Review: The Concubine, 2012

After I mentioned before, some critics say it is a remake of Eunuch, 1968 by SHIN Sang-ok. I agree with it because structures, plots, characters are adopted from Eunuch. 

The Concubine has many plots but they are well weaved, which means, it is directed wonderfully. Mise-en-scene is also really good, which makes it even classy.    

Prince Seong-won falls in love with Hwa-yeon. Queen, who wants Seong-won to be a next king, notices it ordering Hwa-yeon to be a concubine, his brother, king's wife.  

On the other hand, Kwon-yoo and Hwa-yeon love each other. They decide to run away but the elopement fails. She pleads with her father not to kill Kwon-yoo in condition with she goes to the palace. Her father castrates him instead. Later Kwon-woo becomes an eunuch to revenge on her father. 

Queen plans to put his son on the throne with a minister. She poisons king and eliminates her opponents including Hwa-yeon's father. The regency by the queen mother begins. Hwa-yeon is isolated with a young child. 

Queen wants King Seong-won to have a son to consolidate the power. The sex should be followed by instructors next to the doors. 

However, In the king's mind, there is only one love, Hye-yeon. He takes her maid imagining her.  

Hwa-yeon uses king saying she can be his wife when he becomes a true King. She is wearing a hairpin which was presented before. 

Hwa-yeon makes up that queen tries to poison the king. King is furious. Eunuch Kwon-yoo helps her because the young child are theirs.  

While making love she kills king with the hairpin.  

Please watch director KIM Dae-sung's great movie, Bungee Jumping of their Own, 2000.

Review: Dangerously Excited, 2012

The Korean title means "I am the civil servant". The English title is not translated well.   


Dangerously Excited is wide-released but it is an actually indie film. Only 175,000 US dollars are spent for the production. Last week it achieved the break even point, over 200,000 viewers watched it. 

It is very meaningful because it is surrounded by the summer blockbusters, for instance, The Dark Knight Rises.

One ordinary late 30s civil servant meets an amateur music band, and joins it as a bass guitarist. The little conflicts between the old/conservative official and young band members bring laughs.  

I think viewers feel a sort of sympathy, the characters are just like the people around us. They have similar thirsty to escape from the repeated, sometimes sick, daily routines. And don't we want to express ourselves and receive attention/compliment from others? Dangerously Excited gives a vicarious satisfaction. 


YOON Jae-moon, he is a good actor. It is his one-man-show.

Review: Miss Conspirator, 2012

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Review: As One / Korea, 2012

As One / Korea begins with the subtitle, only one divided country in the world. It is based on the true story: the united table tennis team of South and North Korea won the world championship in 1991 against China.

The relationship of the Koreas is under the cold war after the series of events such as the seizure of power by conservative party in South, the attack of Chun-An battleship and the bombard of Yeon-pyung island by North.    

However, Korean people have a strong emotional tie in their minds as one nation. This  film is about it. It royally follows the conventions of sports films very well, which means at  least it is not tedious nor boring. 

Although it doesn't include any serious message, the current political situation of South and North makes viewers think about the unification related issues again.    


Anyway, what to appreciation about this film is the differences of mindsets, free and strict spirits, naive and arrogant attitudes, etc. And the acting of BAE Doo-na and HA Ji-won is impressive.   


They say, BAE Doo-na and PARK Ji-sung, football player, are dating. It turns out to be true?  

The coach notices to the national team that they will go to the championship as one team with the North Korea. The athletes are embarrassed because it is unpredictable and they don't have any preparation.  

The awkward encounters happens to them. They are one people, but culture, thought and the way of speaking are totally different.

 

Love, conflict, competition are there. Eventually, they open mind and get together for the match.

Meet the strongest China Team.

Some kind of a deal between China and judge.

The joy of victory.

Review: Iodo, 1977

Iodo is full of metaphors by KIM Ki-young. Maybe he must have used metaphoric languages due to the strict censorship in 1970s, but I say he was genius to do that. Repeat viewing will help you find them out. 

