In Korean box office, the number of 10-milion is very meaningful. Success of movie in Korea is decided by whether to surpass 10-milion audience or not. In this criterion, the most successful Korean movies are “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” and “The Attorney”. Also, as a recently released movie, “Ode to My Father”, record No. 1 in Korean box office as of end of December 2014, it seems most likely to reaching at 10-milion audience mark.
“The greatest Korean movies in 2014 have something in common. It is that they get main subjects from Korean historical facts.”
The greatest Korean movies in 2014 have something in common. It is that they get main subjects from Korean historical facts. “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” is a story of battle of Meongryang in 1597. The battle was an unbelievable event on the victory of admiral Lee sun sin over Japanese naval forces that only 12 ships repulsed an attack of about 133 ships. “The Attorney” is inspired by a story of the late President Roh Moo-hyun. Through the days when he was an attorney, this movie represents the reality in modern Korean history shaded by oppression. Currently topped box office, “Ode to My Father is also the story of Deok-soo acted by Hwang Jung-min, a man who lived through Korea’s tumultuous 1950s and 1960s.
As these movies catch the popularity, they cause a lot of positive effects. The most striking effect is growing interest in that historical event in the movie. After “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” had been released, many people were interested in the life of Lee Sun-sin and the historical fact related with him once again. The historical place that was shown in scenes of the movie, such as Uldolmok where the battle occurred, received attention and became a tourism attraction. Furthermore, these things make effects on economy. According to an official CJ, distributing agency of “The Admiral: Roaring Currents”, the economic effects of the movie reached at 420 billion won.
“The historical movies have a tendency to accompany problem on distortion of history.”
On the other hand, the historical movies have a tendency to accompany problem on distortion of history. “Ode to My Father” is criticized on themes of the development of modern Korea. Some critics said that though historical events are true, the movie focuses on some fragmentary things and then it can give rise to problem that they are referred to as everything of modern Korea to those who understanding on that time.
The interest in Korean history movie is increasing now more than ever. However the movies based on the historical facts cause growing controversy, the trend continued because stories of history are one of the most attractive subjects. In order to develop Korean history movies, all of the viewers and producers of those kinds of movies mutually need to try to overcome some necessary problems.
