[Review] Bong Joon-ho, a Cinephile Dissecting 'The Godfather'... Questioning the Meaning of Cinema

'Noranmun: End-of-Century Cinephile Diary' Review

First Generation Cinephiles Emerge in Early 90s After Student Movement
Nostalgia for Cinema of That Era Evokes Universal Empathy

"People like liquids loved movies like gases. They were crazy about movies." (Among the members of Noranmun Film Research Institute)

'Yellow Door: Fin de Si?cle Cinephile Diary' still [Photo by Netflix]

Some recall 1993 as a romantic era. In a time without online video services (OTT) or YouTube, movies best represented the romance of that period. Back then, there were no large multiplex cinemas, and theaters were not as numerous as they are now. Watching a movie at the theater was romance itself. The savory smell of popcorn, checking the screening schedule at the ticket booth and buying tickets, the ticket inspectors verifying your ticket upon entry?all evoke nostalgia for that era. Collecting movie tickets and pamphlets in files and exchanging impressions with friends was common. Unlike today, social networking services (SNS) were not developed, so the influence of friends’ movie reviews was quite significant. It was a different scene from now, where you can book tickets and buy popcorn via your mobile phone.

The Netflix documentary film "Noranmun: End of Century Cinephile Diary" (director Lee Hyuk-rae, hereafter "Noranmun"), which will be released on the 27th of this month, was invited to the 28th Busan International Film Festival’s "Wide Angle - Documentary Showcase" section and was first screened in Busan. Members of the Noranmun Film Research Institute attended the official screening and watched the film in the audience.

"Noranmun" depicts the story of the Noranmun Film Research Institute, a group of cinephiles who were crazy about movies. In 1993, cinephiles in Seoul gathered around Yonsei University students who loved movies. Director Bong Joon-ho, who shook the world with the film "Parasite" (2019), was then a young man managing a classic film video library. The film follows the memories of the Noranmun Film Research Institute members, a cinephile community from the early 1990s, recalling the era of movie buffs and young Bong Joon-ho’s first short film after 30 years.

It started by chance. "Noranmun" began when Director Bong Joon-ho suggested to the Noranmun members to hold a 30th-anniversary event. Although Bong’s intention seemed to be just to have a small gathering, during the exchange of stories, the idea expanded to "let’s make a documentary that seriously teases Director Bong Joon-ho."

'Yellow Door: Fin de Si?cle Cinephile Diary' stills
[Photo by Netflix]

Now, 30 years later, the Noranmun members are doing different things, but their faces still reflect how much they loved movies and how crazy they were about them. Director Bong Joon-ho is no different. When recalling those days and sharing various stories, his face looks as if he has returned to the movie buff youth of that era.

At that time, Director Bong Joon-ho studied movies by rewinding and watching scenes from "The Godfather" (1973) one by one. He was fascinated by dissecting scenes, drawing storyboards of iconic scenes. Bong recalled, "We were the first generation of cinephiles," and said, "There has never been a time when I was as crazy about movies as back then." He remembered that in the early 1990s, after the student movement ended, the number of student groups studying film as a new outlet for artistic passion rapidly increased.

Some parts of Bong Joon-ho’s unpublished first directorial work, the short animated film "Looking for Paradise," which marked a milestone in Korean film history, are also revealed. Bong, who carried a camcorder camera he bought with part-time job earnings like his own body, made a short film starring a gorilla doll. Although a villain appears and the story is cute, the more you recall it, the more bittersweet it becomes. The underground space, invisible vertical hierarchy, and the bleak society from which one cannot escape despite struggling?these messages, consistently depicted in his film worldview, remain unchanged.

"Looking for Paradise" was quietly screened at the Noranmun year-end party at the time. Bong recalled, "My ears turned red, and I watched the film in a corner." Actors Woo Hyun, Ahn Nae-sang, and director Choi Jong-tae were also the first audience to watch "Looking for Paradise." Woo Hyun, who partially funded the production costs, humorously said, "After watching the film 'Memories of Murder' (2003), I was amazed and regretted not funding the entire production cost back then," drawing laughter.

'Yellow Door: Fin de Si?cle Cinephile Diary' stills
[Photo by Netflix]

"Noranmun" is OTT content, but ironically, it emphasizes the meaning of the theater space in this era and the reason why we cannot help but love the medium of film. It also evokes deep nostalgia through the passion of the first generation of cinephiles. This is especially poignant because everyone has a moment when they fell in love with movies and were strongly captivated. Although it tells the story of Bong Joon-ho and his fellow film comrades, "Noranmun" ultimately resonates as my own story.

Director Lee Hyuk-rae said, "Cinephiles and fans are all lonely. They are not understood by those around them, but at some point, they meet people who like the same things and experience mutual understanding. We (Noranmun) had that experience 30 years ago. Having a clear sense of purpose and sharing something you love with someone is something the younger generation is also doing now. They just haven’t recognized its value themselves. I want to awaken that in everyone."

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