Costume drama, marbled with comedy, is played, directed and written with total confidence. Asian events, plus niche ancillary.
Story
Korea, Joseon dynasty, February 1616. As suspicions of an assassination plot spread throughout the court, King Gwanghae (Lee Byeong-heon), in the eighth year of his reign, secretly orders his Chief Secretary, Heo Gyun (Ryu Seung-ryong), to find a lookalike to take his place at night in the royal chamber. Eventually a man bearing an amazing similarity is found, brothel entertainer Ha-seon (Lee Byeong-heon) who has been sending up the king in masked farces. However, when Gwanghae falls critically ill from suspected poisoning, Heo brings Ha-seon back to be the king's fulltime stand-in for a while, in order to avert constitutional chaos if word gets out the king has been poisoned. Heo takes Chief Eunuch Jo (Jang Gwang) into his confidence, and the two coach Ha-seon in court etiquette and royal duties. He is also kept away from the Queen Consort (Han Hyo-ju) and the royal concubines, for fear of discovery; and even the king's personal bodyguard, Captain Do (Kim In-gwon), is not told of the deception. However, the craftiest of Gwanghae's ministers, Interior Minister Park Chung-seo (Kim Myeong-gon), gets suspicious, and covers up any evidence of his complicity in the real king's current illness (actually drugging by poppy seeds) by having one of his accomplices, Lady An (Lee El), murdered. Gradually, Ha-seon gets to like his job, and starts putting wrongs to right and initiating controversial legislation, which further enrages the court's ministers. And then, after she comes to him one night, he agrees to save the queen's brother, magistrate Yu Jeong-ho (Kim Hak-jun), from trumped-up charges of treason.
Review
Sometimes a film turns out to be a complete surprise from the most unpromising ingredients, and Masquerade is just such a case. Though a strong screen presence (and recently reaching a wider audience in the US production G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)), actor Lee Byeong-heon is better known for cold, unsympathetic roles (Joint Security Area ＪＳＡ (2000), A Bittersweet Life (2005), I Saw the Devil (2010)) than his romantic ones (Everybody Has Secrets (2004)), and certainly not for costume movies. Historical dramas are also a hit-and-miss genre in South Korean cinema, more often stodgy than sprightly, while writer Hwang Jo-yun has done little of note since co-scripting Old Boy (2003) and director Choo Chang-min is best known for the goofy island comedy Mapado: Island of Fortunes (2005). But in Masquerade all these elements have combined into something very special: a beautifully written, and finally emotionally involving, Joseon-dynasty drama which is one of the best South Korean costume dramas in years.
Based around a real historical figure, the 17th-century King Gwanghae, but otherwise completely fictional, the plot was inspired by a combination of Mark Twain's novel The Prince and the Pauper and a missing fortnight in the official royal annals, here morphed into a plot involving a lookalike who secretly stands in for the king for security reasons and then develops a real liking for the job. Though almost entirely set within the confines of the royal palace, the result manages to be totally involving across more than two hours, with strong characters, a gradually developed dramatic arc that kicks in emotionally during the final half-hour, and none of the episodic, TV drama feel that afflicts many South Korean costume dramas (notably, the recent The Concubine).
A somewhat cool, vacant-looking actor, Lee was a risky choice for the lead role(s) but in the event he delivers. Without becoming knockabout comedy, or overdoing the constant play-off between formality and informality, the movie draws good fun from scenes where the stand-in, a brothel entertainer, grapples with court procedure — from royal toilet etiquette (involving the poetically named Plum Blossom Pot) to official language and decorum. In little bits of physical comedy, including a delightful scene where he tries to get the queen to smile, Lee, in his first costume role, comes up surprising trumps, managing to be distant, boyish and finally commanding.
