Before Kim Ki-duk Changed Seasons, Pimped Teen Prostitutes, or Played Golf

Korean director Kim Ki-duk's career can easily be divided into two distinct phases. There are the early, gritty films — aesthetically and thematically rough, and leaden with disturbing violence and a healthy dose of misogyny. Then there are the more recent entries — the festival and art-house friendly titles, with gorgeous actors and matching cinematography, and only a fraction of the misogyny. Though some have argued otherwise, I'm convinced that the newfound attention from Western audiences had a tremendous impact on Kim's vision, as if his films were being sculpted to meet the approval of foreign eyes. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring and 3-Iron are Asian films that appealed to people who normally don't care for (or see) Asian films. Full of sumptuous images that signify nothing, and just enough "oriental" mystique to keep foreign audiences intrigued, but not so much as to make it impenetrable or intimidating. (That many viewers and critics considered Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring to be a Buddhist parable speaks volumes to this point. Kim is a Christian, and admittedly knows nothing about Buddhism.) But whereas Western audiences flocked to see Spring.... and 3-Iron (it landed on more than few Top Ten lists), the folks back at home weren't buying it — 3-Iron was ranked 59th of the year at the Korean box-office, with Spring... faring not much better. And though it was wonderful to see a Korean film walk away with the Silver Bear at the 2004 Berlin Film Festival, I would have much rather seen it given to Hong Sang-soo's sublime Woman is the Future of Man over Kim's ode to teenage prostitution, Samaria. As depraved, unpleasant and (at times) offensive as they are, Kim's earlier films are far more interesting than the polished ones, and in their own unique way say quite a bit about Korean ideas of masculinity. True, the women in his films are almost invariably some type of whore, but it's never been clear if the rampant misogyny is Kim's own, or merely a conceit by which to deliver his message about Korean male attitudes towards women. (For a perfect example, see Bad Guy.) In 2000, Kim tried his hand at something slightly more experimental. Working with ten cameramen, he shot a feature film in slightly over three hours, without a single retake. The resulting eighty-minute film, Real Fiction, can best be described as an interesting failure. The film opens on a promising, wonderful, lengthy sequence that calls to mind such films as Blow Up and The Conversation. A sketch artist is drawing portraits in a crowded city park. The camera is kept at an almost voyeuristic distance, and passerby walk through the shot, oblivious to what is taking place. (A PA dashes into frame at one point to move a couple who are blocking the shot — a nice touch.) Multiple layers of dialog are heard, including a conversation in a phone booth — it's as if the entire park was miked. A young woman with a video camera films the artist, though he doesn't acknowledge her presence. At times the POV will shift to her camera — is she a character, or is this a bit of intentional reflexivity? (Or perhaps both?) Some street thugs harass the artist, and demand money from him. A customer refuses to pay for her portrait and storms off. With a somewhat documentary feel to it, Kim seamlessly blends fiction with reality, and the impromptu responses from the crowd provide a genuine bit of energy to the scene. Unfortunately, it's all downhill from there. After being dragged into an empty theater by the woman with the camera, the artist meets his antipode, and this dark, masturbating, rage-driven version of himself convinces the artist to take revenge on those who have ever wronged him. What we are left with is a rather straightforward slasher/revenge film, though of the basest kind — it's more Falling Down than Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. Ex-girlfriends that wouldn't sleep with him, current girlfriends who are cheating on him, military men who abused him — such are the trivialities that send him on his killing spree. The experimental framework that was so interesting at the beginning of the film is sadly pushed aside for what winds up looking like any low budget thriller, complete with a cloying synthesizer score that seems well out of place. The continual shift from film to video would indicate the presence of the woman with the camera, though logistically it seems impossible in some scenes. Has she now become a distant observer, or is the film/video split simply meant to signify the difference between truth and fiction? There are too many inconsistencies to say for sure. The single-take aspect of the film is interesting, and it's amusing to watch the actors recover from minor gaffes, but even that grows tired after a while. The reappearance of the woman with the video camera late in the film once again raises some questions of reflexivity, but it's nothing that hasn't already been done in films like Man Bites Dog. After eighty-minutes, the act of questioning what is and isn't real no longer holds any interest. But do we really need to hear Kim's "CUT" to remind us that we've just been watching a film? Real Fiction suffers from being neither fish nor flesh — it too quickly abandons its experimental roots in favor of a puerile narrative that ends on the most tired of clichés. Yet even as a failed effort it is more satisfying than the faux-depths and pretty pictures that make up 3-Iron.

