Masquerade review: A fun switcheroo story Far from being a stuffy period drama, this Korean take on the Prince And The Pauper tale has comic warmth and heart
It is 17th-century Korea and unpopular Emperor Gwanghae (Lee Byung Hun) is under constant assassination threats.
He finds a doppelganger, commoner Ha Seon (also played by Lee), to stand in for him, though this charade becomes more permanent when the emperor falls seriously ill.
Under the suspicious eyes of the court, Ha Seon must convince everyone that he is who he is made out to be.
Mark Twain’s The Prince And The Pauper tale is retold in ancient Korea, where cheeky jester Ha Seon is asked to temporarily stand in for the emperor (both played by Lee Byung Hun) when the latter falls seriously ill.
It is an elaborate plan that fools the court, even if the servants are completely bewildered as to why their usually severe ruler has transformed into a compassionate soul overnight.
There is also plenty of curiosity as to why the “emperor” is now rejecting the advances of the beautiful court ladies, as much as the goofy Ha Seon would have loved to attend to them.
As how these stories usually go, Lee as the commoner then sets out to right the wrongs of his kingdom through intelligence and decency, rather than the hostile biases that the real emperor was known for.
He laments the treatment of the poor – he comes from that background, after all – and has genuine sympathy for the innocent court maids who are forced to work there.
Despite the predictable plot, there is plenty of fun in watching Lee take on the dual roles, especially when his peasant character becomes more and more stunned by the emperor’s extravagant and, frankly, ridiculous way of life.
For example, Ha Seon discovers, to his horror, that whenever the emperor poops, he does it not only in front of a room full of servants, but that the servants chant “congratulations” in unison when it is over. The excrement is then taken to the royal physician for examination and even – gasp – tasting.
He also asks his chief eunuch with sweet, child-like wonder whether the latter urinates standing up or sitting down. As the eunuch whispers the answer into his ear, all he can do is pat the eunuch’s shoulder pityingly.
This film is a testament to Lee’s charisma and natural acting abilities – so slighted in Hollywood action flick G.I. Joe: Retaliation, also currently showing in cinemas.
More than just an introduction to quirky ancient Korean court habits, it is interesting to note that the film is an imaginative interpretation of the missing 15 days in the Annals Of The Joseon Dynasty during Gwanghae’s reign, where the historical emperor wrote in a journal that “one must not record that which he wishes to hide”.
Far from being the stuffy period drama that its trailer and poster make it out to be, there is both comic warmth and heart in this lavish work that has since become the country’s third-most watched local film of all time, selling more than 12 million tickets there.
An age-old story that appeals to the masses, it is no surprise that it also swept 15 Grand Bell Awards last year – South Korea’s equivalent of the Oscars – including for Best Actor (Lee) and Best Film.
South Korean rapper Psy swept his home-turf stage Saturday, unveiling the dance and music video of his new single "Gentleman" for the first time, a day after he released the much-anticipated song.
About 45,000 fans enthusiastically danced along, shouting "Psy", during a two-hour concert at World Cup Stadium in western Seoul. The concert, dubbed "HAPPENING," was streamed live on YouTube.
The strong-beat "Gentleman," a follow-up to his previous global smash hit "Gangnam Style," satirizes a tacky man who calls himself a gentleman. The new single is similar to Gangnam Style in its fast tempo and the use of electronic sound as well as its more addictive chorus led by the would-be catchphrase, "I'm a mother, father, gentleman."
Gentleman uses more English words and tones down the Korean-language elements compared with Gangnam Style in an apparent bid to draw more foreign audiences.
The audience, which included South Korean celebrities Lee Byung-hun and Choi Ji-woo as well as Psy's U.S. agent Scooter Braun, jumped and shouted as the singer dressed in a black-and-white suit performed the best of his hits that included Gangnam Style.
More than 130,000 fans also watched the concert streamed live at YouTube and local media outlets Naver.com and Mnet, according to his management agency, YG Entertainment.
At a press conference ahead of the concert, Psy said he was under intense pressure when writing the lyrics of the new single. "I made up my mind to find something that is very 'Psy style," said the rapper, whose real name is Park Jae-sang. "This is the best song and the best choice for me. I'm happy that it is getting good results."
Meanwhile, Gentleman entered top 10 iTunes Single Chart in many Asian, European and South American countries, YG Entertainment said, adding that it topped the Vietnamese chart.
The agency also said Psy's music video, along with the rapper's new dance moves, will help the song climb up the charts around the world.
The rapper is scheduled to stay in his home country for around a week before heading to the United States for an international promotional tour, according to his agency.
Psy became a global household name last year after Gangnam Style became the most watched video on YouTube, drawing over one billion views. (Yonhap News)
When Lee Byung Hun returned to Korea from the 9th Huading Awards in Hong Kong he flashed a big smile at the photographers who met him at the airport. His good mood came as no surprise as he returned from China with the ceremony's Best Foreign Actor Award for playing Storm Shadow in the film, G.I. Joe 2.
The awards are based on an audience vote in Singapore, Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other parts of China.
When he received the award, he thanked his fans for helping him to get where he was. He also thanked one of the other actors present.
"I especially want to thank my childhood hero and the best action star, Jackie Chan," said Lee.
For saying that, Jackie Chan hugged him and posed for pictures alongside him.
During the ceremony Lee also presented the Best Lead Actress Award to Chinese actress Fan Bing Bing and taught her how to say, "be happy" in Korean.
Because of his role in G.I. Joe 2, Lee has been doing a lot of traveling lately. Critics have commented on his character's amazing character transformation from one film to the next. It helped that he got to show his face in the sequel. In the first G.I. Joe film, the character wore a mask, but in the second film, he removed the mask, which allowed him to exhibit more emotion.
The "Iris" star said that the script for the second G.I. Joe movie also gave him more insight into the character and helped him portray him in more complex way.
"I felt a release when I read the new scenario," said Lee. "I was touched by the way he took care of his misunderstandings and exploded with emotion. The staff were all surprised when I took the emotions in a Korean way, but later on they applauded me, saying it was a unique interpretation."
The director, Jon Chu and the producer were impressed at the new interpretation of Storm Shadow.
"In the first film he was always cynical and evil," said Lee, speaking about Storm Shadow. "But in the second he became a burning figure. I thought I would stand out when every other actor is taking things lightly for the popcorn movie."
His performance bumped his name up in the credits, moving him from fifth to third place.
While Lee's bigger role in the film has certainly boosted box office sales in Korea, he is not yet a household world in America. As to a career in Hollywood, Lee is not sure what the future holds.
"Nothing is for certain," he said. "And I'm still curious as to how this will turn out."
On the 15th, BH Entertainment released the picture of Lee Byung-Hun's action figure, having the character in the movie 'Gwanghe' as motive. It was first to make a figure for a character in a Korean movie. Good Toy, the company that made the figure, said, "This figure is so similar to Lee Byung-Hun, proving Korea's action figure technology is high-tech."
It is said that Lee Byung-Hun himself was also very surprised. These figures are a limited version with a serial number and an authentication certificate.
Lee Byung-Hun is leaving the country again in the end of this month for the meetings concerned with the Hollywood movie 'RED 2,' which will be released in July. In May, he will be promoting 'G.I.Joe: Retaliation' in Japan upon its release.