'Ssanghwajeom' barely avoids trap

Homosexuality is no longer a hush-hush topic for Korean filmmakers. But depictions of sexuality take another turn in "Ssanghwajeom (A Frozen Flower)," as a relationship between two men becomes a triangle of jealousy with an addition of a woman.

But the movie, to be released on Dec. 30, is not limited to sexual entanglement. Sex is used as a key tool to prod the plot forward, often at a rapid pace. To that end, director Yoo Ha includes plenty of explicit scenes of sex and graphic violence. The result, however, is somewhat mixed. The film's poetic justice produces an unlikely anti-hero.

Although the movie sets itself out as a historical drama set in the late Goryeo Dynasty, viewers should bear in mind that the story is purely fictional. The nation is now under the virtual rule of China's Yuan Dynasty, and Goryeo's king (Joo Jin-mo) has to produce a son to keep his position. The only problem is that he cannot sleep with a woman, much less have a romantic relationship with one.

The king's real romantic partner is none other than his chief bodyguard Hong Lim (Zo In-sung). The two have sex in the inner sanctums of the Goryeo court, and we are shown a graphic kiss scene between the king and Hong Lim, which is bound to shock some Korean viewers.

But the real shocker comes when the king decides to ask Hong Lim to sleep with his wife - the queen (Song Ji-hyo). This idea is based on his assumption that all his political problems will go away once there is a royal son.

The king's miscalculation, of course, is that passionate romantic feelings sometimes form after sex. Hong Lim, who has never slept with a woman before, hesitates to touch the body of the queen at first, but once the physical bond is initiated, he finds himself totally enslaved.

Love triangle established, the plot sprints ahead with a portrayal of the uncontrollable anger and jealousy of the king, leaving heads rolling in the process.

Director Yoo seems to suggest that Hong Lim has long been subjected to a sort of coercion, rather than a real romantic relationship with the king. Hong is a mere subordinate, while the king has all the power, including the right to order his death.

The queen, for her part, discovers the liberating exhilaration when she falls in love with Hong Lim after years of neglect and inattention. She suffers a deep sense of guilt initially but she finds herself indulging in the dangerous liaisons with Hong Lim.

What is notable is that sex in "Ssanghwajeom" is deeply associated with death. Eros is often depicted in literature and film as being able to overcome everything. The feelings that interconnect Hong Lim and the queen could backfire lethally because they are cheating on the almighty king.

As far as a plot is concerned, the unfortunate queen and her lover bravely defy the obstacles to prove that mutual love is more powerful than unrequited passion. The king's relationship with Hong Lim has been futile and one-sided. Failing to confirm whether his bodyguard is truly in love with him, he comes to realize that he is totally alone.

It is a pity that the king, trapped in a man's body, is betrayed by his secret lover. What the king fails to notice is that Hong Lim is a bisexual who prefers heterosexual sex.

But Joo Jin-mo does not have to lament his role. It is Zo In-sung who fails to create much-needed emotional subtlety and often delivers his lines in an annoyingly mechanical fashion. In contrast, Joo Jin-mo emerges as the ultimate winner in the film. Joo pulls off creating a complex and nuanced character with whom audiences will be able to sympathize, rescuing a film that might otherwise have fallen into the trap of having too much sex and violence.

'Boys Over Flowers' to Air in January

Tha main actors of Korean television vestion of ``Boys Over Flowers'' pose at a prss conference held Monday in downtown Seoul. From left are Kim Jun, Kim Bun, Ku Hye-sun, Lee Min-ho and Kim Hyun-joong. / Yonhap

The famous Japanese cartoon ``Boys Over Flowers'' by Yoko Kamio will be broadcast next year through the small screen, complete with a Korean version of ``Flower 4,'' that features handsome boys and a headstrong heroine.

Fans, reporters and camera crews packed the press conference held at a hotel in central Seoul, confirming the anticipation the drama has stirred for fans here.