Comments

[nkw88]

What is the definition of 'Buddhist film'?
Films that holds Buddhist thought in story or
message and holds image of Buddhist culture?

SSFW&S is a film that shows Korean's Buddhist
sensibility or structure of feeling with great
Korean landscape. When I saw this film, I felt
a little uncomfortable. The great scenery catches
my eye but the message itself is nothing new to me.
A young male monk is attracted to a young woman,
gets tested, and failed.

Rather, Why has Bodi-Dharma left for the East and
Aje Aje Bara Aje keeps deep and old thoughts and
concerns. The fundamental question about life?
What is truth? what is Buddha? what is self?
these metaphysical questions are raised and
provided with great visual metaphor in Why has
Bodi-Dharma left for the East?
No films has show this spiritual world of Zen
Buddhism more directly and better than Why has
Bodi-Dharma left for the East.
Aje Aje Bara Aje, the nun version of Mandala,
provides the issue of social engagement and
praxis, which are a kind of Korean zeitgeist in
20th century.
If you see this film, you can understand why
Kim Ki-Duk admires Im Kwon-Taek from his heart.

[Susan]

Filmbrain - I think I get what you're saying now. I guess I would categorize your example as a Christian film, but I would use that term more as a description, not as a reference to who made it.

I guess a problem you have here with this then is that people are assuming that Ki-Duk knows all about Buddhism because of the country he's from? (correct me if I'm wrong) I agree that's ignorant. People here don't get Buddhism (to generalize), they think it's about people worshiping a fat man. I would argue it's a parable, based on Buddhism, but it's not a traditional Buddhist parable. I practice Zen and have studied Tibetan Buddhism, and there were things in the film that I thought were off, but I just assumed that it was Korean Zen elements I didn't know anything about. I suppose they were off because he made them up. (and you're right - self-immolation isn't exactly commonplace) So is that why that old guy was the meanest Buddhist ever? Other things were dead on, so that made me think he knew what he was talking about. If he doesn't know anything about Buddhism, he's pretty intuitive about what it's about, because he got a lot of things right - mainly the central theme of life being a cycle.

I'm excited about the films you recommended - I put them in my queue at Netflix (where I rent all my movies), except for Mandala, which isn't available. I had never heard of them. I just watched the first two films in "Three...Extremes" (I'm having trouble eating now - ugh) and have Oldboy on the way. I have a bunch of films lined up, I'm wondering if you've seen them/have an opinion on them:
Phone
Memories of Murder
Last Life in the Universe
H
Address Unknown
Ab-Normal Beauty
Dark Water (I saw the American version)
Ju-on: The Grudge (I saw the American version)

I'll let you know what I think of Bad Guy and 3 Iron. Sorry about the long comment, I'm just excited to find this site and someone who knows what I'm talking about! Thanks.

[Filmbrain]

What is the definition of "Buddhist" film?

I guess that's a fair question, but you seem to answer it quite well. To me, a film that attempts to explore the philosophical, metaphysical, or spiritual facets of the religion, and not one that is simply "set" in a Buddhist environment. For example, I don't think anybody would consider Kundun a Buddhist film, even though its subject is the Dalai Lama.

The dilemma of the characters in the Im Kwon-taek films is closely tied to Buddhist philosophy -- particularly in the struggle between one (the ego) and many -- i.e., achieving the first three of the four noble truths.

