Park Chan-wook on Korean Cinema’s Celluloid Fever: The 1970s

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:01]yes. The 1970s edition of the Korean Film Retrospective held at Lincoln Center. There were really a lot of works that got me excited just by looking at the list.

[00:00:13]In particular, directors and works that have greatly influenced me stand out. Well, they are all truly gem-like works.

[00:00:25]Among them, Director Kim Ki-young, a Korean woman, and a woman chasing a murderer who is more interesting than a nail. It is a Korean cult film that is so bizarre, whimsical, and nonsensical, absurd in a way, and seems like absurd in another way, but tells a bizarre story with a more active imagination than anyone else.

[00:01:00]The work *The Housemaid* is particularly notable as it is the second film in which Director Kim Kyung has personally remade stories like *The Story of a Year* multiple times, and it can also be seen as the most complete film. Uh, and it’s a bit of a shame that Director Kim Soo-yong isn’t as internationally known, but he is actually a director who has made a lot of truly excellent films, and *Night Journey* and *A Splendid Outing*, which are being introduced this time, are films that I really love. With its excellent color palette, this film is representative of a director who possessed the most modern sensibility in Korean cinema, as it delved deeply into the psychology of modern women—an exceptional feat for Korean films of that era.

[00:01:54]Ah, and speaking of which, the director I love the most and have been most influenced by is *The Last Witness*. This film, which uses Korea's tragic history as its subject matter, is a mystery that depicts the tragedy of human relationships, and I dare say it is a masterpiece. After watching this movie, I thought, "Wow, making movies in Korea is really capable." Making good movies is a work that inspired me to dream of becoming a film director, along with Director Kim Ki-young's *Hwan*, which gave me hope during a time when there weren't many Korean movies I liked. In these times when interest in foreign cultures is needed more than ever, I hope this serves as a wonderful gift for you, who are eager to learn.