He's supported by wonderful, reined-back playing from Ryu Seung-ryong (the North Korean commander in The Front Line) as the Chief Secretary and veteran Jang Gwang (the children's school head in Silenced) as the Chief Eunuch — and it's this threesome that drives the film. However, without the strong, well-paced script — which, typically for South Korean cinema, takes a while to get to the point — none of this would have held the interest: particularly impressive is the way in which Hwang's screenplay only later develops the character of the queen (maturely played by Han Hyo-ju, previously in cuter roles like the blind girl in Always) and adds a touching love story to what is basically a comic-dramatic story of court intrigue. It's a mark of confident writing, and as the various threads come together in the final stretch — including a rather contemporary plea for political tolerance — Masquerade really does deliver emotionally. Only an unnecessary note of nationalism and a smidgeon of China-bashing mar its final achievement.
In smaller, well-drawn roles, character actor Kim In-gwon (My Way) is strong as the king's personal bodyguard and veteran Kim Myeong-gon as an evil plotter. Choo's direction, helped by d.p. Lee Tae-yun's burnished photography, is always at the actors' service, with clean set-ups, invisibly smooth editing by Nam Na-yeong (Dangerous Liaisons) and a score by Kim Ju-seong that's alert to the subtle mood changes.
The Korean title means Gwang-hae: The Man Who Became (a) King. Originally, veteran Kang Woo-suk was to have directed, with a different cast.
The Starroad Blue Carpet at BIFF became a time for stars to share the air with fans who came out to see them. So which of these gorgeous stars gave the best fan service?
While Super Junior received the longest flash ceremony from the camera, the celebrities that gave the best fan service were Kim Go Eun, Kim Ah Joong, and Lee Byung Hun.
Stealing the cell phones of fans to take photos with them, Kim Go Eun stood at top three.
At second place, Kim Ah Joong surprised everyone by kissing the back of a male fan′s hand, making him go absolutely crazy.
Lee Byung Hun placed first for his gentleman behavior, reaching out to grab the fans’ hands and even signing autographs.
Although enews chose these three, it didn’t mean that other stars didn’t delight fans by going out of their way to get in touch with their fans, some even planning special events for them!
Check out the video below!
Please take note of BH at the 2:42 time mark.. he was totally pulled in by the excited crowd. No wonder his bodyguards got really worried..
A poster of "Masquerade" which was announced on Saturday to have exceeded 10m audience. Yonhap news
The Korean historical film "Masquerade" surpassed the 10 million mark in attendance, the film's distributor said Saturday The film reached 10,000,248 viewers as of 8 pm Saturday, according to CJ Entertainment.
Only six other local films have so far reached the mark. "Masquerade," directed by Choo Chang-min and starring Lee Byung-hun, reached the milestone in 38 days It is the second local film to draw more than 10 million fans in after 2012 "The Thieves," which broke the all-time attendance record earlier this month.
Lee plays dual roles as King Gwanghae, the 15th ruler of Korea's last kingdom, the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), and the humble acrobat Ha- sun, who stands in for the monarch when he faces the threat of being poisoned. Gwanghae was dethroned in a coup and failed to earn a temple name. (Yonhap News)
The film “Masquerade” has surpassed the 10 million-milestone attendance, the film’s distributor said Saturday. According to the Korean Film Council, the movie has drawn 10,041,566 viewers as of Sunday, becoming the 7th Korean film to reach the barometer of what defines a blockbuster here.
It is also the second to reach the mark in 2012 after “The Thieves,” which set the all-time attendance record earlier this month. The heist film directed by Choi Dong-hoon has attracted about 13.02 million people, beating out “The Host” (2006) that drew 13.01 million.
After a little over a month since its release on Sept. 13, some 9 million have watched the movie, directed by Choo Chang-min and stars Korean heartthrob Lee Byung-hun.
It is a film based on the popular fable, “The Prince and The Pauper.” King Gwanghae (Lee Byung-hun), the 15th ruler of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), comes up with a ruse to find a double when he realizes that his vassals were trying to take his life.
The 42-year-old actor plays dual roles as the King and the humble clown Ha-sun, who stands in for the monarch when he faces the threat of being poisoned.
