Korean Cinema has long been an innovative and visually stunning industry outside of Hollywood. Bong Joon-Ho's thrilling and entertaining "Parasite" spotlighted Korean cinema as the first Korean film to win an Oscar. The win began to showcase the incredible talent in Korean television shows that Korean filmmakers have been producing for decades.
The beginning of the Korean film industry stretches back to the early 1900s, although very little remains aside from historical records due to the neglect and impacts of the Korean War. Over time, the film has been influenced by many global events shaping Korean culture. So how did Korean Cinema become such a standout in the work of film and television today?
The Evolution of Korean Cinema
While highly debated, Korean theaters began to crop up throughout the peninsula. The first Korean production was a kinodrama entitled "The Righteous Revenge," directed by Kim Do-san premiered at the Dansungsa Theater in Seoul. The film was a featured documentary featuring life throughout the city and is greatly contested as the first film.
Throughout the 20s, Korean film companies began to develop silent features in which many had hidden political messages as resistance to Japanese occupation and power. The Japanese censorship limited the film industry's growth and became increasingly strict over time. The Japanese eventually pressured the film industry to create films supporting the Japanese military efforts, and by 1942 Korean-language films were banned.
After the end of World War II, as Korea slowly regained its independence, a film industry resurgence was on the horizon. Much of the film industry's infrastructure was destroyed during the Korean War, and most efforts focused on newsreels and documentaries with strong anti-Japanese messages.
The Golden Age of Korean Cinema
The late 50s and early 60s were known as the official period of the revival of the Korean film industry. People began to return to theatres as some of the most talented directors in Korean film history began to release many popular movies. However, government censorship was still a major factor. The number of films produced during the golden age of Korean cinema produced over a hundred films.
Government censorship began to loosen in the early 1960s, but when Park Chung-hee became president, film censorship increased drastically under the new Motion Picture Law of 1962. The regulations restricted the imports of film and reduced the number of domestic film production companies by over 75%. The censorship continued through the 1970s to control the film industry and promote political messages.
Recovering from Censorship
Beginning in the 1980s, the government began to relax the censorship of the Korean film industry. The relax of restrictions allowed filmmakers, including independent filmmakers, to begin producing more films. With international restrictions eased as well, allowing international filmmaking companies into the country. The film industry began welcoming foreign filmmakers and allowing new companies to pave the way for new ways to create innovative and creative Korean films.
In the mid-90s, new filmmakers began to make their debut, and Korean films began to be introduced to wider, international audiences, giving the Korean film industry a much-welcome introduction to the incredible artistic directions of Korean filmmakers. With the ease of restrictions, talented actors, filmmakers, and production crews have created incredible works of art that are available for anyone to view on most streaming platforms.