Masquerade (2012 film)
Masquerade | |
---|---|
Directed by | Choo Chang-min |
Written by | Hwang Jo-yoon |
Produced by | Im Sang-jin Won Dong-yeon Kim Ho-seong Mikey Lee |
Starring | Lee Byung-hun Ryu Seung-ryong Han Hyo-joo |
Cinematography | Lee Tae-yoon |
Edited by | Nam Na-yeong |
Music by | Mowg Kim Jun-seong |
Distributed by | CJ Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 131 minutes |
Country | South Korea |
Language | Korean |
Budget | ₩9.5 billion |
Box office | US$80.8 million[2] |
Masquerade (Korean: 광해: 왕이 된 남자; Hanja: 光海: 王이 된 男子; RR: Gwanghae: Wang-i Doen Namja; lit. Gwanghae: The Man Who Became King) is a 2012 South Korean historical film starring Lee Byung-hun in dual role as the bizarre King Gwanghae and the humble acrobat Ha-sun, who stands in for the monarch when he faces the threat of being poisoned.[3][4]
With 12.3 million tickets sold, this historical movie is currently the ninth highest-grossing movie in Korean film history. Also, it swept the 49th Grand Bell Awards, winning in 15 categories, including Best Film, Director, Screenplay and Actor.[5][6][7][8]
Plot
The confusing and conspiratorial 15th ruler of Korea's Joseon Dynasty King Gwang-hae (Lee Byung-hun) orders his secretary of defense, Heo Gyun (Ryu Seung-ryong), to find him a double in order to avoid the constant threat of assassination. Heo Gyun finds Ha-sun, a lowly acrobat and bawdy joker who looks remarkably like the king, and just as feared, Gwang-hae is poisoned. Heo Gyun proposes Ha-sun fill the role as the king until Gwang-hae recovers fully and grooms Ha-sun to look and act every bit the king. While assuming the role of the king at his first official appearance, Ha-sun begins to ponder the intricacies of the problems debated in his court. Being fundamentally more humanitarian than Gwang-hae, Ha-sun’s affection and appreciation of even the most minor servants slowly changes morale in the palace for the better. Over time he finds his voice and takes control of governing the country with real insight and fair judgments. Even Heo Gyun is moved by Ha-sun’s genuine concern for the people, and realizes he is an infinitely better ruler than Gwang-hae. However, his chief opposition, Park Chung-seo (Kim Myung-gon), notices the sudden shift in the king’s behavior and starts to ask questions. The queen (Han Hyo-joo) is also conflicted between the real king and the fake king’s secret.[9]
Cast
- Lee Byung-hun as King Gwanghae/Ha-sun[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]
- Ryu Seung-ryong as Chief Secretary Heo Gyun[22]
- Han Hyo-joo as Queen Consort[23][24]
- Jang Gwang as Chief Eunuch
- Kim In-kwon as Captain Do, king's personal bodyguard
- Shim Eun-kyung as Sa-wol, food taster
- Kim Myung-gon as Interior Minister Park Chung-seo
- Park Ji-a as Lady Han, chief court lady
- Shin Jung-geun as Lee Jeong-rang
- Jeon Guk-hyang as Lady Jeong
- Yang Jun-mo as Kim
- Mun Chang-gil as prime minister
- Jeon Bae-su as Hyeong-pan
- Do Yong-gu as Byeong-pan
- Yu Sun-ung as Ho-pan
- Lee Yang-hui as Gong-pan
- Park Gyeong-geun as musician
- Shin Un-seop as Ye-pan
- Kim Jong-gu as royal physician
- Lee El as Lady Ahn
- Lee Jun-hyeok as Hyeon-gam
- Seo Jin-weon as General Overseer Do
- Kim Hye-weon as Pearl, courtesan
- Kim Hak-jun as Yu Jeong-ho
- Kim Hye-hwa as Plum Blossom Pot servant
- Kim Seung-hun as Yi-bang
- Lee Bong-ryeon as court woman
- Ju Yeong-ho as Gwanghae's astrologist
Background
Historically, Gwanghae, the 15th Joseon king from 1608-1623, attempted diplomacy through neutrality as China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) set their sights on the country. He also tried his hand at other reforms and reconstruction to try to make the nation prosperous, including an emphasis on the restoration of documents, but met with opposition and was later deposed and exiled to Jeju Island.[25] Since he was deposed in a coup by the Westerners faction, historians did not give him a temple name like Taejo or Sejong.[26]
The premise behind the film is an interpretation of the missing 15 days in the Seungjeongwon ilgi or Journal of the Royal Secretariat during Gwanghae's reign—designated by his 1616 journal entry, "One must not record that which he wishes to hide."[27] It should be noted that that premise is entirely fictitious in nature. This is because
- The Journal in itself is largely incomplete due to records being destroyed several times and reproductions of the destroyed documents also eventually being destroyed, leading to large missing chunks of records or questionable reproductions that may or may not have been edited every subsequent reproduction.