Runs 131 minutes. Rated 15 or over. In Korean. Distributed by CJ Entertainment.
The party continues for Korean movies as they head toward a new peak year with a series of box-office records.
The historical film "Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King" starring "hallyu" star Lee Byung-hun surpassed the 10 million viewer mark Saturday, becoming the second local film this year to break that milestone.
Hallyu, or the Korean wave, refers to the popularity of Korean TV dramas, pop music and films abroad.
It is the first time two South Korean films have broken the 10 million audience member mark in their opening year. In Korea, films drawing 3 to 4 million movie-goers are considered a box-office success. Only five other local films have ever passed the 10 million mark.
"The Thieves," a heist movie about 10 Korean and Chinese thieves who plot to steal a diamond from a Macao casino, set a new all-time record earlier this month, drawing an audience of more than 13 million viewers.
Other leaders at the box office this year have been "Dancing Queen" (4.09 million), "Nameless Gangster" (4.68 million), "All About My Wife" (4.58 million), "Architecture 101" (4.1 million), "Deranged" (4.51 million) and "The Grand Heist" (4.91 million).
With those box-office hits, the local film industry is leaping toward another peak year, following 2006 when "The Host" by director Bong Joon-ho set the previous audience record.
After peaking at 60.4 percent in 2006 on the strength of "The Host," the audience occupancy rate of Korean films fell to 42.1 percent in 2008. The audience occupancy rate is the proportion of total audience members for all movies shown here.
The heyday of Korean films was widely anticipated to return the following year with the simultaneous success of "Haeundae" (11.45 million viewers) and "Take Off" (8.48 million viewers).
The yearly occupancy rate remained at a modest 48.8 percent, however, as Hollywood blockbuster "Avatar" dominated theaters at the end of the year. In 2010, the share declined again to 46.5 percent, making it one of the worst years for local movie sales.
The local film industry began to recover last year when "War of the Arrows" and "Sunny" made waves, attracting more than 7 million viewers each. Their box-office successes were followed by the popularity of such socially influential films as "Silenced" and "Wandeuk/Punch," both of which sold nearly 5 million tickets.
The success of this year's crop of Korean films is prompting the growth of the local movie market and the market share of Korean films jumped to 70.2 percent in August.
According to the official box-office tracker, the Korean Film Commission, 153 million tickets were sold by local cinemas as of late October, coming near to last year's tally of 159.7 million.
The commission expects the 2012 tally to reach some 180 million by year-end, up 12.6 percent from a year earlier, and the number of viewers of South Korean films to top 100 million.
The success of "Gwanghae" came even though it opened in September, normally an off-season for cinemas, setting a precedent that a well-made film can draw a big audience regardless of when it opens.
Few films that opened in September have been hits at the Korean box-office, with other exceptions thus far being "The War Of Flower" (6.84 million) and "Silenced" (4.66 million).
The historical film “Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King” starring Hallyu star Lee Byung-hun surpassed the 10 million viewer mark Saturday, becoming the second local film this year to surpass that milestone.
It is the first time two Korean films have broken the 10 million audience member mark in their opening year. In Korea, films drawing between three to four million movie-goers are considered box-office successes. Only five other local films have ever passed the 10 million mark.
“The Thieves,” a heist movie about 10 Korean and Chinese thieves who plot to steal a diamond from a Macau casino, set a new all-time record earlier this month, drawing an audience of more than 13 million viewers.
Other leaders at the box office this year have been “Dancing Queen” (4.09 million), “Nameless Gangster” (4.68 million), “All About My Wife” (4.58 million) and “Architecture 101” (4.1 million).
With those box-office hits, the local film industry is leaping toward another peak year, following 2006 when “The Host” by director Bong Joon-ho set the previous audience record.
Choo Chang-min’s period epic about a king and his jester double becomes the seventh local release to reach the milestone on home turf.
