After China and Vietnam, it is now Korea's turn to export its film industry globally. Chunhyang is a refreshing poetic film, with fantastic scenery. Im Kwon-taek, Korea's leading director, conveys a message of love and hope by adapting a popular pansori to the screen. The pansori is performed by Cho Sang-hyun and Kim Myung-hwan: the voice and drum blend into the beautiful scenery.
At first, the uninitiated (e.g. myself) may be shocked by the continuous singing and beats; some may even be put off by it. However, once you get used to this most peculiar type of performance, you can start concentrating on the film itself. The film itself is more of a complement to the pansori. By diverging at times from the lyrics, the scenes add a further dimension to the story by providing the environment in which the story takes place. The direction is fantastic, the scenery even more. Every frame could be a masterpiece of photography. The plot delves into the traditional issues of love, faithfulness, hatred, desire, etc... without becoming too stereotypical.
See it to discover Korean art and music. See it with an open mind, as a cultural event. The rhythm and singing may put you off at first, but it is the combination of the pictures and the poetic singing that makes the beauty of this beautiful film.
At first, the uninitiated (e.g. myself) may be shocked by the continuous singing and beats; some may even be put off by it. However, once you get used to this most peculiar type of performance, you can start concentrating on the film itself. The film itself is more of a complement to the pansori. By diverging at times from the lyrics, the scenes add a further dimension to the story by providing the environment in which the story takes place. The direction is fantastic, the scenery even more. Every frame could be a masterpiece of photography. The plot delves into the traditional issues of love, faithfulness, hatred, desire, etc... without becoming too stereotypical.
See it to discover Korean art and music. See it with an open mind, as a cultural event. The rhythm and singing may put you off at first, but it is the combination of the pictures and the poetic singing that makes the beauty of this beautiful film.