Elle Fanning, left, and Timothee Chalamet in a scene from „A Full Unknown,“ which depicts the early years of music legend Bob Dylan. AP-Yonhap
South Korea has firmly established itself as a world powerhouse in standard music. Nonetheless, whereas live performance movies are actually a standard sight in theaters, motion pictures that dramatize the lifetime of actual musicians by means of actors stay notably uncommon.
At the moment screening in native theaters is “A Full Unknown,” a music biopic that depicts the early years of folks icon Bob Dylan throughout a interval of cultural upheaval. Timothee Chalamet performs the younger Dylan, and the movie has garnered consideration, topping the field workplace amongst overseas releases upon its debut.
This isn’t the primary time a musician’s life has been dramatized on the massive display. A notable instance is the 2018 movie “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which portrayed the lifetime of Queen’s lead vocalist Freddie Mercury and drew an enormous 9.94 million moviegoers in Korea alone. Actor Rami Malek took on the position of Mercury.
Equally, “Elvis,” starring Austin Butler and launched in 2022, adopted the journey of Elvis Presley from a truck-driving unknown to a cultural icon below the steerage of expertise supervisor Tom Parker.
Whereas Korea has produced some music-related movies, few resemble “A Full Unknown,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” or “Elvis” of their dramatization of artists‘ lives by means of actor portrayals. Live performance movies, then again, are plentiful.
IU’s live performance documentary “IU Live performance: The Profitable” not too long ago hit theaters, and the upcoming movie “ZEROBASEONE The First Tour [Timeless World] in Cinema” will premiere on March 12. “Seventeen [Right Here] World Tour in Cinema,” showcasing the group’s live performance in Goyang, is ready to open on April 2.
Regardless of the hovering recognition of Ok-pop and Korea’s standing as a music powerhouse, there stays a noticeable lack of narrative biopics like “A Full Unknown,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” or “Elvis.”
A 12-part drama primarily based on BTS’s “The Most Stunning Second in Life” universe was produced, but it surely didn’t delve into the members’ real-life tales.
Poster for IU’s live performance movie “IU Live performance: The Profitable” / Courtesy of CGV
Its personal ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Specialists level to a comparatively brief historical past of Korean standard music and the sensitivities surrounding presently energetic musicians.
Cultural critic Kim Heon-sik mentioned, “It’s troublesome to create a piece like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ as a result of Korean pop music historical past continues to be brief and there are few figures who’ve made main contributions in a historic sense. Korean pop music started to actually blossom within the Eighties and Nineties.”
One other cultural critic, Ha Jae-geun, mentioned, “In Korea, it’s difficult to depict the lives of dwelling individuals and even these from current historical past. There’s usually sturdy backlash from these concerned, and audiences are likely to react sensitively, so it’s virtually thought of taboo. This contrasts with the liberty of expression seen in different nations.”
The dearth of precedents makes it troublesome to gauge the industrial potential of such movies, whereas the dangers are substantial. Biopics naturally contain musical performances, but Korea has few success tales of movies that embody singing scenes.
Many musical movies have failed on the field workplace, and actors face further stress to organize vocally. Chalamet as soon as revealed that he spent years honing his singing abilities, working towards intensively for a number of months, and dedicating over 5 and a half years to the position.
Nonetheless, the continued world recognition of Ok-pop raises hopes for a Korean model of “Bohemian Rhapsody” sooner or later.
“As Ok-pop fandom turns into extra solidified, a piece like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is more likely to emerge,” mentioned critic Kim. “Nonetheless, it will be greatest if one of these biopic started within the unbiased movie scene. These initiatives usually maintain extra inventive than industrial worth and normally mirror on a musician’s philosophy and inventive legacy. That’s why mainstream industrial movie sectors could not but be able to tackle such a problem.”
A scene from the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which highlights the lifetime of Queen’s lead vocalist Freddie Mercury and his id as a sexual minority. Courtesy of twentieth Century Fox Korea
This text from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Occasions, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Occasions.