The drama has cast four actors who were chosen from auditions: Lee Min-ho (Tsukasa Domyoji, or Goo Jun-pyo in the Korean version); Kim Hyun-joong (Rui Hanazawa, or Yoon Ji-hu); Kim Bum (Sojirou Nishikado, or So E-jeong); and Kim Jun (Akira Mimasaka, or Song Woo-bin). Actress Ku Hye-sun will play Tsukushi Makino, or Geum Jan-di.

The story ― about four boys and one lucky girl, spiced with the right mix of love triangles, troubles in school and parents and luxurious adolescent life ― captivated Asia, first through its original comic book, then through an animation, dramas from Japan and Taiwan and a movie.

Why another one, particularly a drama?

``I was asked to make the Korean version, and after some consideration, I decided to do it. Our version will be based on the cartoon, and I have tried to bring originality as much as possible,'' Jun Ki-sang, the producer of the drama, told reporters.

He added that he did have to change a few details in the storyline due to the cultural differences between Japan and Korea, but he tried to stick to the original plot as close as possible.

Even the cast had to look similar to the original ones seen in the cartoon ― from hairstyles, overall image and even height.

``Rui is 186 centimeters and so we tried to match the height of the actors during the audition. In the case of Tsukasa, he has curly hair, so Lee had to perm his hair numerous times just to get that perfect curl,'' he said.

The actors were thrilled to be starring in a drama whose plot is recognized all over Asia, but there were also hints of pressure.

``At first, I felt I just won the lottery. But now I feel the pressure and also the responsibility,'' said Lee, who is regarded as the most similar to the original character Domyoji because of his height and dark curly hair.

The former leader of the boy band SS501 Kim Hyun-joong also showed his anxiety by appearing as an actor.

``I do feel nervous and pressured, as this drama is my first one. When I watched movies or dramas, I just enjoyed them but now I focus on the way the actors talk, breathe and other acting elements. I just hope I'll do well enough to continue with another drama in the future,'' he said.

Compared to the male actors, Ku is a senior when it comes to acting, and she admitted that she thought she would have to lead the group, but realized that there was no need.

``I was worried at first, but everyone came so prepared. It actually made me nervous. I think I've changed a bit by acting as Jan-di, who is outgoing, strong and bright. I was uncomfortable meeting new people, but now I think I'm more like her,'' she said.

``We thought that the drama would be lame if it was just heavy and too luxurious. It will be more light and fun, that's why we decided to call it a trendy romantic drama,'' the producer said.

``Boys Over Flowers'' will start airing Jan. 5 at 9:55 p.m. on KBS.

Source: Korea Times

'Soonjeong' Stays True to Its Heart

Lee Youn-hi in "Soonjeong Manhwa," which is playing at local theaters. Since debuting in 2003, the sweet, wistful online comics by Kangfull have become a pop culture phenomenon in South Korea, generating countless Internet hits and message board discussions. Their incredible online following, however, failed to translate into box office success, as the first two attempts at bringing the comics to the big screen (``Apartment'' and ``Babo'') resulted in commercial flops. But the third time may be the charm for the popular Internet cartoon. Opening on November 27, ``Soonjeong Manhwa,'' based on Kangfull's first serial, topped the box office in its first weekend. And the popularity is well deserved, as the film version adroitly brings the sweet and poignant love story to life. Both the online and cinematic versions of ``Soonjeong Manhwa'' (which translates into ``Pure Hearted Comic'') revolve around two unconventional romances where age difference plays a role. In one of the relationships, between an 18-year-old high school girl and a shy 30-year-old man, the age gap is noticeable and highly questionable; in the other, between a melancholic 29-year-old woman and a determined younger man, the disparity seems more due to life experience than physical age. The film's director, Ryu Jang-ha, wisely avoids trying to recreate the serial comic, and instead, finds his own way of interpreting the two distinct relationships. Ryu, who also helmed the sentimental drama "When Spring Comes," recombines the scenes and details of the original serial and adds many of his own touches. Some of the changes are major, such as setting the story in the summer instead of winter, while others are more subtle. Though the film ends up deviating much from the comic's plot, Ryu preserves the original's essence - the gradual growth and buildup of love regardless of age difference. Much like the comic, the film remains true to love's internal logic, no matter how embarrassing or quirky, and makes a potentially scandalous relationship seem sweet and chaste. Most importantly, Ryu succeeds in capturing the tenderness of the online comic, which slowly comes to the surface as the relationships unfold. There is a rich, layered quality to the film, where each little decision or gesture leads to further meanings and possibilities. Some fans of Kangfull may find fault with how much the film departs from the original comic. Indeed, there are times when the movie aims too much for the conventionally beautiful, sacrificing the awkward, self-deprecating humor that drives much of Kangfull's works. On the other hand, these same fans should be pleased to know that when it matters, the film version is unafraid to wear its heart on its sleeve, just like their beloved online comic.

