A New Book on Korean Cinema - Representations of Japan in South Korean Cinema of the Park Geun-hye Era: INVADERS, LOVERS AND DEMONS by Russell Edwards

Recently published by Routledge, Australian scholar Russell Edwards new book provides a rare example of a national cinema that has managed to overturn the prevailing global paradigm of Hollywood dominance, South Korean films are nevertheless still haunted by the peninsula’s earlier colonial history. Focussing on a series of films produced during the administration of disgraced and then pardoned President Park Geun-hye (2013–2017), this book examines South Korea’s relationship with Japan and how this relationship continues to be negotiated through films and politics. Containing detailed discussion of significant and internationally renowned films including The Age of Shadows, The Handmaiden and the domestically popular, The Admiral: Roaring Currents, this informative text is a welcome addition to South Korean Film Studies that will also be valued for its examination of how film cycles operate in non-Hollywood cinema. Offering a perceptive look at an under-explored area, this book will be embraced by professionals and laypersons intrigued by South Korea and Japan’s frequently tense relationship.

In different, and surprising, ways the films address the entwined history of the Korean peninsula and Japan as well as the often precarious, contemporary relationship. Destined to become a landmark book for film scholars and Korea-watchers alike, Routledge will be shipping orders in March.  Click here to order

Russell Edwards is a veteran film critic, having written for Variety and SBS Online and is a former programmer for the Busan International Film Festival.