Movie: The Legendary Courtesan
It's all the craze right now to be following the latest Korean TV series as it unfolds nightly on the television, whatever the most current series happens to be. I am not good with keeping up, especially as I'm often working when these shows are on air. But I do enjoy a good Korean film from time to time.
The Legendary Courtesan is presently showing in conjunction with the local arts festival. I went to see it over the weekend, and really enjoyed the film. I thought the actors portraying Jing Yi, Nom Yi, and the magistrate all played their parts well, and made for good tension between the three of them. The story is a fictional retelling of the life of a real courtesan. I am not sure how accurate the details of the story are, but I did find it to be an interesting tale all the same. And, since I'm a firm believer that an authentic feel to the story is more important that accuracy in every little detail of historical fiction, it worked well for me.
The film was, as many reviewers have stated, a little slow moving. For me, that was ok. I suppose if I were a younger viewer, it might have bothered me (I fell asleep during Out of Africa when I was small, but love it now). I don't suspect it is a film that is for everyone, but if you like a thoughtful, well-told tale, then this is a good one to watch.