Masquerade, directed by Choo Chang-min, became the seventh South Korean film to sell more than 10 million tickets over the weekend. Topping the local box office for a sixth consecutive week, the period drama reached the number in just 38 days.
“Masquerade sold 10.04 million tickets in just 38 days since opening on Sept. 13, at about the same speed as Avatar,” CJ Entertainment said. ”Among homegrown movies, it reached 10 million admissions in the shortest time span, seven days earlier than (Lee Jun-ik’s) King and the Clown, which took 45 days in 2005-2006.”
Masquerade is a Prince and the Pauper story set in 17th-century Korea, with G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra star Lee Byung-hun playing dual roles: a king fearing assassination and a common jester recruited to be his double. The latter is forced to occupy the throne when the king falls into a coma and surprises all by demonstrating just leadership in the corrupt court.
The film’s entry into the coveted “10 million-ticket club” comes not long after Choi Dong-hoon’s The Thieves (Showbox), which set a new record in Korean box office history by recording 13 million admissions in August. This is the first time more than one domestic film has hit the 10 million mark in South Korea in the same year.
“We believe Masquerade’s box office score is all the more significant because it opened during the slow season; the six other Korean movies and even Avatar were released during peak summer or winter holidays. It remains on top of the box office in spite of a diverse range of films opening, and this may just well be the beginning of a new record,” CJ Entertainment said.
Observers say the political drama’s release is timely, offering a topical story ahead of the Korean presidential election in December. Celebrities are credited with helping spread the word about the film through social networking services. Best-selling novelist and popular microblogger Lee Oi-soo said through Twitter, “Politicians in particular should pay attention to this movie, and citizens also ought to refer to it when thinking of what kind of president to elect.”
"Masquerade" has become the seventh Korean movie to hit the 10 million mark in cinema attendance only 38 days after its release.
The film starring Lee Byung-hun is also the second flick to register this level of box-office receipts this year following "The Thieves." No other domestic movie has achieved the feat since "Haeundae" in 2009.
According to the Korean Film Council on Sunday, "Masquerade" attracted 221,229 moviegoers at 618 cinemas nationwide on Saturday alone to reach the milestone. It hit the 2 million mark within eight days of its release, climbed to 5 million in 18 days, and marked 9 million in 31 days.
Meanwhile, Korean films have sold a combined 88.68 million tickets this year. The council expects the figure to surpass 100 million by the end of December.
Masquerade is a sumptuous historical drama with a standout performance by hot star Lee Byung-hun, but suffers, albeit marginally, from a weak middle act. But it is yet another local film to dominate the South Korean box office, which is fast approaching ten million admissions (approx $64m), reinforcing the point that locally made films – especially those riding the current wave of popularity for South Korean culture and entertainment - can more than succeed with South Korean audiences.
Lee Byung-hun delivers one of his finest performances to date.
Following its well-received previews, the film was expected to perform well, which has been aided by a number of public holidays, but given that September is usually a quieter period for releases, the pace in which it passed the nine million admissions mark (approx $60m after a month on release) has been surprising.
Taking place during the 16th-Century Joseon Dynasty, the film follows a commoner who becomes a stand-in for a King he shares a striking resemblance to (both roles played by Lee Byung-hun) after he is poisoned. Unlike the King, he takes a more humanitarian approach to his role as the Korean monarch and instead focuses on serving the people. Interestingly, with a South Korean presidential election taking in place in December, these themes of leadership and power have perhaps aided in the film’s popularity.
Given the lack of any overly complex themes, Choo Chang-min’s well-orchestrated piece is a welcome edition to the period genre that often demands some knowledge regarding the history and customs. Furthermore, given the film’s highly effective comedic tone, especially in the film’s first half, it shouldn’t encounter difficulties in seeking an international audience.
Some viewers, however, may find some highly noticeable similarities to other material and films - such as the classic story The Prince And The Pauper along with 1993’s Dave or even the John Goodman starrer King Ralph - that share a lot in common with the film’s premise of a member of the public masquerading as a leader.
