Bae Chang-ho
South Korean cinema is in the throes of a creative explosion where mavericks are encouraged and masters are venerated. But from where has this phenomenon emerged? What is the culture that has yielded this range of filmmakers? With The Nine Lives of Korean Cinema, French critic, writer and documentarian Hubert Niogret provides a broad overview but, nevertheless, an excellent entry point into this unique type of national cinema that still remains a mystery for many people. The product of a troubled social and political history, Korean cinema sports an identity that is unique in much modern film. Niogret's documentary tells of the country's cinematic history - the ups along with the downs - and gives further voice to the artists striving to express their concerns, fears and aspirations.
Based on a true story and a legendary Korean novel, this movie follows Detective Oh (superstar Lee Jung Jae) and his investigation into the mysterious murder of a North Korean. His investigation leads him to a diary, which was written by a nun who - along with her boyfriend - helped lead the escape of North Korean POWs held captive during the Korean War. Detective Oh eventually becomes emotionally involved with the case and pursues the writer of the diary and her long-lost boyfriend, hoping to crack the case and learn more about the story of the POWs.
Seventeen-year old Soonie is married to the ten-year old son of the local Korean medecine doctor. Married to a child, Soonie is subjected to the hard life of the traditional daughter-in-law. Ten years pass and her husband, who has gone away to study, returns with a stylish 'modern woman' dressed in Western clothes. When Soonie finds out that the woman is carrying her husband's child, she quietly packs her bag and leaves. The film is divided into five episodes, following her life.
A young male model twists and manipulates people around him in his unending quest for money and pleasure. He is convinced that he is untouchable and can bend anyone to his will, so not even murder is an obstacle to his ambitions.
Young-min secretly admires Hye-rin whom he saw in a play and sends her flowers anonymously every performance of hers. However, Hye-rin marries a gynecologist Oh Seong-wu and leaves for New York.
Byung-tae who has cerebral paralysis goes to the wrong destination and then meets Min-wu and suicidal Chun-ja in the station office and joins their journey. Chun-ja causes a lot of trouble such as stealing Byung-tae's wallet and running away. Chun-ja, who is pregnant, gives birth in a barn. Min-wu and Chun-ja hold a small wedding in a church. The trio arrive in Chun-ja's hometown and Byung-tae heads alone for Kyung-ju, his destination. There he does plenty of sightseeing.
Magistrate Hwang's daughter Jin-yi, is jilted before her wedding because a shoe maker was smitten with her and commits suicide. Jin-yi becomes a courtesan, and becomes famous for her wits and beauty. She falls for Byuk Kye-su, but he's chosen to be an envoy to a far off kingdom. When he leaves she feels so betrayed she takes to a life of wandering. She meets Lee Saeng, a destitute scholar, and stays with him until she discovers he's going to sell her to a group of itinerate clowns. Instead, she joins them willingly.
Baek Ho-bin, who is in the U.S. illegally, dreams of getting rich fast so that he can bring his pregnant wife over from Korea. After conning a Korean immigrant and running off to L.A. with her money, Ho-bin marries another Korean woman named Jane in order to procure a green card...
With the outbreak of the Korean War, Su-ji and Oh-mok lose their parents. Along with their brother Su-cheol, they go live with their mother's parents. As they go to take refuge, Su-ji loses Oh-mok by accident. Time passes and with her older brother Su-cheol's success, Su-ji enters the high society. But due to the guilt of losing her younger sister Oh-mok, she does a lot of charity work constantly looking for Oh-mok. When Su-ji finally finds Oh-mok in an orphanage, she turns coldly away from Oh-mok for not having any evidence to prove that she is her sister. Oh-mok marries Il-hwan whom she has met at the orphanage and they live a hard life. Finally, Su-ji is convinced that Oh-mok is her sister but after living through such hardship, Oh-mok breathes her last.
The shy Byung-tae has a crush on Mi-ran, a college student. He fails to win her over. Disheartened, Byung-tae runs away from home in search of something more. He wanders the streets when he meets and hangs out with Min-wu, a beggar. They walk around the city when they meet Chun-ja, a mute maiden, in the red district. With Min-wu's support, Byung-tae wants to help recover Chun-ja's voice and find her hometown. They rescue Chun-ja and head for her hometown.
A suspense film with a hint of the classic Hitchcock film Rear Window, with its theme about the isolation of alienated people living in the city. -IMDB
In the poor district of town, there lived a woman known as the Black Glove. Taking her young son, she remarries a man named Tae-sub whom nobody knows anything about. Tae-sub has an enormous secret. He relies on the Black Glove to support him. One day, Ju-seok, her ex-husband shows up. He's been released from jail and is now a cabbie. The almost ruined Kil-ja yearns for the neighborhood minister, Gong. The Black Glove decides to give up her ex-husband and her son. An innocent widow who has lost her husband shows up and reveals Tae-sub's secret. Tae-sub had committed murder but the stature of limitations is almost over on the crime. Tae-sub changes due to the widow's compassion. The Black Glove and her son leave the district.