Real Army Role for Actor Cho Seung-woo

Actor Cho Seung-woo, a musical star of "Jekyll and Hyde" and "Man of La Mancha" who also starred in a number of popular movies such as "War of Flowers" and "Running Boy," entered the Nonsan Training Center on Monday afternoon.

Cho kept the date secret because he "wanted to start his military duty quietly." Cho said he will be alright, waved and smiled at those who saw him off in front of the Training Center.

Cho is one of the most sought-after musical actors in Korea. After he finished shooting "Like Fire like Butterfly" at the end of November, Cho cut his hair short.

Those who bought tickets to Tuesday's show of musical "Jekyll and Hyde" at the LG Art Center in Seoul can still see him, as interviews of actors and actresses from the show will be screened as a celebration of the 300th rendition of the musical since 2004, when Cho first took up the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde role.

In an interview conducted before entering the army, Cho said, "I can't believe 'Jekyll and Hyde' is celebrating its 300th show already. It is all thanks to the support and love of the fans. I will probably be away for two years. I would still love to be part of 'Jekyll and Hyde' when I return."

Song Hye-sun, the head of Cho's agency PL Entertainment, said, "It seemed Cho didn't get any sleep last night. He probably spent the whole night talking with his mother. I got very emotional when I hugged him, because I have known him for 10 years since his screen debut with 'Chunhyang,' and he is like a son to me."

'Speed Scandal' becomes the sleeper hit of the year

No industry insiders or analysts would have predicted the Cha Tae-hyun romp "Speed Scandal" would hit pay-dirt at the box office.

But through shrewd marketing and word of mouth from advanced screenings targeting specific demographics, the film has thus far amassed an impressive attendance figure of 1.5 million in 12 days. With a production budget of a modest $1.8 million, the comedy has already broken even and stands to turn in a tidy profit. Nine days was all it took for the film to achieve 1 million in attendance.

Aside from Cha, the film's headliner, the movie's lack of star-power makes all the more astonishing the number of advance ticket purchases, a figure competitive with Hollywood heavyweights "Twilight" and "Australia."

According to DCPLUS, the production house that financed the picture, "there's been an increase in attendance the following weekend after the film's premiere," and the film looks to ride the wave of positive feedback from moviegoers and reap the benefits of its buzz.

"Speed Scandal"

A few years ago, these figures would not have made many headlines in domestic media outlets, as films like "Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War," "The Host" and "Silmido" all broke Korean box office records.

Those were the years when the domestic film industry was at its peak, helped by a 40-year-old screen quota the government had implemented in order to sustain the viability of the domestic film industry.

The screen quota was a legislated policy that enforced a minimum number of screening days for domestic films in the theater each year. The system was enforced to prevent foreign filmmakers from dominating the domestic market.

But with the reduction of the screen quota as a result of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement in 2007, more and more Hollywood films began infiltrating Korean screens, resulting in a dramatic reduction of the market share for domestic films.

Since then, the Korean film industry has been on the decline, just as the Mexican film industry did when its government completely abolished its screen quota in 1994.

With sporadic hits from marquee filmmakers being the exception, Korean titles have been overwhelmed by the onslaught of Hollywood films since the reduction of the quota.

Helping to turn the tide, this year has seen a number of homegrown hits like the year's box office king, "The Good, The Bad, and The Weird," "The Chaser," "Public Enemy Returns" and "Forever the Moment."

With the unexpectedly stellar performance of "Speed Scandal" and the box office legs of "The Portrait of a Beauty," there is hope that the Korean film industry might rally.