The director of photography, JUNG Il-sung, told that KIM Ki-young asked him to shoot like an amateur film, because it should not be realistic. Unsophisticated structure by flashbacks and saturated red and blue tones express the surrealistic atmosphere. The characters left or right side in the Cinemascope makes it more mysterious.

Woo-hyun invites press to ferry heading for Iodo to promote a hotel construction in Jeju Island. One journalist, Nam-suk who opposes to go to Iodo, is suddenly missing. Woo-hyun can be wrongly accused, so he is visiting Parang Island to investigate Nam-suk’s death.

Nam-suk’s past unveils. He came from the island, and was back to farm abalone because his dream was to make the island rich. He borrowed money for it, but failed by sea pollutions. He became a ecology journalist to report environmental issues. 

However, Woo-hyun finds there was something mysterious around Nam-suk. They were Mrs. Park, Min-ja, a female shaman, and sea divers. Nam-suk lived with Mrs. Park planning to farm abalone. 

Min-ja was a waitress but she had been the fiancée of Nam-suk when they were young. She had wanted to leave the island with him, but he had deserted and raped her tying her in rocks of the seaside. 

Min-ja hiding herself from Nam-suk lent money and seduced him. It is strange in this scene, he said to her "you are barmaid but still have virginity." 

Min-ja tells all the truth to Woo-hyun about Nam-suk, and sleeps with him. Before Nam-suk left he asked her to have a baby of who he would send. Woo-hyun is a kind of Nam-suk’s reincarnation to her.

Meanwhile, the shaman pulls Nam-suk’s dead body from sea through exorcism. The exorcism looks like a sex with an invisible ghost. 

And the shaman judges who, Mrs. Park and Min-ja, deserves the body saying the sperms are alive. Min-ja takes the body and has sex to conceive a child. It is an incredibly shocking scene.

Years after, Woo-hyun visits Min-ja with a kid. Min-ja says he is Nam-suk’s, but they know he is their son. He leaves the island behind them.

Review: Eunuch, 1968

Eunuch is extremely shocking and sensational considering it's a Korean classic film in 1960s. It was remade as the same title in 1986 by LEE doo-young.

I say, it is one of the  SHIN Sang-ok's masterpieces. Why? The plots unfold the secret events in Palace keeping tensions and conflicts. It melts desire, lust, trick, power, betrayal as well. And the relationship in characters is subversive, it reveals the contorted lust of King, royal,  eunuchs, concubines.    

It stars Shin Sung-il, YOON Jung-hee, DO Gum-bong, Nam Gung-won, etc., They were the best actors/actresses in the time. Especially, you need to pay attention to YOON Jung-hee' acting, she was the heroine  of The Poetry, 2010 by LEE Chang-dong.   

I wanted to watch Eunuch before I view Concubine, 2012 because someone says it is actually a remake of Eunuch. 

Jung-ho becomes eunuch following his love, Ja-ok. He was castrated by her father who wants Ja-ok to become concubine and have a King's baby. What he wants is the power using his daughter.

While Ja-ok is sleeping, an old concubine comes to her room to kiss and...  It shows a depressed sexual desire of concubines in Palace. It is quite unimaginable there is a homosexual scene in 1960s and in historical drama. 

The King have sex with Ja-ok, and order Jung-ho to stay in the next room. Ja-ok knows her love is there. Jung-ho has nothing to do without hearing her screaming. It is very cruel.  

The king knows Ja-ok's father sends her for power, he takes her maid instead. The maid holds her head high, becomes arrogant. Meanwhile, the King's mother is pregnant.... 

The leader of eunuch helps Jung-oh and Ja-ok escape because he is touched by their true love. 

They escape from the palace, and live happy. But it does not last long. She has a king's baby. He forces her to abort it but she denies it. King's warriors chase them and kill him.  

Ja-ok pretends to love the king, and she kills him while they make love. She suicides too.