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Pulgasari

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the 1985 film. For the creature, see Pulgasari (creature). For the 1962 film, see Bulgasari. For other uses, see Bulgasari (disambiguation).
Pulgasari
Japanese release poster
Directed byShin Sang-ok[a]
Written byKim Se Ryun
Based onBulgasari (1962)
by Kim Myeong-je
Produced byShin Sang-ok
Kim Jong Il[7]
Starring
  • Chang Son Hui
  • Ham Gi Sop
  • Jong-uk Ri
  • Gwon Ri
  • Yong-hok Pak
Cinematography
  • Cho Myong Hyon
  • Pak Sung Ho
Edited byKim Ryon Sun
Music bySo Jong Gon
Production
companies
  • Joseon Art Film Studio
  • Shin Films
  • Toho Eizo
  • Beijing Film Studio
Release date
  • July 4, 1998 (1998-07-04) (Kineca Ōmori)
Running time
95 minutes
Countries
  • North Korea
  • Japan
  • China
LanguageKorean

Pulgasari (Korean: 불가사리; RR: Bulgasari) is a 1985 kaiju film directed and co-produced by Shin Sang-ok.[a] A multinational co-production between North Korea, Japan, and China,[8] it is a remake of the 1962 South Korean film depicting the eponymous creature from Korean folklore. It stars Chang Son Hui, Ham Gi Sop, Jong-uk Ri, Gwon Ri, and Yong-hok Pak, with Kenpachiro Satsuma in the title role as the monster.

Pulgasari was the last film made by Shin under the orders of Kim Jong Il (then-heir apparent) during he and his wife's abduction by North Korean intelligence. The film was initially put forward in February 1985. Principal photography took place in Pyongyang from June to August 1985, while special effects photography lasted from September to December of that year.

Pulgasari was first screened at Toho Studios in January 1986. Upon Shin and his wife fleeing to the US Embassy in Vienna in March 1986, its North Korean release was canceled, and exportation was banned. Around a decade later, several pirated copies of the film were distributed in Japan. It officially premiered at Kineca Ōmori in Tokyo on July 4, 1998, and received licensed releases throughout Japan that same year. Pulgasari was a critical and commercial success in Japan, with some critics comparing it positively to Godzilla (1998). In 2000, it became the first North Korean film ever released in South Korea, but was a box-office bomb. In the subsequent years, the film has gained a cult following and has been screened in several theaters in the Western world.

Plot[edit]

In feudal Korea, during the Goryeo Dynasty, a king controls the land with an iron fist, subjecting the peasantry to misery and starvation. An old blacksmith who was sent to prison for defending his people creates a tiny figurine of a monster by making a doll of rice and before dying asks the gods of earth and sky to make his creation a living creature that protects the rebels and the oppressed. When the figurine comes into contact with the blood of the blacksmith's daughter, the creature springs to life, becoming a giant metal-eating monster whom the blacksmith's daughter names Pulgasari, which is the name of the mythical monster her father used to mention as an eater of iron and steel.[9] Pulgasari now shares a special bond with the blacksmith's daughter, and after he starts eating some of the farmer's tools, becomes a giant and powerful figure.

After much suffering, the peasants form an army, storm the palace of the region's Governor, and kill him. Soon after the evil king becomes aware that there is a rebellion being planned in the country and he intends to crush it, but he runs into Pulgasari, who fights with the peasant army to overthrow the corrupt monarchy.[9] Pulgasari wins many battles because of his unending hunger for all kind of metal, readily provided by its enemies. Nevertheless, after capturing and executing the leader of the rebellion (who was also the future husband of the blacksmith's daughter), the king's army threatens to kill the blacksmith's daughter if Pulgasari does not surrender. Pulgasari lets itself be trapped to save the woman, and the royal army apparently kills the creature by burying it under the ground. After escaping, the blacksmith's daughter revives Pulgasari by again pouring some of her blood on the burial site. Pulgasari grows strong once more and attacks the king's palace, destroying it and simultaneously killing the king.

After the king's defeat, Pulgasari becomes a new problem, since he starts eating the rebels' weapons and farmers' tools given to the creature without objection since the peasants still believe Pulgasari is a benign savior. The blacksmith's daughter realizes that Pulgasari's hunger will never stop, and that he is inadvertently oppressing the people he fought for. She decides to sacrifice herself by hiding inside a big bell that Pulgasari finds and quickly eats. Pulgasari yells in anguish as the blacksmith's daughter's presence in its system causes it to turn to stone and crumble into pieces, tragically killing both of them, but saving the people once and for all.

