[Seoul Selection]
Korean Film Directors - 'HONG Sangsoo'
KRW 36,300
USD 26.22
3 Discs - The Day A Pig Fell Into The Well, 'Dwaejiga Umure Ppajin Nal' (1996) - The Power of Kangwon Province, 'Gangwondo Eui Him' (1998) - Virgin Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, 'O! Sujeong' (2000) DVD Review Hong Sang Soo Collection (2005) Director Hong Sang Soo came to a focal point at the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF). Whenever he took part in a press conference, he was flooded with questions. Though he is not the most commercially successful director, he is the most talked-about director. In a recent Internet survey, Hong was voted as the most favored director. If you type in his name in a search engine, a huge number of pages related to him pop up. There is even a paper titled, "A Study in the Narrative Structure of Hong Sangsu's Films: With Reference to ‘The Day a Pig Fell into the Well’". What makes him so popular? The simplest, or at least, the most agreed-upon answer to the question is ironically that he discloses the hidden ugliness within most people. Some readers who are acquainted with Korean movies will think of Kim Ki Duk at this point. Unlike Kim, however, Hong reveals the ugliness in scenes of daily life and makes the viewers acknowledge that the very ugliness is a part of who they are. For better or worse, they admit that they repeat ugly behavior everyday and will probably continue to do so in the future. In most of Hong Sang Soo's movies, a man meets a woman, they drink together, they go to a hotel for the night, and in the morning they find that they spent the previous night together but not because they loved each other. Then the audience is poised to think about what love is, expecting the director to give an answer to their question. But Hong never gives it. Judging from his movies, he doesn’t seem to know or have the answer. A movie blogger stated that Hong's movies are therefore very cruel for viewers. Hong, according to the blogger, makes the viewers blame the characters in the movie for being brazenfaced in their search for mostly sexual desire and then has the audience identifying themselves with the characters. Despite all the praise bandied about him, it can be said that Hong himself repeats the same theme over in similar plots. Come to think of it, given the tone of his movies, he probably hates himself. But it's undeniable that he is widely accepted abroad. His movies have been invited to many international film festivals including Cannes. According to a local movie critic, the reason for his international fame is that he presents people's experiences as major contents of his movies which can be shared in any culture.
Airmail I (Smaller Parcel Post) Note: Not trackable. Since this is a form of general mail, deliveries do not receive a tracking number. While delivery costs are relatively inexpensive and customs passage is easier, the security of the delivery is somewhat lower. Packaging methods are applied that allow for opening according to regulations. Please be aware that Seoul Selection cannot be held responsible for items ordered that are lost during delivery. Only applies to packages weighing less than 2 kg. For boxes, no one side can exceed 60 cm in length, and total dimensions of length, width and height together cannot exceed 90 cm.
Airmail II (Parcel Post) Note: Trackable. However, inquiries about delivery status are handled manually rather than by Internet, and items are thus more difficult to track in comparison with courier services. Applies to packages more than 2 kg.
* Airmail I, Airmail II 7 ~ 20 business days for international delivery after order confirmation.
EMS (Express Mail Service) Note: Trackable and fast. This is the courier service of the Korean postal service. An international postal service that brings letters, documents and parcels to their destinations abroad using the fastest and safest means of transportation through a special agreement between the Ministry of Information and Communication and the postal services of other countries. Promptness: 143 countries, including Japan and China, can be reached in 2-4 days. Delivery Inquiries by Internet: EMS deliveries sent to major countries such as Japan, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong can be tracked and confirmed through a global computer network; delivery status is available upon inquiry. In case a computer inquiry is not possible, a quick inquiry by fax or post is available for reference upon the user's request.
EMS Premium Note: Trackable and fast. With EMS Premium, the Korean postal service handles TNT Express delivery services, providing a similar delivery period to other express services like DHL, FedEx and UPS, with slightly more affordable rates according to region. 1 ~ 3 business days for international delivery after order confirmation.