''Bulgasari'' is a lost 1962 South Korean ''kaiju'' film directed and edited by Kim Myeong-je. Produced by Kwang Seong Films Co., Ltd., it was the first monster film to be made in South Korea, as well as the first Korean film to use special effects. The film stars

Choi Moo-ryong Choi Moo-ryong (February 25, 1928 – November 11, 1999) was South Korean actor, producer, and director who is father of Choi Min-soo Biography Choi was born in Paju, Gyeonggi province, Korea under Japanese rule, Korea. Choi was one of popular a ...

as Nam Hyeong / Bulgasari alongside

Um Aing-ran Um Aing-ran (born March 20, 1936) is a South Korean actress. She has starred in about 190 films, and gained a popularity with the image of "a cheerful female college student" in the 1960s. Her marriage with Shin Seong-il, a colleague actor and bi ...

, Gang Mi-ae, Kim Dong-won, and Lee Up-dong. In the film, a skilled martial artist is resurrected as an iron-eating monster in order to exact revenge on those who murdered him. ''Bulgasari'' was reported to have begun production on November 26, 1961. It was inspired by the legendary Korean monster of the same name and heavily influenced by ''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...

''.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...

began on February 28, 1962, and wrapped on March 24. ''Bulgasari'' premiered at the Myungbo Theater in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

on December 1, 1962. The film received negative reviews from critics, especially because of its unconvincing effects, direction, and acting. Believed to have disappeared shortly after its release, the film is considered a significant feature in the history of

South Korean cinema The cinema of South Korea refers to the film industry of South Korea from 1945 to present. South Korean films have been heavily influenced by such events and forces as the Japanese occupation of Korea, the Korean War, government censorship, t ...

and one of the most sought-after lost ''kaiju'' films.

Shin Sang-ok Shin Sang-ok ( ko, 신상옥; born Shin Tae-seo; October 11, 1926 – April 11, 2006) was a South Korean filmmaker with more than 100 producer and 70 director credits to his name. His best-known films were made in the 1950s and 60s, many of them ...

directed a remake of the film in 1985.

Plot

''As Bulgasari is considered a lost film, this synopsis is derived from the review featured in the December 7, 1962 issue of

The Chosun Ilbo ''The Chosun Ilbo'' (, ) is a daily newspaper in South Korea and the oldest daily newspaper in the country. With a daily circulation of more than 1,800,000, the ''Chosun Ilbo'' has been audited annually since the Audit Bureau of Circulations w ...

and a summary at the

Korean Movie Database The Korean Movie Database (KMDb) is a South Korean online database of information related to Korean movies, animation, actors, television shows, production crew personnel and other film-related information. KMDb launched in February 2006 by Ko ...

.'' In feudal Korea, during the late

Goryeo Dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...

, an experienced martial artist named Nam Hyeong is slaughtered by traitors. His hatred makes him resurrected as the iron-eating monster, known as Bulgasari, to seek revenge.

Cast

as Nam Hyeong / Bulgasari *

as Nam Lee * Gang Mi-ae as Eunjeon Lee * Kim Dong-won as the Castellan * Lee Up-dong as Seonhye * Jo Hang as the division director * Choe Seong-ho as Do-Cheol * Ji Bang-yeol as the ambassador of Dohwa * Park Sun-bong as a gatekeeper * No Gang as a gatekeeper * Park Il as a strange man * Park Kwang-jin as a strange man * Park Gyeong-ju as Jeong Seung * Sin Dong-hun * Jeon Ye-chool * Gang Cheol Cast taken from the

Crew

* Kim Myeong-je – director, editor * Gang Sin-tak – planner * Yang Jeong-chun – lighting * Won Je-rae – art director * Lee Seung-tae – costume designer * Lee Kyeong-sun – sound recording * Kwon Jinkyu – miniature artist Personnel taken from the

Production

Development

''Bulgasari'' was reported to have begun production on November 26, 1961. The film was inspired by the legendary Korean monster of the same name and heavily influenced by ''

''.

Filming

began on February 28, 1962, and wrapped on March 24.

Special effects

''Bulgasari'' was the first South Korean film to use special effects. Two noteworthy special effects sequences caught viewers' attention: a witchcraft performance by the "White Lady" and her ascension into heaven.

Release

Marketing

''Bulgasari'' was promoted as Korea's first film to use special effects in its "40 year history".

Theatrical

''Bulgasari'' premiered at the Myungbo Theater in

on December 1, 1962. The

indicates the

Korean Film Archive The Korean Film Archive or called Korean Federation of Film Archives and KOFA is the sole film archive in South Korea with nationwide coverage. It was founded in Seoul in 1974 as a non-profit organization. In 1976 KOFA joined the International Fed ...

owns a document printed on March 26, 1963, suggesting a print of the film was made for North Korean screenings, but it is unclear whether it was ever used.

Critical response

''Bulgasari'' was widely panned upon its release due to ineffective special effects and antiquated direction by Kim Myeong-je. At the time, historical films were the only spectacles worth watching, and this film was considered childish and trashy. A reviewer for ''

'' felt its directing method was outdated, and stated

and

's acting was "not very good," adding: "it adds boredom to the chorus of breathing in every line through the first part." The reviewer also noted that they could see "the strings hanging from the dragon's head" in one scene.

Preservation

Screenplay

While the film itself is considered lost, the original screenplay is preserved at the

. However, the screenplay is not accessible by the public.

Remake

Kim Jong-il Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim ...

assigned South Korean filmmaker

to direct a remake of the film in 1985, titled ''

Pulgasari ''Pulgasari'' () is a 1985 North Korean horror-action kaiju film directed by Shin Sang-ok. It stars Chang Son Hui and Pak Sung Ho and features special effects by Duk Ho Kim, supervised by Teruyoshi Nakano. The film centers around the legend of ...

''.

Legacy

''Bulgasari'' is currently one of the most sought-after lost films in the ''kaiju'' genre, along with '' Wasei Kingu Kongu'', ''

The Great Buddha Arrival is a 2018 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Hiroto Yokokawa. The film was based on the lost 1934 film of the same name, made with the cooperation of director Yoshiro Edamasa's grandson. Additional footage with new actors was shot to extend t ...

'', and ''

The King Kong That Appeared in Edo is a 1938 Japanese two-part silent period piece drama film set during the Edo period and produced by Zenshō Cinema. It is now considered to be a lost film. Plot One night, Chinami (Reiko Mishima), the daughter of Hyoue Toba (Reizaburo Ichikaw ...

''. It was listed No. 4 on ''GameRants "8 Lost Films That Need to be Found".

Notes

References

External links