Korean movie of the week "Nameless Stars" (1959)
Directed by Kim Gang-yun
With Jo Mi-ryeong, Hwang Hae-nam, Choi Nam-hyun, Jang Min-ho, Jeon Ok, Kim Sin-jae,.
Synopsis
This film tells the stories of students fighting for liberation from Japanese rule, especially focusing on the Gwangju student democratization. Sang-hoon (Hwang Hae-nam), son of a patriot who also struggled for independence, is a member of a group named "Seonjinhoe", which is opposed to Japanese rule, Nameless Stars, Choi Nam-hyun, Hwang Hae-nam, Jang Min-ho, Jeon Ok, Jo Mi-ryeong, Kim Gang-yun, Kim Sin-jae
Lee Man-hee-I was one of the most prolific and most intriguing filmmakers of the 60s and 70s, with its legacy continuing for many decades after his untimely death at just 45. His approach, which frequently included genre aesthetics that were filled with sociopolitical context, finds one of its apogees in "The Devil s Stairway", a horror thriller that comments on the strain the pressure for social and financial success places on people, The Devil s Stairway, Bang Seong-ja, Choi Nam-hyun, Jeong Ae-ran, Kim Jin-kyu, Lee Man-hee-I, Moon Jung-suk, Yu Gye-seon
Considered the worst tyrant of the Joseon era due to his brutal ways, Yeonsangun of Joseon has been the focus of a number of movies and TV series, with the present one, however, being the most successful, winning a number of local awards, including the one for Best Film at the first Grand Bell Awards, Prince Yeonsan, Choi Nam-hyun, Han Eun-jin, Heo Jang-kang, Jeon Ok, Ju Jeung-ryu, Kang-Shin Sung-il, Kim Dong-won-III, Shin Sang-ok, Shin Young-kyun
Considering the fact that the female demographic was quite significant among cinema goers during the 60s, it is no surprise that a number of films of this era feature female protagonists. The hilariously titled "My Sister Is a Hussy" (aka "My Sister is a Tomboy") is a bit strange regarding the messages it communicates, since it does not become clear if it is for women independence or against it. For certain though, the movie is quite entertaining, My Sister Is a Hussy, Choi Nam-hyun, Han Hyeong-mo, Kim Jin-kyu, Kim Seung-ho-I, Lee Dae-yub, Moon Jung-suk, Um Aing-ran
2021/02/12
An Jung-geun, sometimes spelled Ahn Jung-geun was a Korean-independence activist, nationalist, and pan-Asianist. On 26 October 1909, he assassinated Prince Itō Hirobumi, a four-time Prime Minister of Japan, former Resident-General of Korea, and then President of the Privy Council of Japan, following the signing of the Eulsa Treaty, with Korea on the verge of annexation by Japan. He was imprisoned and later executed by Japanese authorities on 26 March 1910. An was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1962 by the South Korean government, the most prestigious civil decoration in the Republic of Korea, for his efforts for Korean independence. His story has been adapted to cinema a number of times, both in North (An Jung-geun Shoots Itō Hirobumi) and South Korea (Thomas An Jung-geun) but this particularly movie is probably the most impressive.