Cast[edit]

  • Chang Son Hui as Ami
  • Ham Gi Sop as Inde
  • Jong-uk Ri as Ana
  • Gwon Ri as Takse
  • Yong-hok Pak as the King
  • Riyonun Ri as General Fuan
  • Gyong-ae Yu as Inde's mother
  • Hye-chol Ro as Inde's brother
  • Sang-hun Tae as Rebel Forces
  • Gi-chon Kim as Rebel Forces
  • In-chol Ri as Rebel Forces
  • Pong-ilk Pak as the Governor
  • Kenpachiro Satsuma as Pulgasari (uncredited)
  • Masao Fukazawa as the baby Pulgasari (uncredited)

Production[edit]

Background[edit]

Main article: Abduction of Shin Sang-ok and Choi Eun-hee

Kim Jong Il was a lifelong admirer of South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok, as well as cinema in general. A collection of around 20,000 titles were reported to be in his possession, with new releases from around the globe being added shortly after opening in theaters.[10] In 1978, he kidnapped Shin and his wife, famed actress Choi Eun-hee, with the specific purpose of making fantasy/propaganda films for the North Korean government.[11] Kim also produced all of Shin's films during the abduction period, with Pulgasari being their third film of 1985 (following Salt and The Tale of Shim Chong),[12] and last collabaration overall.[11]

Development and filming[edit]

Pulgasari was a remake of Kim Myeong-je's 1962 South Korean film Bulgasari, with the story itself based around the legendary creature Pulgasari (or "Bulgasari") from Korean folklore.[13][14] The 1962 film, which is now considered lost, was the first ever Korean kaiju film, predating Yongary, Monster from the Deep and Space Monster Wangmagwi by five years.[1][15] Pulgasari was pitched in mid-February 1985, and location scouting commenced in Pyongyang and Beijing two months later.[16] Principal photography took place in Pyongyang from June to August,[16] with special effects photography following from September to December.[10]

Inspired by the 1984 Japanese kaiju film The Return of Godzilla, Kim sought some of that film's staff at Toho to create the special effects for Pulgasari.[17] Kenpachiro Satsuma recalled that he received an invitation to work on the film in April 1985, with it alleged to be filmed in Hollywood. Thus, the Japanese crew were tricked into working on the film in Beijing and North Korea, believing that they were on a flight to the United States.[16] Satsuma and the others' passports were confiscated upon arriving in North Korea. They were kept as guests at Kim Jong-il's villa for one-and-a-half months to shoot the film, where each of them had a large, well-ventilate, room featuring a bed, TV, bookshelf, and radio. Satsuma also said that they were working at Shin's studio around October 1985 and it "felt like mid-winter" because the windows in the building featured no glass.[7]

The film was completed in December 1985.[4]

Release[edit]

Pulgasari received a private screening at Toho Studios in January 1986.[16] Il initially wanted Pulgasari to be released worldwide later that year.[3][18][17] However, he ordered plans to screen the film in North Korea to be canceled and banned all exports in the wake of Shin and his wife's escape in March of that year.[3][19]

Eventually, Pulgasari was released to the public for the first time in any format on January 21, 1995 via VHS in Japan.[10] Although this and other releases of the film that occurred around the same time were allegedly pirated.[3] The film's official theater debut began at the Kineca Ōmori in Tokyo on July 4, 1998, where it became a box office hit.[20][21] The film achieved several records for a single-theater screening, attracting over 11,000 attendees before ending its run at the cinema in September 1998.[20] Due to its success, the film was released in several other Japanese cinemas and on home video later that same year.[8][4][3][20] After the June 15th North–South Joint Declaration, it became the first North Korean film ever released in South Korea,[1][22] where it was a box-office bomb upon its July 2000 release.[4][23] In 2001, ADV Films distributed Pulgasari on VHS in the United States. Thereafter, it received several screenings in the US, United Kingdom, and Canada.[17] In 2006, Pulgasari made its New York debut at the end of Columbia University Japanese culture center's year-long "Godzilla festival."[24]

Critical response[edit]

Japanese critic Jun Edoki [ja]—one of the film's main advocates—praised it, referring to it as "one of the greatest monster movie masterpieces in history, something that neither Hollywood nor Japan can ever replicate".[20] The film was positively compared to TriStar's Godzilla (1998) by Japanese reviewers at the time, who believed that Pulgasari was not "sophisticated" like that film and "reminds the viewers of Japanese monster movies of their good old days".[25]

Legacy[edit]

Kenpachiro Satsuma often spoke positively about Pulgasari, and was once quoted saying that he wanted to return to North Korea to work on a sequel.[20][21][25]

Pulgasari has gained some popularity over the years because of the story of Shin Sang-ok and Choi Eun-hee's kidnapping. After finding out that his credit was removed from the movie, Shin Sang-ok wrote a remake called The Adventures of Galgameth in 1996.[citation needed]

Interpretations[edit]

According to Jonathan Ross, the film was intended by the North Korean government to be a propaganda metaphor for the effects of unchecked capitalism and the power of the collective.[24][26]

