"When you see past the one-inch barrier of subtitles, you will discover many more films," Bong Joon-ho calmly points out as he grips his — and Korea's — first Oscar, marking an incredible watershed moment in Korean cinematic history.
Photo from IndieWire
Birthday: September 14, 1969
His humility belies wit as razor-sharp as his bristling observations on life and society — this man, after all, is the brains behind a number of Korean classics and cinematic masterpieces. Yet while he is a celebrated director in the eyes of many, Bong still considers himself a movie "fanboy" who loves films so much that he watches a film every single day.
Professionally, Bong is known for his incredibly detailed staging and his ruthless cutting and precise plotting. His body of cinematic work is bristling with blunt allegories and sly metaphors on contemporary society, capitalism, power, and class structure. Before Parasite pushed Bong into the mainstream, his fans already adored him for Memories of Murder, his bleak look at injustice and helplessness inspired by Korea's first serial killing case. His disruptive slant is also deeply embedded in his older films, such as Okja, and The Host. But don't let the layers intimidate you. Despite all this, Bong's works are still some of the most accessible films for anyone who is just starting to explore Asian cinema.
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