Released on April 30 was a movie that pivots around the life of King Jeongjo (r. 1776-1800), the 22nd ruler of the
Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). It's English title is "The Fatal Encounter," or "
Yeokrin"
in Korean, meaning, "the king's wrath." The title comes from a legend
that says that a dragon gets angry when the scales under its chin are
scratched or touched by anyone or anything.
According to official estimates from the
Korean Film Council on
May 19, 3,648,367 domestic tickets to "The Fatal Encounter" were sold
between April 30 and May 18, making it the best-selling movie so far
this year.
Ahead of the public release, the film was previewed for the press and
film experts. Their responses and comments were not very positive. One
reviewer said, "The director appears to be accustomed to producing TV
shows, but not film." Another said, "The production seems to have
received plastic surgery. Every individual element is shaped perfectly,
but when gathered all together, it's uninteresting and distasteful."
Another described the movie as, "a work that tried to picture too many
things at once, and ended up picturing nothing properly."
"The
Fatal Encounter" tells the story of 18th century Joseon and the
assassination attempt on King Jeongjo. (photo courtesy of Lotte
Entertainment)
However, the public's response to the movie has defied the critics.
Viewers are gushing with praise and the movie has received many positive
responses from movie-going fans. Many online comments say that, "The
outstanding acting ability of the cast brought endless surprises," "I
was really moved by the way in which it reminded me of verse 23 from
'The Doctrine of the Mean,' by Confucius' grandson," "I enjoyed the
constructive storyline combined with stunning visuals throughout the
movie," "Everything was just perfect, from the cast and intriguing plots
to the beautiful cinematography," "The story was very touching. I
couldn't help myself from crying," and, finally, that, "The film opened
my eyes to another attractive aspect of King Jeongjo."
Many commentators found praiseworthy the comparison to the famous
Confucian text. A translation of verse 23 from "The Doctrine of the
Mean" is below.
Next to the above is he who cultivates to the utmost the shoots of
goodness in him. From those he can attain to the possession of
sincerity. This sincerity becomes apparent. From being apparent, it
becomes manifest. From being manifest, it becomes brilliant. Brilliant,
it affects others. Affecting others, they are changed by it. Changed by
it, they are transformed. It is only he who is possessed of the most
complete sincerity that can exist under heaven, who can transform.
(其次致曲 曲能有誠 誠則形 形則著 著則明 明則動 動則變 變則化 唯天下至誠 爲能化)
Doctrine of the Mean, verse 23
King Jeongjo has been brought to life on TV and movie screens many
times. The way in which he ascended to the throne is itself is quite
dramatic. Jeongjo had to witness his father, Crown Prince Sado
(1735-1762), being executed by royal decree after frequent conflicts
between palace bureaucrats. In fact, it was Jeongjo's grandfather,
King Yeongjo (r.
1724-1776), the 21st Joseon monarch, who had to issue the decree to
execute his own son, Jeongjo's father. This resulted in Jeonjo always
behaving self-consciously and carefully in every aspect of his life.
Surviving these difficulties, he eventually came to the throne himself
in 1776 at the age of 24, and ruled for 24 years until 1800, when he
died at the age of 48.
King Jeongjo strived to eradicate the widespread corruption and the
fierce party strife that existed in the palace, and tried to communicate
with as many people as possible, some say laying the groundwork for
Korea's future democracy. King Jeongjo has been publicly evaluated as
having been a ruler who led a Renaissance in the dynasty. Abundant
historical monuments and records were produced under his reign,
including the construction of the
Hwaseong Fortress in
Suwon, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage item, as well as countless
amounts of literature and other artistic works. Nowadays, in the late
20th and early 21st century, people are aware of the need for reform
across broad segments of society. This atmosphere has brought Jeongjo
under a new spotlight.
"The Fatal Encounter" revolves around a real-life assassination attempt
on July 28, 1777, a year after Jeongjo's accession to the throne. On
that day, he was reading, as usual, in the
Jonhyeongak, a section of the
Gyeonghuigung Palace used
as a library and bedroom. He suddenly heard some sounds on the roof.
Being suspicious, the king ordered his servants to look into what was
going on. It turned out that an assassin had snuck into the king's
bedroom. Anybody who was possibly related to the plot was punished.
The incident has been remembered in Korean history as one of the most
fatal and shocking assassination plots, as the assassin was able to
enter the king's bedroom at the heart of the palace.
Scriptwriter Choi Sung-hyun was strongly attracted to the political
background surrounding King Jeongjo and the fact that he was the son of
Crown Prince Sado. Before his execution, Sado was branded as a rebel and
was locked in a small wooden rice chest, left there to perish and to
die after eight days. In a similar vein, this assassination plot had now
placed the king in danger. With this in mind -- the destiny of each
person related to the plot -- the scriptwriter created the storyline for
"The Fatal Encounter," tracing the 24 hours before the assassination,
weaving a plot of tension and intrigue for each of the characters
involved.
King Jeongjo -- young, strong and dignified, even under the threat of
assassination -- is played by Hyun Bin, who takes a role in a historical
drama for the first time. Despite it being his first time in hanbok and
beard, Hyun is perfectly cast, immersing himself in the role about
which he read a lot. He even learned swordsmanship, archery and
horse-riding for the role. Director Lee Jae-kyu and staff praised him
for his efforts and excellent performance. "He has a perfect resemblance
to King Jeongjo," exclaimed a staff member.
The role of court eunuch, responsible for assisting the king and
managing his library, is played by Jung Jae-young. Jung's acting ability
and his ability to immerse himself in a new character are always
praised by an impressed audience.
The role of the most famous assassin of the Joseon Dynasty, destined to
make an attempt on the king's life, is played by Jo Jung-suk. Lately, Jo
has been enjoying his popularity with recent hits including
"Architecture 101" (2012) and "The Face Reader" (2013).
The role of Gwangbaek, the head of the assassins, is played by Cho
Jae-hyun. Queen Jeongsun, who has great ambition, is played by Han
Ji-min. Crown Princess Hong, struggling to protect her son, King
Jeongjo, is portrayed by Kim Sung-ryung, a regular face on both the
small and silver screen. A politician who supports and protects the new
king is played by Park Sung-woong, and a female court servant in charge
of the king's clothing is portrayed by Jung Eun-chae. The great cast of
"The Fatal Encounter" itself has already raised expectations and
improved ticket sales among movie fans.
The film is director Lee Jae-kyu's first full-length picture, though he
has had a number of successful TV shows, such as "Beethoven Virus" and
"The King 2 Hearts." During production, Lee checked and verified every
single detail, from the shoot location to the costumes. Nothing was done
without his hands touching it. Lee devoted all his heart and soul to
the production of every single scene, allowing audiences to feel the
tension of the film's overall silent atmosphere. The movie is also now
getting good reviews because of the balance shown between breathtaking
action sequences and scenes that focus on sensitive and delicate
emotions.
By Wi Tack-whan, Lee Seung-ah
Korea.net Staff Writers
whan23@korea.kr
Duration: 135 minutes.
Production: Good Choice Cut Pictures
Distribution: Lotte Entertainment
Hyun Bin plays King Jeongjo
Jung Jae-young plays the court eunuch
Jo Jung-suk plays the assassin
Han Ji-min plays Queen Jeongsun
Kim Sung-ryung plays Crown Princess Hong, mother of King Jeongjo
Cho Jae-hyun plays the head of the assassins
Park Sung-woong plays the head of the king's guard
(All photos courtesy of Lotte Entertainment)