The Guardian stated that there has been some speculation that the director Shin Sang-ok included a hidden message of his own in the film. The film's titular monster is often interpreted as both a metaphor for Kim Il Sung betraying a people's revolution for his own purposes. It is also considered as a plea to the North Korean people to rise up against the Kim regime, represented by Pulgasari demanding his subjects fed him more and more iron farming equipment even after the former regime has been defeated, leading to the workers turning against and ultimately defeating their former savior.[9]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Some South Korean publications have claimed that Shin was replaced by a North Korean filmmaker towards the end of production;[1][2] Shin received no credit in the film itself, with directorial duties instead credited to "Chong Gon Jo".[3][4][5] However, "Chong Gon Jo" is now believed to have been a pseudonym for Shin.[4][6]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Do-yeon, Lee (April 29, 2019). "무주산골영화제 개막작은 북한 영화 '불가사리'" [The North Korean film Pulgasari is the opening film of the Muju Mountain Film Festival]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  2. ^ 뉴시스 (May 29, 2019). "무주산골영화제 개막작, 남 신상옥·북 정건조 '불가사리'". Newsis (in Korean). Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e "北朝鮮版の【怪獣映画】が想像以上に素晴らしい…！ 金正日が国家予算を注いだ傑作の内容とは？". TOCANA. p. 2. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e "[신상옥의 북한영화 이야기] 불가사리". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  5. ^ Film & Video Yearbook 1999. Kinema Junpo (in Japanese). May 14, 1999. p. 192 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Yamada, Masami (December 1995). 大ゴジラ図鑑2 [The Pictorial Book of Godzilla 2] (in Japanese). Hobby Japan. p. 152. ISBN 4-89425-117-5.
  7. ^ a b "ゴジラ俳優「薩摩剣八郎さん」死去 金正日肝いり「怪獣映画」に出演 かつて明かした北朝鮮"極寒の撮影秘話"（2ページ目）". Daily Shincho (in Japanese). December 27, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Issues 1392-1395 (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. 2003 – via Google Books. 1985 年、日本、中国、北朝鮮の合作で制作され、 98 年に日本公開された「プルガサリ/伝説の大怪獣」。{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  9. ^ a b c Gorenfeld, John (3 April 2003). "Kidnapped by Kim Jong-il: the man who directed the socialist Godzilla". The Guardian.
  10. ^ a b c https://eiga-chirashi.jp/090212/090212000003.pdf
  11. ^ a b Peralta, Eyder (December 19, 2011). "'Pulgasari': Kim Jong Il's Giant Monster Film". The Two-Way. NPR. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  12. ^ Schönherr, Johannes (2012). North Korean Cinema: A History. Jefferson: McFarland. pp. 81–82. ISBN 978-0-7864-6526-2.
  13. ^ Ozaki, Kazuo (December 3, 2018). "監督との対話から見える『グエムル -漢江の怪物-』の輪郭". thecinema.jp. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  14. ^ Choe, Sang-Hun; Torchia, Christopher (2002). "Eat, Eat: Rice Is Everything". How Koreans Talk. 은행나무. pp. 024–025. ISBN 89-87976-95-5. He ate like a Bulgasari eating metal.
  15. ^ Wiggins, Brent (October 13, 2022). "Pulgasari: A Look at the North Korean Kaiju Movie". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d Satsuma, Kenpachiro. "東京ナラサキ研究所 - プルガサリ撮影秘話". narasaki-net.com. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c Romano, Nick (2015-04-06). "How Kim Jong Il Kidnapped a Director, Made a Godzilla Knockoff, and Created a Cult Hit". Vanity Fair. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  18. ^ Romano, Nick (April 6, 2015). "How Kim Jong Il Kidnapped a Director, Made a Godzilla Knockoff, and Created a Cult Hit". HWD. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  19. ^ "プルガサリ 伝説の大怪獣 [画像ギャラリー 2/2]". Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-06-24.
  20. ^ a b c d e "大ヒット、「プルガサリ」". Choson Sinbo (in Japanese). Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  21. ^ a b "映画「ゴジラ」７本で"中の人"を…俳優・薩摩剣八郎さんは今｜あの人は今こうしている". 日刊ゲンダイDIGITAL. 2014-09-22. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
  22. ^ "북한 영화: 한국서 북한 영화 9편 상영이 주목되는 이유" (in Korean). BBC. 2018-07-11. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  23. ^ Korea Now. Korea Herald. 2003.
  24. ^ a b "A KIM JONG IL PRODUCTION". The New Yorker. 18 April 2005. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  25. ^ a b "First NK Monster Faces Hollywood-Born Godzilla in Japan". Choson Sinbo. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  26. ^ Taylor, Ben (2 February 2012). Apocalypse on the Set: Nine Disastrous Film Productions. Overlook Hardcover. pp. 168–169. ISBN 978-1468300130.

External links[edit]

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