Enroll in Summer Session 2 - East Asian 40 Korean Film and Society
Department: East Asian Studies
Post Date: February 28, 2019News Details
This course is an introduction to contemporary Korean film and their relation to modern Korean society. We will explore a variety of film genres, such as thriller, action, and horror, in order to understand Korea’s growing cultural influence. Korea, much like our recent experiences within the Unites States, has gone through a whirlwind of political, societal, and historical change. What we previously considered normal and safe is now threatened and disordered. (Could this be why superheroes have gained such immense popularity in recent years?) While considering these social changes, this course will focus primarily on investigating the “fading” or outright disappearance of our familiar heroes within a few Korean films. In direct contrast to Hollywood, the impenetrable “goodness” of our stereotypical heroes, such as the savior, the mother, the police, and the patriot, are all lost or somehow abandoned to create a viewing experience that is not only confusing, but also incredibly relevant to contemporary Korean (and perhaps even American) society and history. Through the examination of such anti-heroes, students will be encouraged to re-evaluate their understanding of identity, narrative, and most of all ethics. At the end of the course, students will be equipped to critically engage with films and theoretical texts to produce a personalized and analytical perspective on the current representative culture of Korea.
The main goal of the course is to watch and critically engage with films. Readings will be used to contextualize the films within historical themes and will be kept to a minimum. All texts will be provided in English (through canvas) and relevant clips of films will be screened in class. This course fulfills the GE IV and VIII requirement.