At the end of the XVIII century, under the Chosun dynasty, young prince Mongryon fell in love with Chunhyang, daughter of a former courtesan. When the prince has to follow his family to Seoul, the new governor, charmed by the girl, wants her as his mistress. But Chunhyang remains faithful to her beloved and refuses, thus subjecting herself to the governor's despotism… The legend of Chunhyang is very popular in Korea and inspired 17 films from 1923 to date. This latest version, directed by the undisputed maestro of South Korean filmmaking, Im Kwon-taek, recounts it using the country's most classical musical form, pansori, a song accompanied by a single drum. |
