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Korean War has been represented in Korean films since the Armistice and has been subject to different interpretations. As for the Joseon Dynasty, it has almost become its own genre in recent years, becoming the favorite setting for dramas. 

But there is one period that has long been forgotten and is only now becoming increasingly popular: the Japanese Occupation era, from 1910 to 1945. It is obviously a dark chapter in Korean History, a time that is emotionally charged and the cause of much resentment against Japanese people. But it’s also the moment of the modernization. 

Based on the recent successes of Assassination (2015), The Handmaiden and The Age of Shadows, it seems that this period resonates with today’s Korean audience. But as we’re about to see, this is more than just a fad for nostalgic sceneries.

 

It’s at that time that the capital city, Gyeongseong, went through intensive modernization. By the 1930s, Gyeongseong was reportedly the most “modern” (i.e. westernized) city in East Asia. Electricity, cars, telephone and street lights were common, while the more traditional aspects of the city were being put aside. 

The old city (Bukchon which means the northern village) was experiencing dramatic transformations, with many buildings from the Joseon era being destroyed to make place for new ones harboring European-inspired styles. The plan of the city went back to the drawing board, with many new roads, railways, and infrastructure to accommodate the new ways of living. A totally new city (Yongsan) was also being developed south of the old one. At night, streets were floodlit with neon signs, hinting at a newfound care for leisure activities. The city landscape was becoming the allegorical expression of the rapid shift in customs and values, a constant work in progress. 

Different cultures were merging, but also at times clashing at each other. Being “modern” was the new trend, but there were times when these Western customs would come at odds with traditional values, especially regarding the social position of women. Debates could get quite fierce between modernists and traditionalists. While some nationalists were seeing these changes as a tactic to acculturate their nation, others were considering them as a lucky byproduct of the colonization that would eventually help the nation to redefine itself and its future. 

If I’m talking about these social issues here, it’s because while they were an unavoidable topic back in these days, they are barely even brought up in recent movies depicting that era. The modernization or destruction of Korean landmarks has never been used to represent the colonization, contrary to things as varied as native fauna (in The Tiger, 2015) or running (in the first part of My Way, 2011). That’s because despite the nostalgia for some traditions or values, Korean society doesn’t question any more the modernization, it is part of its identity. 

Instead of that ideological conflict, it’s the independence struggle that has been preferred by moviemakers. In The Age of Shadows, Gyeongseong is shown in all its facets. With its Japanese signboards and its trolley cars, it’s quite difficult to recognize today’s Seoul. The city looks foreign, even exotic. It’s the perfect playground for the many spies of the plot, who have to rely on the city’s features to hide themselves from their enemies. 

At a time when South Korean society is more divided and polarized than ever, Gyeongseong represents a time of unification despite the obvious hardships, or rather thanks to them. The whole nation, from either political leaning or socioeconomic background, was united behind the same objective: to reclaim the sovereignty of the nation. 

The Gyeongseong from the movies is a black-and-white world, much easier to understand that today’s complex and blurry world. The bad guys of these movies can only be Japanese or their collaborators, and they are easily identified by their names or their language. This whole era conveys a main narrative that is obvious from the outset. Thanks to that, even characters who appear as immoral under other contexts can be raised to the rank of national heroes as soon as that grand ulterior motive gets called back. 

The Age of Shadows and Assassination both feature main characters who abandon themselves to terrorist activities. But while the former one never questions the use of violence, the latter one conveys a more nuanced point of view, with the audience being left to wonder if the end really justified the means.

We shouldn’t forget that for the victims to the Japanese conquests, their idea of the Japanese soldier is a dehumanized abstraction of evil that is on par with how we think of the Nazis. Because of that, the audience can excuse Korean heroes for killing so many of them. By no means does it equate to wishing the death of Japanese people. 

Films set in Gyeongseong are a safe haven to tell stories, so disconnected from today’s world that you would be hard pressed to provoke any scandal. But don’t get me wrong, these films can touch sensitive issues relevant to contemporary audience. Pro-Japanese collaborators, with their use of treachery to benefit financially at the expense of other, can remind the scandals of corruptions that have recently made the headlines. 

The Handmaiden’s story would have turned out differently had it been without the moral decay that seems to affect every powerful character of that time. By setting The Handmaiden and The Silenced (2015) in Gyeongseong period, the respective directors could exacerbate today's issues to make their point. In this way, Gyeongseong period seems to take the role usually held by science-fiction in narrative arts.

It's still too early to guess where this trend is going, but one thing is sure, though: this historical period is rich enough to allow all kinds and genres of movies. What Korean filmmaker will make of that is up to them.