This is the era depicted in the movie “Blood Rain,” a 2005 Korean film directed by Dae-seung Kim, which is being showcased at 7 p.m. today at the Main Library.

The movie — part mystery, part thriller — follows a Korean investigator who is investigating a series of murders taking place amid tensions between the two ways of life, said Mina Shin, a visiting assistant professor for the Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages.

“Blood Rain” is being presented as part of Kresge Art Museum’s “Celebrating Korea” exhibit, which runs until Oct. 18.

In the Chosun Dynasty, Korea closed itself off from the traditional Western powers and those ideologies, said Shin, who is presenting the movie. Christianity was seen as a Western religion and any person associated with those beliefs was not treated with mercy.

“If you were caught (practicing) Catholicism, you (would) get punished,” she said. “You (would) die or you (would) have to name names to prosecute other people.”

Although the movie touches on the conflict between competing ideals within the country, it’s also about how mob mentality can affect a society, Shin said.

“It’s not only about religion,” she said. “It’s about collective madness.”

The clashes between the two religions shouldn’t have to occur, Kresge curator April Kingsley said, because both schools of thought ultimately were the same.

“They are all about the same thing,” Kingsley said. “You’re reaching outside of yourself to something else — a higher power — hoping for something to happen.”

The movie and other exhibits, which feature modern and traditional Korean art along with other events around campus, are part of Kresge’s examination of Asian cultures, Kinglsey said.

“We’ve done a number of things about Japanese art, we’ve had Chinese featured … we have gotten various other Asian things, but we haven’t done anything that’s had to do with Korea,” Kingsley said. “We’ve learned a lot because we didn’t know a darn thing about Shamanism.”

Interdisciplinary studies in social science and human resources and society senior and Korean Christian Fellowship member
Andy Lee said he welcomes the university’s attempt to promote Korean culture.

“It’s something to be proud of,” Lee said. “A lot of people don’t give (Korea) enough (exposure) or acknowledgment. A lot of Korean people attend (MSU).”