Kim’s film does deal with a similar struggle, but there’s nothing rooted the principal tenets Buddhism – it’s a more universal approach, made by a Christian who has never studied Buddhism. That fact alone doesn’t take away from the film’s potential effect, and I don’t mean to criticize anybody’s personal response to the film.

As for the misogyny issue – there is a ton of literature out there on the subject, and I don’t have the time now to begin a new discussion on the topic, but I’d like to offer this quote from Acquarello, left on the CInemarati blog:

As equally ridiculous is the undercurrent of misogyny that … is also implicit in [3 Iron’s] final shot, something as wrongheaded and vulgar as the idea that tolerating spousal abuse and engaging in three ways is some kind of an improvement over the woman’s situation and a self-accepted part of her helpless and subordinate station - a worthy sacrifice made all for the love of a man (and free room and board).

[Susan]

I saw a good Buddhist documentary lately (not made by a Buddhist, but Werner Herzog) called "Wheel of Time" which I thought was well done.

I thought that samsara was basically the heart of "Spring...", and there was rebirth and karma present. I guess you could take just about any film and find some Buddhism in it. Have you seen Dharmawood?

I'm racking my brain to try and think of any films I've seen that are Buddhist in the way you describe a Buddhist film. I can't think of anything. There are a lot of movies that use Buddhist ideas - The Matrix and Fight Club comes to mind. I wouldn't call those Buddhist films though.

[Tyler Durden]

Fight Club as buddhist. LOL.

"The first rule about Buddhism is that you do NOT talk about Buddhism." Kind of works.

[nkw88]

OK, we can compare some films about Christianity with Buddhist films. Many films that treated Christianity are overlapped with biography film - the life of Jesus, the lives of other Saints or the Apostles. In some movies, fathers or nuns, whether they are Catholic or Protestant, are situated in some test of theological or ethical issues, or social issues. 'Under the sun of Satan', 'Romero', or 'A Story of Priest' can be included in this category. It is uncertain how stories of Old Testament are treated - myth or epic. Anyway, if we are asked to suggest Buddhist or non-Christian counterpart like Islamic counterpart, Confucian counterpart, pagan counterpart to these Christian films, whart films can we suggest? Relatively, we can get Buddhist counterparts more easily.

Siddharta
Little Budda
Aje Aje Bara Aje
Why has Bodi-Dharma left the East
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring

[nkw88]

Hmmm, it seems that we'd better get separate forum for Buddhist films or religious films.

[HarryTuttle]

What is a "christian film"? Just like you blame Kim for not being a textbook buddhist, you could say the same of so many western films mentioning a situation dealing with religious representations (whiches are so present in the christian founded western society). I don't think you should hold Kim's film to greater dogmatic scrutiny than any Hollywood film... (Ferrara's Mary or Gibson's The Passion of The Christ being notable very personal interpretations of religion, or Black Narcissus...)

Why would you expect a korean filmmaker to make a "good" buddhist film? What if it's a secular/biased interpretation of buddhism?
Such popular religions are in the public domain, most of their principles have turned into common traits even to unbelievers beacuse they've been around for so long. I bet it's the same for buddhism in Korea. Not everyone is religious but everyone knows and practises one way or another parts of it, because it's cultural.

I'd agree with Susan, what is not budhist about this film parable? After all it's not a religious film, it's an allegory of a mentor-disciple relationship evolution through life, from innocence to crime to redemtion.

Maybe it's a bad buddhist film, but who said it should be a strict religious film?

Another thing that troubles me is to equate the B.O. success in the USA with the "festival-pleaser" formula (if there was ever one)... like if festival selections always get attention among the american public.

If you're looking for asian filmmakers who sold out to the West to appeal to Hollywood formated audience, pick Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou or Ang Lee!

