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Mad Scientist's Laboratory and Imperialistic Nostalgia— The Study of Korean Gothic SF Films in the 1960s
Journal of Popular Narrative
2014, 20(3),
pp.271-308
DOI :10.18856/jpn.2014.20.3.009
Publisher : The Association of Popular Narrative
Research Area : Interdisciplinary Research
DOI :10.18856/jpn.2014.20.3.009
Publisher : The Association of Popular Narrative
Research Area : Interdisciplinary Research
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Mad Scientist's Laboratory and Imperialistic Nostalgia— The Study of Korean Gothic SF Films in the 1960sSong, Hyo-Joung (University of Seoul)It is very difficult to distinguish the “unique” SF films in Korean film history. Once they were in a decided minority. In addition, for a long time SF films were regarded as a exclusive property of the child. This article deals with the origin, emergence and development of the Korean SF films in 1960s. In this study, I have concern about Korean SF films by and large from 1960s to early 1970s. The objects of study are placed from the first Korean SF The Last Invisible Man (1960) to Scary Double Human (1974). These films have revealed a gloomy laboratory of a lunatic scientist in common. The event usually occurs in a remote mansion, villa or hospital. I called them “Korean Gothic SF” films. Under the influence of horror films of United States and Britain exploited films in late 1950s, new Korean genre films began to be made. At first, they imitated a little bit of The Invisible Man (1897), Dracula (1897), Frankenstein (1818). At the same time, they applied the Korean motives, for example tear jerker narrative (Sinpa, 新派), adventure story of anticommunist boys and resentment-revenge story. Sometimes imperialistic nostalgia was reflected in the Gothic SF films. They were a cinematic reaction to the atmosphere of the Third Republic in Korea that was accustomed to order and standardization. It turned out through the negativity, sadism, melodramatic excess and grotesquerie. Although there were scientists handling modern science for example botany, medicine, life sciences, Korean Gothic SF films are characterized by regressive moral emotions and resentment which dates back to the colonial era. When it was in the early 1970s, gothic SF film had faded and occult films for adult and animations for children began to appeared. So Korean Gothic SF films were obviously the style in 1960s.
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