KJCKorea
Journal Central

This paper focuses how literary films in the late 1960s were formed as a filmic genre. Literary film holds a very unique position in genre history of Korean film. Indeed, literary film as a genre in Korea does not meet singular dramatic pattern, or common cinematic style. Especially, this study puts emphasis on not generic characteristics of literary film as individual films, but on specific historical and cultural institution regarding literary film. What literary film becomes a genre is not because the internal attribute of individual films consisting of that genre. More important issues are the external sectors among film studios, audience, journalism and government. Firstly, the question of genre positioning between film studios and journalism was important. <The Seaside Village> that became a model of box office hit was called as literary film, thereby a generic terminology, 'literary film' was used broadly in film journalism. Secondly, film studios formed 'the boom of literary film'. As a result, literary film as generic terminology was circulated in a wholesale way. Accordingly, film audience could recognize literary film as a genre. In addition, the Korean government promoted institutionally literary film through labelling it as the "Best Film" chosen by the government. Thirdly, literary film existed an inseparable relationship to European art cinema tendency. Thereby, even <Full Autumn> with its original screenplay was treated as a literary film.

<The Seaside Village>, literary film, art cinema, generic terminology, the policy of "Best Film", institutionalization