Life and Death of the Hollywood Kid

Colour, 35mm
Korea, 1994, 120 min
Section: New Korean Cinema

Synopsis

This film about a friendship between two men, whose lives are greatly influenced by their love of Hollywood movies, demonstrates how a deep passion for film which can bring those ‘afflicted’ to destruction. The drama offers interesting insights into changes in Korean culture: how it has been undermined primarily since the end of the fifties by foreign standards and influences. Myonggil and Pyongsok, nicknamed the Hollywood Kid, became friends as children, and while at school their connection was cemented not only by their interest in film but also by their love for the same girl. Their lives continue to be linked: while Myonggil becomes a successful director, Pyongsok, whose movie mania has infiltrated his daily reality, just can’t seem to steer his life in the right direction. But in the end it is he who helps Myonggil attain the fame he’s been seeking – Pyongsok holds the perfect script in his hand, a work he’s been tinkering with his whole life. “It’s a Korean version of Cinema Paradiso,” says director Chung Ji Young, whose own message – in contrast to the Italian retro-film – is as sharp and precise as a razor.

About the director

Chung Ji Young (b. 1946, Chongju) graduated in French literature from university in Korea, and then worked for many years as an assistant to exceptional Korean directors such as Kim Suyong and Im Kwon Taek. He has experience as a television producer and participated in the fight (including legislation) against the distribution of American films in Korea. His biggest success to date is the Best Director award at the Tokyo IFF in 1992 for White Badge presenting a Korean view of the Vietnam War. Selected filmography: Mist Whispers Like Women (1982), The Light of Remembrance (1984), The Woman in Crisis (1987), The Woman Hiding in the Woods (1988), The Southern Army (1990) and White Badge (1992).