 |
| Eumranseosaeng, South Korea 2006 |
Yun-seo is a high-ranking official in the Joseon court, admired for his scholarly refinement but accused at home of being a coward for his refusal to take part in an inter-family feud. Asked by the king and his concubine to investigate a counterfeit painting, he comes across a small brassware shop that is actually a front for a much more profitable business in distributing erotic novels. Having never encountered one before, Yun-seo is shocked but fascinated by the novels and their widespread popularity among the masses. Unable to shake the images from his head, he finally pens one himself. Thus begins the underground literary career of the first member of the upper classes to engage in such a low-grade activity. Yun-seo displays a talent for pushing the art form in new and more daring directions, and soon hits upon the idea of including illustrations in his ever more popular texts. He even recruits Gwang-heon, a ruthless captain of the guards and family rival, to do the painting. Forbidden Quest is a great idea for a film, depicting the inner workings of an illicit publishing venture in the midst of the (supposedly) conservative era of the Joseon Dynasty. In some ways it is a very modern take on its genre, from its lavish, colorful visuals (inspired by, but not necessarily faithful to, traditional clothing and architecture) to the portrayal of the novel's readers as a kind of virtual community, in a purposeful echo of the internet era. Director Kim Dae-woo won widespread praise for his work as a screenwriter -- his credits include An Affair and Untold Scandal – before making his debut with Forbidden Quest. A solid commercial hit, the film established him as a figure to watch. Kim also assembled a strong cast, with Han Suk-kyu (Shiri, Christmas in August) turning in a convincing performance as Yun-seo and character actors Lee Beom-soo and Oh Dal-soo providing both laughs and depth to their portrayals of Gwang-heon and the book dealer respectively. Towards the latter part of the film, the focus switches somewhat from the books to palace intrigue and a developing tragic love story. Although well integrated with the first half, it's somewhat of a shame to see the story start to move in more conventional directions. Nonetheless Forbidden Quest remains one of the more distinctive and entertaining Korean films of 2006. – Darcy Pacquet |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