There is also a minor issue in terms of the film’s pacing after it struggles to regain the momentum found in the opening act, but it does return in welcoming fashion as the film approaches the compelling conclusion.
Visually, the film is outstanding as illustrated through its gorgeous cinematography and superb set-design that is best seen on a theatrical screen, which is further complemented by a simple but effective score composed by Mowg and Kim Jun-seung.
Lee Byung-hun who has established fame in Korea and beyond following his roles in films such as JSA (2000) and A Bittersweet Life (2005), and more recently in Hollywood’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), delivers one of his finest performances to date conveying the two contrasting characters that is certain to continue to attract widespread acclaim.
While it will be difficult to replicate the tremendous success witnessed in Korea, the film is bound to attract immediate interest in neighbouring territories, while it could also secure sales in a number of other regions.
South Korean period drama 'Masquerade' crossed 10 million admissions on Sat, 20 Oct. It is only the seventh domestic film to cross the threshold for a blockbuster hit.
The costume drama is about the body-double of a Joseon dynasty king who more than steps up to the role when the real king is poisoned, introducing legislation and romancing the Queen Consort.
By Saturday night, after 38 days in cinemas, Masquerade had taken ￦72.9 billion (US$66.0 million). By Sunday night, it had taken ￦74.5 billion (US$67.4 million) on 10,256,491 admissions.
In mid-August, heist movie The Thieves, which is still on release, crossed 10 million admissions in 22 days. According to its distributor, it has now crossed a record-breaking 13 million admissions.
Over the weekend, the market share of South Korean films stood at 81% with three local films at the top of the box office charts, Masquerade, Perfect Number and A Company Man.
For the year to date, market share currently stands at 56%, up from 49% during the same period in 2011. Box office for the year to date has already reached ￦1.16 trillion (US$1.05 billion), a growth of more than 20% year-on-year.
Masquerade and Perfect Number are distributed and sold internationally by CJ Entertainment Inc. A Company Man and The Thieves are distributed and sold by Showbox/Mediaplex Inc.
'Masquerade' became the seventh movie in history to break 10 million viewers and it is the second one this year after "Thieves."
Everytime a 10 million viewer movie appears, people showered it with compliments and complaints. When "The Host" set the record for the most successful Korean movie of all time in 2006, many people both praised it for its achievement and debunked it for having dominated screens for so long.
"Thieves" has drawn over 13 million viewers at this point and re-writing history but people continued to criticize it for its screen domination. Kim Ki Duk openly criticized it at one point, saying that it dominated screens in order to become successful.
Now "Masquerade" is also drawing the same kind of attention.
"Masquerade" was welcomed by many who hadn't seen a good new movie since the release of "The Thieves" and it managed to become incredibly successful during September and October, a time that's known to be a less populated season for movies.
"Masquerade" drew over 5 million viewers in just the month of September alone and drew half of the moviegoers in all of September. It not only provided more life to the industry but also allowed more growth in it as well.
The new record is also a sign of how the Korean film market is prospering at this time. This is the first time since 2006 that two movies in one year have broken this 10 million viewer record and this is a great sign despite the fact that the economy is currently in recession.
Another issue that people often talk about is how "Masquerade" changed its date from Chuseok to September 13th due to Lee Byung Hun's schedule filming "RED 2" in Montreal. Because his shooting schedule changed, he had to change all the promotion around it and therefore, the movie had to be postponed a little bit.
People criticized it for dominating the screens and creating free ticket events in an attempt to get it to the 10 million viewers but a CJ E&M executive said, "The ticket event was something that CGV, the theater chain, created and we got the data but it was only a 0.1% of the daily viewers that the movie was drawing."
However, one must consider that just because a corporation wants it to, a movie will not necessarily always reach 10 million (see: R2B).
Korean film ‘Gwanghae: The Man who Became King’ starring Lee Byung Hun recently broke the 10 million barrier, making it one of the most lucrative films ever in the history of Korean films.
