Savagery and Serenity: Extreme Cinema and the Films of Kim Ki-duk

This chapter focuses on the reputation and reception of the Korean director Kim Ki-duk. Kim was a central figure in Tartan’s Asia Extreme brand, and the frustrated efforts of Tartan’s owner and general manager Hamish McAlpine to get Kim’s notorious The Isle (2000) released in the UK uncut, over the ruling of the BBFC, were themselves used to generate goodwill among fans and increased attention. This chapter considers the very specific construction of the Asia Extreme brand by examining Kim Ki-duk films released by Tartan both with and without Asia Extreme branding. Debates around animal cruelty and censorship are considered. Finally, the response of expert critic Tony Rayns to Kim’s increasing visibility is discussed as an expression of cultural anxiety over the changing status of Korean cinema in the West.