I didn't go into this movie with a lot of expectations because other than Han Hyo Joo, I'm not really interested in much of the cast. (I know I'm wretched). The premise interested me but what kept me watching was the absolutely magnetic performance of Lee Byung Hun.
He is beyond talented and he deserves all the praise he gets for being a great actor and if you don't believe me or really wonder why Korea thinks he's 'all that' watch this movie. It will clear up all the doubts you ever had of him. Just within the premise of the story he plays two physical characters (Ha Su and Gwanghae) but Ha Su himself goes through so much to change that the range that Lee Byung Hun delivers believably is great. The transitions of his character are seamless.
The story moves quickly and is enjoyable from the start, you get to literally see things that you would never expect in a historical drama but maybe like me have always wondered. There's a human aspect to this story that doesn't come across as well in other historical dramas I find because the king is a man who is from the palace. In Gwanghae, it's the opposite as the position of king is given to someone who is absolutely not from the palace.
I didn't particularly notice the music >< (my bad!) I would definitely rewatch this movie but not right away cause dear god I have way too much to actually watch (and right now I'm going to rewatch Coffee Prince ^.^)
But overall, love Gwanghae...if you're looking for a good historical WITH AMAZING acting, watch Gwanghae. It didn't just win big at award shows for nothing :)
P.S. (the other actors in this film do really well too even though I just mentioned Lee Byung Hun cause he blew me away. In particular I really liked the Eunuch :))
Was this review helpful to you?
The acting was submerging. Their acting really made me immerse into the mood of the scene. And the main character played two characters very well.
Music was good. There was one particular theme that stood out because it felt unique to this movie, but I feel like the soundtrack fit in pretty well.
About rewatch value... don't even ask. I know I'll be watching it second time this week again for sure.
This was one of the rare movies that I was fully satisfied with at the end in a long while. If you like historical theme with a tiny pinch of humor, watch it. Watch it now. Heck, I even got tear jerked around few times while watching it.
Why are you still reading? Go away and watch it!
You may find it here: www.kr-dramas.org/2012-masquerade
Enjoy~
Was this review helpful to you?
Unfortunately the villainous ministers who plot to undermine the king are not given much time onscreen, but they really are secondary to the plot.
Lee Byung Hun portrays both the real and fake kings well, especially the fake king and how he settles into his role as king. Ryu Seung Ryong is the astute and trustworthy royal secretary who works with conviction. Han Hyo Joo does not have a lot of screentime in this movie, but she gives a good, controlled performance as the queen who loves the king but has been distanced from him by court intrigue and politics.
Really enjoyed it and I can see why it has received so many awards in the 2012 awards season.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story was great! - it went exactly as in the summary, a commoner pretending to be a king for the king's sake. So many things could have happened during the period yet I totally didn't expect everything to be portrayed in such a funny way the movie did it, I was impressed! Funny moments, though short lived, was totally welcomed in such a stuffy palace. I love how the 'imposter' managed to make changes that were against what the real one would do, in an acceptable manner instead of in the over-the-top manner movies/dramas tend to do. Humanity was another point heavily portrayed in the movie but it was executed so nicely that me, as an audience didn't feel burdened by it. II think that's a really great job!'
The acting was brilliant! - Lee Byung Hun as The King / Imposter was fantastic in his roles. His funny moments rendered me crazy (with laughter of course) while his all-highness act was quite nice for a historical character. The rest did a nice job portraying their characters though in my opinion the rest of the characters don't need much to portray since they were just simple ones.
The music...must have been so not memorable as in not amazingly good or not amazingly bad that it's not worth remembering. Too common I guess.
It'd make a nice rewatch! - Because it was funny!
So as an overall, I would give it an eight out of ten because it made me laugh at crazy while making me think about the fine line between right and wrong and how the world perceives both of them.
Was this review helpful to you?
A King trades places with a lowly theatre actor who resembles him. It's not so much trades places as occasionally takes his place. However, the King is met with a predicament and the actor has to take his place for an even longer period that anticipated and he does so for money. The actor who takes his place ends up being loved by all, that's it. When I say that's it, it really is because there's no action. The real king is supposedly a tyrant but we don't really see that. He used to be a good King but the throne made him change somehow. Again, you never see this. We don't really get an in depth view on the burden of being King. The pauper who takes his place ends up being loved for merely giving feel good speeches and receiving almost no opposition. He changes laws just like that... Honestly, he makes being a King look bloody easy. He pretty much does whatever he wants! The men that oppose him aren't really forceful. It feels like he does more in the two weeks as the King than the real King. It would be great if there was an in depth focus on how power is use and what made the real King tyrannical to begin with. I also thought it would have been even more amazing if the pauper began to change somehow and found himself being tyrannical. Then the ending would have been perfect. I feel like the focus should have been on how the throne changes you even if you have the best of intentions. This felt like a waste of a good concept. There were good and funny moments but ultimately this felt a little too loose.
