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| Oh, I so can see some Kpop plastic fantastic here^^ Not sure if I can see brilliant Corny though. |
Few personal words
first. I’ve been watching movies for well over 20 years now, and I believe I
watched my first musical around the same time. I don’t remember what it was.
One thing I do remember is that I’ve been always enamored by musicals – be it
as a movie or performed on the stage. It does not matter.
Korea is abundant with stage musicals, according to Won
Jong-Won who wrote an article in “Koreana”, there is around 180 musicals staged
annually without those for children. This is probably more than the amount of movies
made in my country per year.
But when it comes to musicals
as movies or dramas – barren land. Nothing.
I understand not
everybody is fond of musicals because, basically, it’s a hybrid form, it’s not
a full play, and it’s not a plain music. For some people it’s difficult to immerse
in a story that is sliced and diced and filled with dancing, singing and all
that mass hysteria that comes with every musical.
To me, personally,
those moments are the best. In mass dancing, singing moments, the raw, true emotions
are visible the most.
Yet this article is not
about musicals per se. I may write sometime in the future when I have time
enough to re-watch all I can and learn more. This article is to clarify some errors that
appear all over the internet and drive me mad. And I know that not only me.
In 2010 we got teased
with “What’s Up” rumors. I was dead happy thinking of the first musical drama, imagine
– singing, dancing, stage, the magic! Unfortunately, some bad spell was cast
and we had to wait for over a year to watch this drama. Meanwhile, other dramas
that had music as some part of the plot were made and broadcasted – “Dream High”,
“Heartstrings”, “The Musical”. And now, everyone compares “What’s Up” to one of
those.
Let me explain why such
comparison proves that those who do it are ignorant viewers. First of all, the only
one drama that can be compared with “What’s Up” from that list is “The Musical”.
Why? The answer is simple – musical. How hard is that? Both dramas deal with
musicals, not with music alone. There is a subtle difference – all musicals are
music, but not every music is musical. That’s the main reason I find comparisons
to others as really inappropriate.
Other dramas deal with
music – be it the school band name “The Stupid” (I wonder…) in “Heartstrings”, or
School for Musically Gifted (or whatever) in “Dream High”. So comparing a drama
focused on musicals with a drama focused on high school problems is, in my
opinion, useless. It proves people only can read “music” in “music-al” (oh
well, it should be music-hall, but let’s not nitpick too much). “What’s Up” has
also characters with personal demons, but it’s a standard for Kdramas. What
sets this drama apart from others is also the cast – there are real musical
actors in it. And I believe in every word they say or sing. Jo Jeong-seok, ie. as
the professional musical actor, knows exactly what to do to seem as unable to
sing, to hit the false note, to stumble upon words. I’m not starting on Oh Man-seok
because I have to finish this article…
“What’s Up” is also the
very first work that tries to incorporate what’s essential in every musical –
singing scenes instead of speaking. Ending of episode 3 was this close to being
a masterpiece – it ended with full sequence of imagined performance by one of
the characters. I’d demand more, but I’m fully aware that for viewers in Korea, spoiled
with talks and explaining things in normal speech, a sudden change to singing
may be confusing. For many international viewers as well.
Lately I’ve been
re-watching many U.S.
musical movies, like “Chicago”,
“Phantom of the Opera” (the old ones), “Hairspray”, “Sounds of Music” or “Moulin
Rouge” to just name the most famous. And I’ve been wondering why Korea
can’t or won’t produce such movies.
The problem doesn’t lie
in the cast. Original musical actors are of stellar quality, they can be put on
the same level with Broadway actors. Lately even some of singers try their best
at stages (few Super Junior members, INFINITE, and of course JYJ’s Kim Junsu),
some are better, some less than good, but it’s not the point. The point is – Korea has
enormous talents that perform in musicals (Park Eun-tae, Hong Kwang-ho etc., nanana, I'm not biased at aaalll!!) so
why no real musical movie? Oh yes, I know, there was one, “Go Go 70”, but since
it was about a band, it was easier to do.
Apart from musical
actors, there are so-called idols that really can sing, so casting them in the
musical movie wouldn’t be a problem (I could name a few, but I fear for my old
bones when cray fangirls track me for omitting their irrelevant oppa), and lots of regular actors in Korea (Jo
Seung-woo) can sing as well (wonder if on James Marsden or Ewan McGregor level,
ekhem).
So cast is not the
problem.
What’s the problem, Korea? Why no
decent musical movies? Why no decent musical drama, instead of 7535457th
rom-com? And I mean REAL musical, with singing and dancing! It’s not also the
plot problem. Yun Ho-jin in his interview said Koreans can tell stories. They
can, yet they’re not using their abilities to the fullest. “The Chun-hyang
Story” was a nice, hybrid movie, joining together pansori, traditional
narrative, and movie sequences where time flows as the narrator (gwangdae)
wants. One step further and we could get the musical.
Rather, producers like
to play safe and this is the main reason musicals have it hard on screen. It’s
better to made another comedy, horror or weepy romance than the most
entertaining form that is musical.
I’m probably in the
minority that prefers watching people who sing and dance about the laundry than
those screaming about stupid misunderstanding.
Fuck them then, I'm watching "Hairspray" again!
