What is it about?
Gangster films are usually set in the gritty streets of gangland. Why, then, do we find new Korean gangster films set in family homes? This paper outlines a new subgenre, the family drama gangster film, which combines gangster film tropes with those of Korean melodrama. It argues that this subgenre sets up an opposition between family responsibilities and gang duties. This allows the popular film genre to address dilemmas of conforming to contemporary ideals of parenthood while working hard to earn a living in neoliberal South Korean society.
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Why is it important?
In this paper, I explore significant changes in on of Korean cinemas most enduringly popular genres, the gangster film. I use an innovative approach to genre analysis by exploring how changes of spatial setting impact generic narratives. Most importantly, I outline a new subgenre, the family drama gangster film, which combines gangster film tropes with those of Korean melodrama. I relate these textual changes in Korean film to changing attitudes to family and work in Korean society.
Perspectives
Do you love Korean film? Are you getting more interested in Korean culture because you love K-pop or Korean drama? Well, I hope this article helps you get greater insight into Korean cinema and Korean society, and the ways they relate to each other. This article grew out of a chapter from my PhD thesis, and it is the first that I have published. Its very exciting to be able to publish in a journal that specialises in East Asian popular culture. I hope you find this article stimulating. Feel free to email me if you have any questions!
Mark Plaice
University of Central Lancashire
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Domesticating gangsters? Home/work conflicts in South Korean family drama gangster film, East Asian Journal of Popular Culture, August 2020, Intellect,
DOI: 10.1386/eapc_00030_1.
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