HALLYUWOOD

K-movies are riding the Korean wave, and this account shows how the peak was reached.

There was a great deal of surprise when the Korean film Parasite won Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars, but, says Meiresonne, there shouldn’t have been. He explains that the Korean film industry has a long history, with many successes and setbacks. An Asian cinema specialist, he is well placed to tell the story, and a large part of this book examines the development of the form in Korea. It has not been an easy ride, with the industry often caught up in the country’s turbulent politics. The long Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945) restricted the types of films that could be made. After the Korean War, the focus was on the domestic market, and many excellent productions emerged, with talented directors seeking to tell the national story. Some aspects of Korean culture did not play well in foreign countries, and it was not until the 2000s and the rise of the hallyu (“Korean Wave”) that directors found the right formula. Movies like Oldboy, The Handmaiden, Train to Busan (and its sequel Peninsula), and the historical blockbuster The Admiral: Roaring Currents won a global audience. Meiresonne has a good time tracking all this, but there are some surprising gaps in the narrative. The section on sci-fi movies—a big part of the modern industry—is disappointingly small. Nevertheless, Meiresonne offers some interesting insights into the future, discussing collaborative projects and the growing role of streaming. The book includes plenty of movie stills, posters, and photographs that help make it an entertaining, informative read.

A handsome compendium on the rise of Korean cinema.