[Filmbrain]

Harry --

I don't blame Kim for not being a Buddhist, nor do I expect him to make a "good" Buddhist film. My criticism is aimed towards the critics who hailed the film a Buddhist this and a Buddhist that. Isn't it slightly racist, or at least naive? Director comes from a country where Buddhism is practiced, film contains Buddhist imagery, therefore must be Buddhist.

Do you think the same mistake would be made in reverse? Would Mary ever be heralded as a Christian values film?

There's no question that Kim's style changed once he started receiving recognition from both festivals and the US art-house crowd. (True, he hasn't yet made the leap to mainstream audiences like Kaige or Ymiou.) And much in the same way that China turned their backs on Kaige (with the simply awful The Promise), so are Korean audiences on Kim's West-friendly pretty pictures. Have you seen The Bow?

[phyrephox]

Turned their backs on Kaige? Wasn't THE PROMISE a huge BO hit?

[HarryTuttle]

Well like it was said already in the comments above, it's no news that most critics are misinformed and deceiving. Kim should not be held responsible for eventual misinterpretations, and even if working in a buddhist country he has the right to make a personal artfilm only remotely inspired by buddhist culture. It was certainly more inspired by buddhism than by christianity or any other religion anyway.

Mary is definitely sold as a catholic movie, or should I say "gnostic".

Yes I saw The Bow, it's underachieved, with lots of flaws, but not as dreadful as some put it here. It's a small film, with a good idea, but not fully developped, a superficial contrived formalist fable, but very poetical and amusing nonetheless. The "swing-arrow fortune teller" doesn't pretend to be textbook buddhism at anytime, it's a whim coming from Kim's imagination. Actually this one bothered me less than Samaria.

Kim didn't make only great films, but his oeuvre is always interesting. I don't expect him to make "korean films", maybe his style is perceived as "international" (I'd like to know if any westerner make films like he does...) and I don't see how the "festival format" is a shame, if anything it's where we get the best quality cinema.

Yes it's a shame that Hong Sang-soo doesn't get the same success, but they don't market quite the same niche. Hong is intellectual and "boring", while Kim uses violence and romantic cutesy that appeal to a wider/younger audience.

[Filmbrain]

Phyrephox -- The film did do well when it first opened, but critical and popular opinion was far from positive. Have you heard about the parody of it - A Murder Caused By a Bun? (I've seen it, but it makes little sense as I don't speak the language.) It incensed Kaige so much that he's now threatening to sue the person who made it. Check out this article.

The Promise, by the way, is indeed awful.

[HarryTuttle]

I realize my comments might read a little too aggressive... it wasn't my intention. This is only a disagreement of point of view that should be argued back and forth. I only stepped in because it felt like Kim ki-duk was on the lower end. But I know Filmbrain loves korean cinema and Kim ki-duk's films in general, so it's only a friendly quibble here.
Sorry about the "passionate" tone. Don't let me kill this really interesting discussion.

[Susan]

Tyler Durden - Hee! Well, Fight Club deals alot with attachment to material items, which is something you want to move away from in Buddhism. Tyler Durden is rather Zen in his quest to focus on the present. He also seems to believe that going through suffering is a path to enlightenment.

Filmbrain - Do you think Kim may be changing his films because he has more money now? I'm wondering if he's doing things he wanted to do before, but couldn't afford. (I've only seen one of his films, so I don't have an opinion on this)

[der man]

when you "study" buddhism the best teachers will tell you that everything you study is simultaneously un-true so how can one criticise a film which does not suscribe directly to verbal/rhetorical buddhism? prehaps the dialectics in ssfws are well-hidden or mainly up to the active viewer, i found the setting/space of the lake vs. time to be a potent metaphor for buddhism.

[melissa]

I've read, somewhere, still searching for it, that Ki-Duk did do some Buddhist practice. Zen practice in fact. Is there any truth to this? I read it in some academic paper but am at a lost to find it now.