According to statistics released by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) this morning, accumulated admissions for ‘Gwanghae’ now stands at10,041,566. ‘Gwanghae has also become the second Korean film after ‘The Thieves’ to surpass the 10 million mark this year.
‘Gwanghae’ also becomes the 7th Korean film in history to break the 10 million mark, after ‘The Thieves’ (13,032,227), ‘The Host’ (13,019,740), ‘The King and the Clown’ (12,302,831), ‘Taegukgi’ (11,756,735), ‘Tidal Wave’ (11,390,000), and ‘Silmido’ (11,081,000).
Numerous excellent Korean films have been churned out this year, with two of them surpassing the 10 million mark, rewriting Korean film history. What exactly were the factors that enabled the films to find success? Let’s now analyse the factors behind the success of ‘The Thieves’ and ‘Gwanghae’.
# Endless stream of laughter
Contrary to their names, ‘The Thieves’ and ‘Gwanghae’ are actually comedies, with laughter plastered throughout the film and serving as the film’s soul. In ‘The Thieves’, the confrontations between the characters left viewers in awe, and they were like chess pieces being led to victory on the chess board by director’s Choi Dong Hoon astute directing. In addition, unexpected comedy scenes also added to the fun factor, making it more enjoyable for the viewers as they take in the story at the same time.
‘Gwanghae’ meticulously drew out the dark and peaceful nature of the palace, and the story of a commoner who enters a world that isn’t quite befitting of his status. Ha Sun who replace the real Gwanghae on the throne, throws the palace into a state of confusion, and as such his antics made the film funny, and at the same time stripped the masks off those who were living in the palace, letting viewers see the reality of life being played out on the big screen.
# satisfying the audio and visual tastes of viewers
The thrilling content found in ‘The Thieves’ and ‘Gwanghae’ have undoubtedly satisfied the audio and visual tastes of moviegoers. The outstanding acting ability of the cast members also added to the film’s value. More than half of the scenes in ‘The Thieves’ were filmed on location in Hong Kong, and seeing the thieves work in a foreign setting, added to the thrill and complemented the film well. The casts’ action scenes were also reflected well through the different camera angles, enabling moviegoers to witness an exciting crime thriller taking place before their eyes.
‘Gwanghae’ sufficiently showed the uniqueness exclusive to period films like the extravagant palace, detailed outfits, leaving moviegoers in awe at the pomp and colours. The music used also brought moviegoers into the film. The perfect combination of visuals and audio no doubt added to the film’s viewing thrill.
# Suitable for all generations of moviegoers
The two films were able to attract moviegoers of all ages, whether it’s the adults in their 20s, children or middle aged 40s, they were all willing to fork out money to watch the films in cinemas. The middle-aged couples of Macau Park (Kim Yun Suk) and Pepsi (Kim Hye Soo), Chen (Simon Yam) and Chewing Gum (Kim Hae Sook) added some value to the film. The pairing of Ye Nicole (Jun Ji Hyun) and Jampano (Kim Soo Hyun) were also highly welcomed by young moviegoers. With action, a decent story, and romance all packed into ‘The Thieves’, it was hard to not attract moviegoers of all ages to watch the film in cinemas.
As for ‘Gwanghae’, the theme of an idealistic leader clashing against unrealistic reality was able to stimulate the senses of moviegoers, and show them what absolute power can do to people. The use of simplistic and minimalistic plots also enabled viewers to get into the film quickly.
Not all films with 10 million in ticket admissions can be classified as classics. There are some films that have a rich storyline but are unable to attract moviegoers to watch it. There are also films that bomb at the box office due to poor scheduling. But films that can attract over 10 million moviegoers must have that special something over others. Although films cannot be classified as great according to how well they do at the box office, we must not ignore the fact that ‘The Thieves’ and ‘Gwanghae’ did break the 10 million mark and were a hit with moviegoers.
Films that move the hearts of moviegoers and letting them identify with it are the hallmarks of a great film.
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