Constraints on Korean national film: The intersection of history, politics and economics in cultural production.

摘要

This study attempts to present an overall picture of Korean film production, by incorporating methods of policy research and the production of culture perspective. It describes history, structure and trends, and analyzes the production and reception of a commercial film made during the period of 1987-1988, when foreign film companies were encroaching on its market and the issue of a national film was increasingly at stake. The investigation of history, structure and trends in filmmaking suggests that historical and political factors have shaped and affected the present structure and economics of the Korean film industry to the point of deformity. The case analysis of Taste of Heaven is an example that demonstrates how political, structural and internal constraints are interrelated in and around the production and reception of a commercial film. Within these constraints, the critical discourse surrounding the production and reception is viewed as a cultural arena, involving a variety of values and beliefs systems, conflicts and struggles, compromises and negotiations. The concept of a national film emerged as an antidote to these constraints which have suppressed, controlled and eroded Korean film. It is a counter-cultural activity against strong censorship, foreign film materials and the dominant trends in filmmaking. The concept of a national cinema becomes a standard for a good film, judging whether a film aims to expose social contradictions and raise consciousness toward a process of social transformation. But it remains an idealistic perspective ignoring contradictory but substantial aspects of film as a cultural product. This study concludes with policy suggestions for the future of the Korean film industry.