Furthermore, the ending could have been better if the plot was done better. However, the country still ends up with a tyrannical King...
Lee Byung Hun for me did a decent job but I would be lying if I said I was captivated. There were moments it was hard to tell who the real King was. While there was a lighter air about the pauper. It never felt truly challenging as I expected it to be. I ended up liking the supporting cast more...
Overall: This is pretty much the tale of the Pauper and The Prince so I could praise the concept but it's not exactly original but I thought they missed some opportunities to make this amazing. There were too many things I wish were better done. However, my six comes from some good and poignant moments and the few that I thought were good.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
How accurate is the historical portrayal here? I cannot say for sure. But I do think that the initial plot of having a simple man pretend to be king is nothing out of the ordinary but one that's deeply fascinating to see especially if the difference between the imposer and the real one is huge. Byung-hun mere change of tone and way of speaking already had me so impressed. I absolutely did not expect comedy to be in a historical film like this and that caught me by surprise.
Was it weird? No. Because it worked. Did it work well with the drama? It did. It was able to show the change and characterization and ultimately, the actor's acting ability.
It is a fun watch as much as it is a dramatic watch. Ultimately, what kept me glued isn't the plot but it's the character. The visuals are stunning. The ambiance, the setting, down to the little details of the clothes, the hair, the scroll -- everything is so beautiful to look at. Not to mention the music framing, especially when Byung-hun is giving his speech. Perfect. With matching feels. Not to mention the incredible supporting cast including Han Hyo-joo, Ryu Seung-ryong, Jang Gwang and Kim In-kwon that creates a grand ensemble.
Masquerade (as I've heard) as a 100% rating in Rotten Tomatoes, 6th highest-grossing film in the industry and sweeping the 49th Grand Bell Awards, this film woos you. I laughed, I (almost) cried, I felt the subtle romance and I felt the feels.
Was this review helpful to you?
I've seen the drama remake ''The Crowned Clown'' and when I decided to watch the movie I thought ''Okay, I already know what will happen, so will I even like it?'' God, how wrong I was. The movie and the drama are extremely different so if anyone else is wondering whether they should watch the movie when they've seen the remake - trust me, you haven't seen enough of this story and you'll be very surprised, so just watch this.
I love historical genre, but historical movies are not really my thing. They often feel very slow at the beginning, then way too rushed at the end. ''Masquerade'' though, was very fast-paced overall, it got me hooked from the first ten minutes because it got straight to the point which I very very appreciate. It did feel a little too rushed at times though, especially towards the end. But I guess that why they decided that it would be nice to make a drama too (and the drama got too draggy but anyways).
The cinematography though... absolutely mind-blowing! Every scene was like a piece of art. The lighting, the sound effects, the costumes and the overall atmosphere - everything was on point. I'm not surprised that this is one of the highest-grossing SK movies and it won so many awards with a reason.
Lee Byung Hun was certainly the star of the show. His portrayal of the cold-hearted king and the quirky Ha Sun is simply excellent. I loved his interactions with the Royal Secretary and the Eunuch so much! The reaction of these two mirrored mine so perfectly.
My biggest disappointment in this movie was Han Hyo Joo. I've heard some negative opinions about her, but I never thought of her as a bad actress since I liked her in every show I've seen her. However, here, her performance was very weak. Her expressions either looked fake or too overdramatic. Next to the brilliance of Lee Byung Hun and Ryu Seung Ryung, her acting felt very flat.
Oh, did I mention the humour? This movie is hella funny, I almost cried from laughing! Of course is also very heavy and emotional, but the humour was just perfect and so on point. I'm sure I'll rewatch the movie just to see those funny scenes again haha.
Overall, I highly recommend this movie to everyone! It easily became on of my favourites and I'm soo glad that I finally watched it!
Was this review helpful to you?
I'm not Korean so I don't know much about the historical figures in the story. Despite that, the story is quite familiar since it's like the Prince and the Pauper. You get the idea. It's creative enough to make it possible for a king to have his replacement. I like how the story unfolds.
The Cast
This might be the aspect of this drama that I was so amazed and astounded with. It's amazing how Lee Byung-hun is such an amazing actor having two roles in this movie. It was not difficult to differentiate his two characters. It's my first time watching him so I am in awe by how you can distinctly differentiate his two characters just by his voice articulation and of course, his actions.
Was this review helpful to you?
