A daring KOREAN film that is extraordinarily and unconventionally elegant.
The story is set in the GORYEO dynasty of KOREA, and is centred around the king, his queen and his chief guard.
The setting used is simply PERFECT. The fields, the forests, the palace... and even the beds used are DIVINE-everything is decorated with INTRICATE DETAILS. GOD, I want those CERAMICS! The COSTUMES used are just as BEAUTIFUL. Gold, red, purple, black... whatever COLOUR, whatever PATTERN, whatever ACCESSORY... they all seduce the viewers' VICTIMISED eyes.
LOVELY cinematography and boy does THAT DIRECTOR know how to MOVE his camera. And to deliver his GLORIOUS vision is the CAST. I'm running out of adjectives... so let's say WONDERFUL. The 3 leads deliver with PASSION and the right dose of CONVICTION. They never fail to show us their UNIQUE characters and every MOVEMENT they make ADDS to the characters. But of course, they are BACKED UP by a SPINE of powerful supporting performances.
The only real FLAW... the script. First of all, I love most of it. My PROBLEMS with it are the last FORTY minutes and the INTIMATE scenes. It's not that the scenes are too EXPLICIT, they are neccessary for DRAMATIC EFFECT, but is there REALLY a need for them ALL to be quite LONG. OK, they're MADLY in love and their HORMONES are raging... WE GET IT!
The last forty minutes MOVES the film AWAY from NEAR-perfect for me. It is too BUSY and slightly too MELOdramatic for my liking. Most of the film is a CONVINCING drama... so really, the film COULD go without the last forty minutes and seek for a NEAT ending. But... perhaps the director WANTS a change of PACE and the MELODRAMA. Nevertheless, the ending is ADEQUATE and if not anything else-the ending really shows the WILD and UNEXPLAINABLE POWER of love.
The quality of the SPOT-ON dialogue fades a little, but is OVERALLY FANTASTIC. Not CORNIE and very powerful.
It is an ALMOST-GREAT film and is very worth-while. Once again, the KOREAN FILM INDUSTRY proves that they CAN make films! And they definitely have BRILLIANT ACTORS.
The story is set in the GORYEO dynasty of KOREA, and is centred around the king, his queen and his chief guard.
The setting used is simply PERFECT. The fields, the forests, the palace... and even the beds used are DIVINE-everything is decorated with INTRICATE DETAILS. GOD, I want those CERAMICS! The COSTUMES used are just as BEAUTIFUL. Gold, red, purple, black... whatever COLOUR, whatever PATTERN, whatever ACCESSORY... they all seduce the viewers' VICTIMISED eyes.
LOVELY cinematography and boy does THAT DIRECTOR know how to MOVE his camera. And to deliver his GLORIOUS vision is the CAST. I'm running out of adjectives... so let's say WONDERFUL. The 3 leads deliver with PASSION and the right dose of CONVICTION. They never fail to show us their UNIQUE characters and every MOVEMENT they make ADDS to the characters. But of course, they are BACKED UP by a SPINE of powerful supporting performances.
The only real FLAW... the script. First of all, I love most of it. My PROBLEMS with it are the last FORTY minutes and the INTIMATE scenes. It's not that the scenes are too EXPLICIT, they are neccessary for DRAMATIC EFFECT, but is there REALLY a need for them ALL to be quite LONG. OK, they're MADLY in love and their HORMONES are raging... WE GET IT!
The last forty minutes MOVES the film AWAY from NEAR-perfect for me. It is too BUSY and slightly too MELOdramatic for my liking. Most of the film is a CONVINCING drama... so really, the film COULD go without the last forty minutes and seek for a NEAT ending. But... perhaps the director WANTS a change of PACE and the MELODRAMA. Nevertheless, the ending is ADEQUATE and if not anything else-the ending really shows the WILD and UNEXPLAINABLE POWER of love.
The quality of the SPOT-ON dialogue fades a little, but is OVERALLY FANTASTIC. Not CORNIE and very powerful.
It is an ALMOST-GREAT film and is very worth-while. Once again, the KOREAN FILM INDUSTRY proves that they CAN make films! And they definitely have BRILLIANT ACTORS.
P.S IT'S MORE FOR (VERY) OPEN MINDED PEOPLE! HEHE! =)
ReplyDeleteHI eric i LOVE how you CAPITALISE every few WORDS OR SO for SUPER extreme EMPHASIS! ahahaha your blog rocks :D
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