I found Chunhyang to be a beautiful Cinderella-like folktale. The story is very simple and universal. But I found myself suspending any skepticism and was completely caught up in the all the emotions the film took me through. The direction, acting, and cinematography was lush and beautiful. My response to the Pansori sequences was different than some reviewers who found it annoying. Granted, I wouldn't sit at home listening to Pansori opera on my stereo. But I found it to be a window into another culture that I've never been exposed to before. It was interesting to see the Korean audience also caught up in the emotion of the story as the Pansori told the tale. And the Pansori was also used effectively to reduce any graphic violence in the film during the violent beating of the heroine by the evil governor. I thought the concept of going up and back between the story and the Pansori telling the story was unique and brilliant. I'm surprised the film received an R rating. Any sexuality in the film was done very tastefully. I think it should have received a PG rating.
Review of Chunhyang
