Seopyeonje (Sopyonje) poster & wallpaper
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Myung-kon Kim, Jung-hae Oh, Myung-gon Kim, Kyu-chul Kim, Sae-kil Shin ... see more see more... , Byeong-kyeong Ahn

This extremely melodramatic story was perhaps the most popular locally made film ever to be shown in South Korea. It concerns the career of a pansori storyteller, and how he managed to pass on his van... read more read more...ishing lineage to an adopted daughter. Pansori is a semi-improvised storytelling form resembling "the talking blues" of America, in that it is sung, chanted, and spoken at various times, with an accompaniment drummed out by the singer/storyteller or (more usually) his partner. These very lengthy (often over six hours) recitations are highlighted with danced storytelling gestures. Further, in this story, it seems to be a mark of the profession that apprentices must be blinded upon attaining adulthood. In this film, Yu-Bong (Kim Myung-Kon) is traveling, as is his custom, from one town to the next and he meets a homeless girl and boy (Oh Jung-Hae and Kim Kyu-Chul) along the way. He adopts them, and attempts to initiate them into the rudiments of his artform. The boy finds it entirely too demanding, and is no doubt none too pleased about the obligatory blinding in his future and runs away. The girl, however, remains with the older man to become a master of the art herself. The story is narrated by the boy. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

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85% liked it

79 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 52 min.

Directed by: Kwon-taek Im

Release Date: April 10, 1993

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Flixster Reviews (13)

  • jamey316
    April 19, 2010
    jamey316
    Im Kwon-Taek has this innate sense of frame balancing and movement that is alarmingly absorbing. The first act does such a great job of displaying his talents that it even makes up for the occasional exposition or two. Unfortunately, the second act seems to lack the same focus an... read mored drags at times, though the acting is usually still spot on. Perhaps this lapse of reason and time is necessary for the film's powerful closure, one that at least questions the value of Korean culture amidst its growing postmodernity. I think the topic is an important one for Korean people in general given how proud they should be of their country's ability to withstand its tempestuous times throughout the 20th century.

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