[40th Anniversary of Bae Chang-ho] 'For Ajumma' Korean Films Changed by the 'Korea's Spielberg'

Bae Chang-ho, Creating the Foundation for K-Movie
Retrospective at CGV Yongsan and Others Until the 28th
7 Films Including 'Kkobangdongne Saramdeul' and 'Gipgo Pureunbam'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jong-gil] Director Bae Chang-ho is a master who sustained Chungmuro in the 1980s. At that time, Korean films were dismissed as culture only watched by ajummas. They failed to attract audiences due to the lack of accumulated genre conventions.

Director Bae borrowed the sleek and fast-paced framework of Hollywood films to regain popularity. He instilled confidence in filmmakers and provided the groundwork to cultivate competitiveness.

Director Bae’s works, which combine popularity and artistic value, are being reexamined on the occasion of his 40th debut anniversary. Film company Studio Bonanza and Mirovision are holding the ‘Director Bae Chang-ho Retrospective’ for two weeks until the 28th at CGV Yongsan, Apgujeong, Seomyeon, Daegu Academy, and Cheonan.

Director Bae Chang-ho is being interviewed by Asia Economy on the 12th. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

Seven films will be screened: Kkobang-dong Neighbors (1982), Whale Hunting (1984), Deep Blue Night (1985), Our Happy Young Days (1987), Young Man (1994), Love Story (1996), and Jeong (2000).

Kkobang-dong Neighbors is Director Bae’s debut film made at the age of twenty-nine. At that time, Korean films were merely a minimal means for production companies to obtain foreign film import rights. Harsh production conditions and severe censorship restrictions persisted. Director Bae courageously pursued a film depicting the real lives of urban poor. The Ministry of Culture and Public Information rejected the screenplay five times and instructed sixty revisions. Director Bae reshaped it into a melodrama. His strategy was to lay social realism beneath a gray-toned love story.

Director Bae caught two rabbits with one stone. Kkobang-dong Neighbors candidly portrays the harsh life of the poor. People line up from dawn to use communal toilets. Women quarrel over a single pair of underwear at the communal laundry area. The strong communal spirit is sublimated into a festival through the dance of Gong Ok-jin, a holder of the cultural asset of the Bingsinchum (crippled dance).

The melodrama painted on top is more than enough to touch the heartstrings. A woman called “Black Gloves” (Kim Bo-yeon) repeatedly parts and reunites with two men (Ahn Sung-ki and Kim Hee-ra). The familiar melodramatic emotional line of “hate but try again” supports the socially critical perspective.

Director Bae Chang-ho is being interviewed by Asia Economy on the 12th. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Director Bae later reflected on ‘Lee Jang-ho vs Bae Chang-ho’ as follows:

"As an ambitious and spirited young rookie director, making a melodrama somehow felt like belittling myself. But during the final screenplay revision and film completion process, the heavy and socially accusatory content transformed into a strong and sad melodrama. I later realized that the completed film suited my temperament better than initially intended and had a stronger appeal to the public."

His ability as a talented storyteller peaked with Deep Blue Night. It set the highest box office record in Korean film at the time. The sophisticated visuals shot in the U.S., Jang Mi-hee’s captivating acting, and messages criticizing the American Dream drew audiences to theaters. Especially, the final scene filmed in Death Valley received high praise, even being compared to Roman Polanski’s Chinatown (1974).

The content differs from the original short story by Choi In-ho. Choi depicted a story of a novelist and a singer who were popular in the 1970s reuniting in the U.S. The film portrays Baek Ho-bin (Ahn Sung-ki), who dreams of the American Dream, entering a sham marriage with Korean woman Jane (Jang Mi-hee) to obtain U.S. citizenship. As time passes, Baek Ho-bin ignores and avoids Jane, who feels genuine love. At that moment, the collapse of the American Dream and the barrenness of love strangely pair together.

Director Bae did not focus solely on popular films. He shocked Chungmuro considerably with Hwang Jin-yi (1986), which excluded all embellishments and explored the spiritual world of the East, and demonstrated outstanding skill in depicting the daily lives of the working class with Our Happy Young Days, which harmonized everyday textures and styles.

His fame as a box office director gradually faded on the path emphasizing images over storytelling. Director Bae himself was not swayed by success or failure. Amid unfavorable external circumstances, he became even more straightforward. Critic Kim Young-jin summarized his trajectory as follows:

"He embarked on a path to pioneer his own auteur territory beyond the realm of popular films. It was not an easy path, but he did not easily retreat thereafter. (...) When I met Bae Chang-ho a few years ago, he said he liked the phrase ‘Gijinmuryang (其進無量)’ he learned from his calligraphy teacher. It means ‘there is nothing to hinder moving forward.’ That will remain true going forward as well."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.