[CFP] Stupendous Villainy in Korean Cinema, UC Berkeley
Interesting CFP on “stupendous villainy” in Korean cinema. “The continuing success of Korean films has garnered the interest of critics in the persistence of the popular genre form. Their appropriation of blockbuster aesthetics, reworking of narrative and genre conventions, as well as the treatment of diverse subject matters, have all received keen critical attention. This workshop focuses on a narrower element of Korean film’s popular appeal: the stupendous depiction of villainy. Through an examination of the strange depth of antiheroes and psychopaths, this workshop endeavors to elucidate an oft-neglected, yet impressive aesthetic achievement of recent popular Korean cinema.  The sophisticated technique of character development in creating the archetype of the villain not only highlights the broader range and depth of new trends in popular filmmaking, but also calls for new ways to conceptualize the relationship between filmic representation and the society at large.  The broad contour of the antagonist, ranging from the lure of transgression and a fear of the dreadful, will be of particular interest.”… more