Korean Remakes of Japanese Films

[Stephen Cremin]

Reading synopses for old Korean films does often give me a sense of deja-vu. 
  For example, how many Kim Ki-Young films - "Koryojang", "Iodo", etc - 
sound just like Imamura Shohei oldies ... although I always tend to give the 
films the benefit of the doubt as there are presumable similar folk tales 
throughout Asia.

Regarding the MBC documentary.  I caught a similar piece on my motel TV in 
Korea by chance late last year.  On a split screen the short documentary 
compared specific scenes from "Farewell My Darling" (Park Chul-Soo) to "The 
Funeral" (Itami), from "(Haru)" (Morita) to "The Contact" (Jang Yoon-Hyun), 
from "Love Letter" (Iwai) to last year's Korean hit "The Letter" 
(forgettable director).  Is this the one?

Last year over lunch in London, Park Chul-Soo explained to Iwai Shunji why 
he was so famous in Korea: because of the remake of "Love Letter".  All the 
critics drew the comparison and praised Iwai's film.  At which point Iwai 
"earnestly" replied: "Please, Mr Park, remake 'Swallowtail Butterfly' and 
make me more famous in your country!"

Well, I've seen "The Letter" and its really very different, but I've also 
heard stories that given its success there'll be a Japanese remake of it!  
Or at least that's what the producers are hoping.  And on the subject of 
remakes, is Fruit Chan's "Made in Hong Kong" really a rip-off of Oikawa 
Ataru's "The Boy Made in Japan"?  Chan denies all knowledge of the film...

Finally, can anyone vouch for the relatively new internet service iodo.com 
which sells Korean films - original tapes, no subtitles - for around US$30 
each?

Stephen Cremin
Director, London Pan-Asian Film Festival


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