Customer Reviews

The History of Korean Cinema

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Packed with accurate and relevant information, The History of Korean Cinema may not be an engrossing read so much as an essential reference. The authors present the work in chronological order through the late 1980s, with some 169 illustrations. By happy coincidence, this period marks the end of a particular style of film-making in Korea, to be replaced by the vibrant innovations of the '90s. The early periods are covered in great detail, as well as the melodramas of the '50s and '60s and the artistic extravagances of the late '70s and early '80s. Observant readers will note how the best early work informs much of modern Korean cinema.

Richard Lynn Greever's translation is erudite and informed without being pedantic or crippled by the weight of literalism that so frequently burdens translations of scholarly texts. As such, it is highly accessible and more accurate a translation than mere rote transfer of words could ever be. It compares admirably to the original, honoring the tone and information of the Korean text in a clear and crisp prose style.

D. Bannon is a professional translator. He has subtitled many popular Korean dramas, most recently Dong Yi, The Great Queen Seondeok Vol. 1 and Time Between Dog and Wolf. He discusses subtitle translation in The Elements of Subtitles, Revised and Expanded Edition: A Practical Guide to the Art of Dialogue, Character, Context, Tone and Style in Subtitling