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Anti-communism and 1960s Spy Thriller in South Korea
Journal of Popular Narrative
2009,
(22), pp.39-69
DOI : 10.18856/jpn.2009..22.002
Publisher : The Association of Popular Narrative
Research Area : Interdisciplinary Research
DOI : 10.18856/jpn.2009..22.002
Publisher : The Association of Popular Narrative
Research Area : Interdisciplinary Research
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This article examines the aspects and contexts of anti-communism in the Spy thriller film in the 1960s. The motivation for this work is to try to define the meaning and forms of the typical representation of anticommunism constituted in popular film such as spy thriller, and to understand the function and forms of Korean cinema in 1960s in relation to the internalization of ideology. ‘James Bond’ was perhaps popular and widespread mass-hero at that time, and the most important symbol to take notice of. Korean film tried to mimic ‘James Bond’, which producted spy thriller in 1965 and 1966. Important motives to the spy thriller are ‘strong man’ and ‘family reunit’. Especially, motif of ‘family’ reunit concerned the trauma which people want to cure, and emotion which people had in that era. They gave 1960's spectators pleasure by making them console their trauma and a sense of frustration in relation to historical experiences such as Korean War and 5.16 military coup and making the anticommunism internalized in spectator.
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