5
37
Heracin
Important movie for South Korean cinema, start of Lee Joon Gi stardom <3
This historical movie tells the story of a(n) actors/clowns troupe at the court of the infamous and tyrannical King Yeon San in the beginning of the 16th century of the Joseon Dynasty. I quite enjoyed discovering this rather original part of Korean history with the tale of a king and "his clown".
Story-wise, I found it poetic and beautiful: it is about artist lives in trying times, mental health issues, court ordeals and much more... The pacing could have been better but I was overall pretty invested in the plot despite some of the characters' choices being quite illogical (or at least not very smart). It make sense in the context of the poetry of the film, but at the same time it can feel a bit frustrating. It is fair to say that huge gestures and statements might trumps here practical and sensible decisions.
The bromance was epic in a way but could have been pushed further as well as the interactions with the secondary characters which remained quite superficial. Still, acting-wise, Lee Joon Gi, Kam Woo Sung and Jung Jin Young are really good and solid in their respective roles with some stellar moments. A lot is left unsaid regarding the relationships and sentiments which is interesting as the viewer is really relying on the actors performances to understand the feelings rather than on the dialogs.
I loved the OST which supported so well the measured dialogs and their sporadicity, it was made of sorrowful instrumentals, fitting for the dramatic mood of the film. The production value is great, there are a lot of really amazing acrobatic scenes as well as dances / comedic / jesters bits. All the costumes, accessories and decors felt high quality (especially as the movie has been released 18 years ago, I was pretty impressed).
I would recommend this to people that are curious to see the movie that made Lee Joon Gi's talents recognised. Personally, I first discovered him in the 2005 drama "My Girl" and clearly I do not regret to have finally taken the time to go back to watch his first big movie performance for which he was particularly (and rightly so) praised for. If you like historical movies and are not afraid of a gut-wrenching poetic journey, you will likely enjoy it!
Story-wise, I found it poetic and beautiful: it is about artist lives in trying times, mental health issues, court ordeals and much more... The pacing could have been better but I was overall pretty invested in the plot despite some of the characters' choices being quite illogical (or at least not very smart). It make sense in the context of the poetry of the film, but at the same time it can feel a bit frustrating. It is fair to say that huge gestures and statements might trumps here practical and sensible decisions.
The bromance was epic in a way but could have been pushed further as well as the interactions with the secondary characters which remained quite superficial. Still, acting-wise, Lee Joon Gi, Kam Woo Sung and Jung Jin Young are really good and solid in their respective roles with some stellar moments. A lot is left unsaid regarding the relationships and sentiments which is interesting as the viewer is really relying on the actors performances to understand the feelings rather than on the dialogs.
I loved the OST which supported so well the measured dialogs and their sporadicity, it was made of sorrowful instrumentals, fitting for the dramatic mood of the film. The production value is great, there are a lot of really amazing acrobatic scenes as well as dances / comedic / jesters bits. All the costumes, accessories and decors felt high quality (especially as the movie has been released 18 years ago, I was pretty impressed).
I would recommend this to people that are curious to see the movie that made Lee Joon Gi's talents recognised. Personally, I first discovered him in the 2005 drama "My Girl" and clearly I do not regret to have finally taken the time to go back to watch his first big movie performance for which he was particularly (and rightly so) praised for. If you like historical movies and are not afraid of a gut-wrenching poetic journey, you will likely enjoy it!
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