- Relevant records written during the reign of Gwanghae are also largely missing.
- Even if the Journal were complete, it is highly unlikely the Secretariat would delete or omit records, even by order of the King due to protocol. In fact, due to that same protocol the only thing that would happen is that after having received word or having witnessed a certain incident and subsequently ordered to not record it, the Secretariat would record the incident in full and finish the entry stating the King ordered him not to do so.
- A prime example of the above would be when Taejong fell off his horse when hunting one day and asked the Secretariat to not record this in the journal. The Secretariat however went and recorded the incident and ended his entry with 'and His Majesty asked that the Secretariat not record this'
Production
Announced in early 2011 and initially titled I am the King of Joseon, The Prince and the Pauper-inspired historical film was to be directed by Kang Woo-suk and star Jung Jae-young as Gwanghae/Ha-sun and Yoo Jun-sang as Heo Gyun,[28][29][30] but Kang left the project over differences of opinion with production firm CJ E&M.[31]
In November 2011, they were replaced by director Choo Chang-min and actor Lee Byung-hun in his first ever historical film.[32][33][34][35][36] A month later, Han Hyo-joo was cast as Lee's co-star.[37]
The film was shot at the Namyangju Studio Complex in Gyeonggi Province.[38][39][40]
Reception
Called by one review as one of the best South Korean costume dramas in years,[41] the film drew praise for being beautifully written and emotionally involving, as well as for its accomplished acting, sure-handed direction, ambitious scale and commercial appeal.[42] It became the second biggest hit film at the 2012 South Korean box office, attracting 8.2 million admissions in 25 days of release,[43][44][45][46] then 9,091,633 after 31 days.[47] On its 38th day, it became the 7th film in Korean cinema history to surpass the 10 million-milestone attendance.[48][49][50][51][52][53][54] At the end of its theatrical run it was listed as Korea's all-time third highest-grossing film with 12,319,542 tickets sold nationwide (as of April 2015, it is currently sixth).[55]
Adaptations
In theater
The film was adapted into a stage play which ran at Seoul's Dongsoong Art Center from February 23 to April 21, 2013. It was produced by Lee Byung-hun's agency BH Entertainment. Bae Soo-bin and musical theatre actor Kim Do-hyun alternated in the lead role of Gwanghae.[56] As part of the promotion for the play, Lee, Bae and Kim were featured in a photo spread in the inaugural issue of Grazia Korea, published on February 20, 2013.[57]
In television
Cable network tvN acquired rights for a television adaptation, starring Yeo Jin-goo. Developed for the station by Studio Dragon and produced by GT:st, it is to air in January 2019.[a]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Best Film | Masquerade | Won | |
Best Director | Choo Chang-min | Won | ||
Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Won | ||
Best Supporting Actor | Ryu Seung-ryong | Won | ||
Best Screenplay | Hwang Jo-yoon | Won | ||
Best Cinematography | Lee Tae-yoon | Won | ||
Best Editing | Nam Na-yeong | Won | ||
Best Art Direction | Oh Heung-seok | Won | ||
Best Lighting | Oh Seung-chul | Won | ||
Best Costume Design | Kwon Yu-jin, Im Seung-hee | Won | ||
Best Music | Mowg, Kim Jun-seong | Won | ||
Best Production | Im Sang-jin | Won | ||
Best Visual Effects | Jung Jae-hoon | Won | ||
Best Sound Effects | Lee Sang-joon | Won | ||
Popularity Award | Lee Byung-hun | Won | ||
Best Technical Achievement | Oh Heung-seok | Won | ||
Best Film | Masquerade | Nominated | ||
Best Director | Choo Chang-min | Nominated | ||
Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Nominated | ||
Best Supporting Actor | Jang Gwang | Nominated | ||
Best Screenplay | Hwang Jo-yoon | Nominated | ||
Best Cinematography | Lee Tae-yoon | Nominated | ||
Best Art Direction | Oh Heung-seok | Won | ||
Best Lighting | Oh Seung-chul | Nominated | ||
Best Music | Mowg, Kim Jun-seong | Nominated | ||
Technical Award | Kwon Yu-jin, Im Seung-hee (costume design) |
Nominated | ||
Nam Na-yeong (editing) |
Nominated | |||
Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Won | ||
2013 | Best Film | Masquerade | Won | |
Best Director | Choo Chang-min | Won | ||
Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Nominated | ||
Best Film | Masquerade | Nominated | ||
Best Director | Choo Chang-min | Nominated | ||
Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Nominated | ||
Best Supporting Actor | Ryu Seung-ryong | Won | ||
Best Art Direction | Kwak Jae-sik, Oh Heung-seok | Nominated | ||
Best Music | Mowg, Kim Jun-seong | Nominated | ||
Buil Readers' Jury Award | Masquerade | Won | ||
Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Won |
See also
Notes
- ^ Both tvN and Studio Dragon are sister entities of the film's distributor, CJ Entertainment, under the CJ Group.
