BONG Man-dae began his film career in the late 1990s making eroticism videos (better known as “ero” videos in Korea). Eroticism video was already in decline then, but he somehow revived this dying industry and stepped in the center of attention. Unlike previous eroticism videos where sex scenes were mechanically inserted in the middle of discrepant stories, his works had their own convincing narrative. He sometimes used music video-style camera works and editing skills. And in 2003, he made his first eroticism film for theatrical release, called The Sweet Sex And Love. 

The Sweet Sex And Love featuring KIM Sung-su and KIM Seo-hyung, then-rookies, had no outstanding features except for explicit sexual descriptions rarely seen in the mainstream films of that time, and box office failure was in due course. However, since then, BONG has built a productive and unique career path. He has established himself as a TV specialist, also as an actor, and has made much better films than his debut. The beginning was Same Bed, Different Dreams, a series of cable TV film. 

Same Bed, Different Dreams was produced in 2004, almost 10 years prior to the discovery of the new eroticism film market in IPTV. The series consists of 6 episodes. It was the first attempt ever to bridge eroticism films with cable TV. It was well received, and was released in DVD as well. However, after Same Bed, Different Dreams’ success, BONG made Cinderella, a horror movie, moving away from the promising path for him. Then he ran into a painful failure one more time.  

The story takes place at Sewoon Arcade in the downtown of Seoul in 1996, which was the unofficial circulation center of Korean porno industry until it collapsed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, due to the advent of the Internet. It was also a kind of paradise for young men full of sexual curiosity and energy, searching for porno videos and magazines. 

At Sewoon Arcade where the end is near, Madam (KOH Sui-hee) is a porno video sales and delivery woman, who also invests in porno video production. Kyung-tae (LEE Moo-saeng), a porno video director who works with Madam, saves money to open a video shop, which is his long awaited dream. However, a loan shark gets hold of this news and threatens him to pay back everything in 3 days, after already taking away his contract fee. Devastated Kyung-tae happens to meet Ju-ri (Ti-na), a very sensual girl, who has been planning on leaving for Macau with the saving that she is to make with her acting fee. She suggests Kyung-tae to make a porno video with her investment.

Although this film deals with the porno video industry, Sex, Lies, and Videotape is, as importantly, a film about filmmakers. Boogie Nights may resonate with it in the sense that both are films about those who make porno videos with artistic pride of sort, and about the time period that they lived in-but the overall sentiments are totally different, because porno films have never been overground or experienced a good time in Korea. In this regard, the subject matter of this film is also in the same vein as BONG himself, who failed to join the mainstream and had to spend lonely 6 years.   

Playboy BONG released in the following year is also about eroticism filmmakers. This is also about their failure, disappointment, and contempt and misunderstanding that they get from the world around them. However, the tone got much brighter. In BONG’s words: “My films were more into depicting the psychology of the characters and story, but I wanted to go brighter, starting with Playboy BONG. You see, eroticism films are never dark, on the contrary, they are very healthy, you know. I consider myself a pierrot and I aim for ‘B-list eroticism movies’.”

Towards the end of this film, where a mainstream film director fails to make an eroticism film and is replaced by a newly invited eroticism film director, BONG seems to be declaring that he is the grand master of eroticism film, and telling the world not to look down on this film genre. 

And yes, to be sure, BONG is a grand master of eroticism film, rarely found in Korea. And more rarely, he is proud of himself being an eroticism film director. BONG is famous for making the viewers “really want to do it” by employing unconventional angles and sex positions. In Playboy BONG, he himself acts the character of an eroticism film director and gives a passionate speech as to what is a genuine eroticism film. His long presentation to teach erotic acting, searching on the body of an actress, seeking various positions and erogenous zones, is so truthful that it is deeply touching. 

It is rather unclear whether to call this sensual and dark film an eroticism film. It has several sex scenes but they do not resolve the viewers’ desire. Instead, viewers become even thirstier. Trap is telling the audience that desire opens up again for more, right at the moment you think it has just been satisfied. Unless you give up the struggle to satisfy it, you are bound to be destroyed. 

BONG once said “I only make erotic films, not eroticism films,” which could be a guideline to explain his rather confusing career path. He knows that sex is more than nudity and penetration. He also knows that sex is everywhere with everybody, no matter how much you try to appear like a gentleman. Nobody was ever born without (their parents having) sex, and that’s why he is not ashamed of it. “Ero” movie is the only way for him, going across the Internet, TV and screen.

*Sex, Lies, and Videotape and Trap are available on the KOBIZ Online Screening service (screening.koreanfilm.or.kr). KOBIZ Online Screening service is available sign up at any time, for film festival programmers, buyers and press.