hankyoreh

the Bad

This week I may be veering off into a topic I do not fully understand, but I am resolute nonetheless. There is something too catchy, too melodic about Korean film music. It is enticing, pretty, heartfelt, and it is too much.

In this sense I agree with the European film critics who often praise the visuals and acting performances in South Korean films, but are constantly complaining about the music. I used to think that it was simply a matter of Korean films using too much music. I thought perhaps it is a cultural difference, similar to the way that my foreign friends always complain that the music in Seoul’s cafes is too loud, while Koreans don’t seem to notice. Maybe Koreans are just more comfortable with full soundscapes.

Ultimately, however, I think that the quantity of music is less of a problem in films than the type. Specifically, Korean film music seems to concentrate too much on melody instead of harmony. I once listened to an interview with a U.S. composer who claimed that if you walk out of the theater humming the music, then the film score is a failure. Music should complement and highlight the visual and narrative aspects of the film, but it should not be competing for viewer’s attention, he said.

Perhaps he was overstating a bit. There are many instances throughout the history of cinema when a piece of ravishing music makes for an unforgettable sequence within a film. What would a Wong Kar-wai film be without pop songs? But I think there is a crucial distinction to be made. When a song with a strong melody appears in a film, such as the Strauss waltz in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 a Space Odyssey, the narrative essentially stops, like a pedestrian waiting for a train to pass. On the other hand, when music is meant to accentuate a dramatic development within the plot, a composer should think in terms of harmony instead of melody.

It seems to me that Korean composers are quite skilled at producing memorable melodies, but it seems rare for them to produce the sort of harmonies that give a film a highly distinctive feel without being distracting. I remember several years ago listening to the music at the start of Little Miss Sunshine and wishing that Korean directors could make use of such effective music. Admittedly, Dalparan succeeds brilliantly in this in the score for The Good, the Bad, the Weird, and there are a few other examples, but for the most part Korean film music seems to be a weak point.

Particularly in these days, when mainstream Korean films do not feel as fresh or original as they used to, it would be good to see more composers drop the catchy melodies and put their creative energies into forging a new style of Korean film music based on harmony. Korean cinema needs a mood changer.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]