References
- ^ Lee, Hye-ji (30 August 2012). "Lee Byung-hun's historical pic set to open in Korea and North America in same week". 10Asia. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "Masquerade (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
- ^ Kwaak, Je-yup (14 August 2012). "Prince-pauper tale gets election-year twist in Gwanghae". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Oh, Mi-jung (4 September 2012). "Masquerade Turns Out to be More Comedic than Serious". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "Gwanghae sweeps Korean Oscars". The Korea Times. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Lee, Jin-ho (31 October 2012). "The Daejong Film Awards are Taken Over by Masquerade". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "Masquerade Sweeps Daejong Film Awards". The Chosun Ilbo. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Lee, Claire (30 October 2012). "Gwanghae sweeps Daejong Film Awards". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Kang, Byeong-jin (7 February 2012). "Korea's most anticipated films of 2012". Korea Cinema Today. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "Lee Byung Hun experiences being a king in Gwanghae: The Man who became King". Korea Star Daily via Yahoo!. 6 September 2012. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
{{cite web}}
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- ^ Oh, Mi-jung (14 August 2012). "Lee Byung Hun Chose Masquerade to Let Out His Humor". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "Lee Byun-hyun Showcases Comic Side in Gwang-hae, A Man Who Became King". KBS Global. 16 August 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
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- ^ Oh, Mi-jung (5 September 2012). "Lee Byung Hun Modestly Talks about How He Danced for 'Masquerade'". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Oh, Mi-jung (6 September 2012). "Lee Byung Hun Talks about Being a Global Star, Masquerade and Lee Min Jung". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Oh, Mi-jung (23 September 2012). "Interview Part I: Lee Byung Hun Says Masquerade Boasts a Balanced Ensemble". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Oh, Mi-jung (23 September 2012). "Interview Part II: Lee Byung Hun's Difficulties and Embarrassments in Filming Masquerade". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Gelt, Jessica (29 September 2012). "South Korean movie star shines in L.A." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Kim, Hyeon-min (5 October 2012). "I would be so happy to make them laugh". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
- ^ "When Actor Ryu Seung Ryong Was Compared to Lee Byung Hun, "If Only I was Born a Year Earlier..."". Korea Portal. 4 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-18.[permanent dead link ]
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- ^ Hong, Lucia (13 August 2012). "Masquerade main stars Lee Byung-hun, Han Hyo-joo speak at presser". 10Asia. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Aquino, Rowena (24 September 2012). "A Royal Performance by Lee Byung-hun: Review of Masquerade". Asia Pacific Arts. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
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- ^ "강우석 감독, 첫 사극 '나는 조선의 왕이다' 연출". The Dong-a Ilbo. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "강우석·정재영·유준상, '광해'서 다시 뭉친다". Star News. 4 May 2011. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Han, Yeo-wool (4 November 2011). "Lee Byung-hun mulling historical film role". 10Asia. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
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External links
- Official website
- Masquerade at the Korean Movie Database (in Korean)
- Masquerade at IMDb
- Masquerade at Rotten Tomatoes
- Masquerade at HanCinema
- Masquerade at Naver Template:Ko icon
- 2012 films
- 2010s drama films
- South Korean historical films
- South Korean films
- South Korean political films
- Films about politicians
- Films set in the 15th century
- Films set in the Joseon Dynasty
- Films set in Seoul
- Films directed by Choo Chang-min
- Best Picture Grand Bell Award winners
- Korean-language films
- CJ Entertainment films
- Gwanghaegun of Joseon