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Korean Folktale – "The Servant" - Remake of A Story of Chun Hyang
http://www.hancinema.net/korean- ... un-hyang-26570.html
"The Servant", which is also known as "A Story of BangJa", is a twisted remake of the popular South Korean folktale "A story of Chun Hyang". In the original South Korean folktale "Chung Hyang", BangJa is a servant of a main male character, Lee Myong Ryong. In there, Bang Ja has almost no existence at all. Lee Mong Ryong falls in love with Chun Hyang, and the whole story is focused on their love story. However, in this Korean movie, the same story as "A story of ChunHyang" is carried out in BangJa's perspective.
The Korean folktale was issued for its vulgar and lustful scenes. The press mostly focused on those scenes and the public's attention was all head toward those scenes. However, it is a sad love story with full of fresh and amusing twists.
There are three twists:
Chun-Hyang wasn't a well behaved lady as depicted in the Korean folktale. Instead, in the movie, she is depicted as a very ambitious woman who flirts with a servant of her fiancée, but never gives up her own dream. In the original story, Mong Ryong falls in love with Chun Hyang when he accidentally sees her sitting in a swing. But, in the movie, she intentionally allures Lee Mong-Ryong by singing and dancing at the bar. As a daughter of Gisaeng (prostitute), she dreams of a better social status, and she knew that Mong-Ryong is a perfect person for her to accomplish her dream. Therefore, although she does not really love Mong-Ryong, she spends a night with him and become his fiancée. The man she actually falls in love with is Mong Ryong's servant, Bang-Ja. Although she loves him, she tells him that she can't love him because he doesn't have what she wants. She even participates in Mong-Ryong's scenario which makes her to go into the jail. She knew her participation in this scenario will help her remembered as Mong-Ryong's dedicated fiancée. All of her acts such as seducing a man with purpose, sacrificing her love, flirting with men, and coping with difficult situations, break the fixed image of Chun-Hyang.
Lee Mong-Ryong considered honor and fame more important than love. In the folk tale, because Mong-Ryong loved Chun Hyang so much, although his parents did not approve Chun-Hyang, he still engages her. Also, after he passes the government exam, he comes back and saves ChunHyang from ByunHakDo, the evil district magistrate who tried to tempt Chun-Hyang, and marries her. However, in the movie, when Mong-Ryong found out that Chun-Hyang flirted with Bang-Ja, he gets mad not because he got hurt by his love, but because he hurt his pride. Instead punishing BangJa which may let others know, he leaves quietly so that he can keep his honor. When he comes back to his old town after he passes the government exam, he knew that he needs some kind of issuable story for his fame. Therefore, he writes a scenario that he could be known as the true hero. In the process, he persuades his new friend, Byun Hak Do and Chun Hyang to be in his scenario. According to the movie, Lee Mong Ryong was not a romantic character, but instead he was very pragmatic person.
Bang Ja was not just a dedicated Mong-Ryong's servant, but he actually was a love of Chun Hyang. In the folk tale, Bang-Ja was not even mentioned much, so that he is just remembered as a servant in people's memory. However, in the movie, he was the leading character. He wasn't a very dedicated servant since he tempts his landlord's fiancée and betrays his landlord. However, he is depicted as very charming romantic character. Whenever, Chun Hyang gets into trouble, he tries to help and protect her. When she accidentally drops her shoes into the stream, he jumps into the water and finds it for her. When she sprints her foot on the mountain, he piggybacks her for the whole time. When she gets into trouble because she doesn't serve a higher status man, he begs him for her. When she was drowned into waterfall because Mong Ryong pushes her, he jumps into the waterfall and saves her.
Lastly, as of the best and the last twist of movie, a well known South Korean folktale "A Story of Chun-Hyang" is made up story by Bang-Ja, who wanted to fulfill Chun-Hyang's dream. Therefore, when he tells the writer of the story, he tells the writer to write a love story of Chun-Hyang and Mong-Ryong instead of him, so that Chun-Hyang can be remembered as yangban (high status) Mong-Ryong's loyal fiancee.
Lastly, as of the best and the last twist of movie, a well known South Korean folktale "A Story of Chun-Hyang" is made up story by Bang-Ja, who wanted to fulfill Chun-Hyang's dream. Therefore, when he tells the writer of the story, he tells the writer to write a love story of Chun-Hyang and Mong-Ryong instead of him, so that Chun-Hyang can be remembered as yangban (high status) Mong-Ryong's loyal fiacee.
Although the Korean folktale movie was more focused on its sexual scenes, it has much more in store. |
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发表于 2010-9-1 15:31
但愿我们家嗷嗷生活中也快点找到真正属于他的美丽吧！
