrack, filled with evocative 70s Korean music, which
gives the movie a lot of character.
It′s certainly on the long side and not without its faults, but GANGNAM BLUES is top-drawer
entertainment, epic and intimate in equal measure, matching it soaring ambition with
impeccable craft and a
poetic sensibility.
So what can you tell us about the history of gangster films in Korea?
Without going into any great detail, the country has a long history of gangster cinema, particularly
from the 70s onwards.
The legendary Im Kwon-taek made the GENERAL′S SON trilogy in the early 90s, two of which
topped the yearly charts.
1997, just before the modern Korean film era kicked off, was also a big year, yielding
BEAT, NO.
3 and GREEN