South Korea · Film · 2007
The Legendary Courtesan Hwang Jin Yi
Binge Brief
- Released in Korea on 6 June 2007; 141 minutes, rated 15.
- Song Hye Kyo plays the gisaeng Hwang Jin Yi, and Yoo Ji Tae plays Nom Yi, the servant who loves her.
- Adapted from Hwangjini, a 2002 novel by the North Korean writer Hong Seok Jung.
- Part of it was filmed at Mount Kumgang in North Korea on 28 January 2007.
- It drew 1,270,644 admissions against a budget of about 10 billion won.
Synopsis
In 16th-century Joseon, status decides everything. Jin Yi grows up as the daughter of a noble house, until she learns the secret of her birth: she was born illegitimate, and by law that puts her in the lowest class. Instead of clinging to the name she was raised with, she takes off the clothes of the inner quarters and chooses the life of a gisaeng.
Before she walks into Cheonggyobang, the gisaeng quarter, she spends her first night with Nom Yi, the servant she grew up with and who has loved her for years. As the gisaeng Myeongwol she becomes famous for her beauty, her wit, her singing and her poetry. Noblemen compete for her, yet she lives alone behind the attention. Her one amusement is a game she plays with the local governor, Hee Yeol, exposing the hypocrisy of the men who come to her.
Then word spreads of a bandit leader who matches Nom Yi's description, and Nom Yi is soon a wanted rebel. Jin Yi has to decide how much of herself she will stake on him.
Chang Yoon Hyun directed from Kim Hyun Jung's screenplay, based on Hwangjini, the 2002 novel by the North Korean writer Hong Seok Jung. The Hwang Jin Yi movie opened in Korea on 6 June 2007, rated 15, and ran 141 minutes. With a budget of about 10 billion won it drew 1,270,644 admissions, not enough to make a profit.
Why it still gets watched
Most people who search for Hwang Jin Yi find two versions made a year apart. KBS2's 24-episode drama Hwang Jini, with Ha Ji Won, aired in 2006; this film with Song Hye Kyo reached cinemas in June 2007. The two were compared constantly, and the comparisons mostly favoured the drama.
The film follows Hong Seok Jung's novel, and viewers noticed that Nom Yi, played by Yoo Ji Tae, gets a bigger share of the story than the title suggests. Kim You Jung, then a child actor, plays Jin Yi as a girl.
The Legendary Courtesan Hwang Jin Yi cast
Best scenes
Spoilers aheadThe moments people come back for, and where to find them. Episode numbers and outcomes are named, so come back to this one after watching if you would rather not know.
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The Mount Kumgang finale
Critics who found the rest of the film slow-moving still singled out the closing passage, shot at Mount Kumgang across the North Korean border, as its most striking piece of camerawork.
Filming locations
Mount Kumgang, North Korea. Song Hye Kyo and part of the crew crossed for a shoot on 28 January 2007. Yoo Ji Tae had no scenes there and did not go. Scenes at Kaesong's Pakyon Falls and on the Taedong River were planned in 2006, but the reports do not confirm they were filmed.
Set in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The film's love scene between Jin Yi and Nom Yi was shot here on 26 January 2007.
Cameras started rolling on 27 July 2006.
Visual design and costumes
Jung Ku Ho and Kim Jin Cheol are credited with production design, Choi Young Taek was director of photography and Im Jae Young handled the lighting. Won Il wrote the score.
Themes and messages
Status against the self. The Korean tagline presents an era in which status mattered more than life, and a woman who walks into the street of outcasts on purpose.
Equality at the gisaeng's door. The official synopsis notes that noblemen and commoners alike were equal in front of Myeongwol.
Love across class. Jin Yi's bond with Nom Yi, a servant and later a wanted man, is the risk the story turns on.
Interesting facts
The film was picked for the Korean Film Council's inter-Korean film development support in 2006, and its producers negotiated with the North to shoot there.
Hong Seok Jung, the novelist, is the grandson of Hong Myeong Hui, author of Im Kkeok Jeong. He suggested holding a preview of the film in Pyongyang or at Mount Kumgang.
Hong said that Song Hye Kyo was fine, but that he had pictured Soo Ae in the part. He knew Song Hye Kyo as the star of Autumn in My Heart, which was popular in the North.
Early press talked up Song Hye Kyo's first bed scene. The explicit parts of the script were cut back, and the film was released with a 15 rating.
Kim Byung Chul, later known for Sky Castle and Descendants of the Sun, has a small friendship appearance as a court officer.
Remakes and other versions
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Korean Film Awards | Best New Actress | Song Hye Kyo | Won |
| 2007 | 28th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Lighting | Im Jae Young | Won |
| 2007 | Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Lighting | Im Jae Young | Won |
| 2007 | Chunsa Film Art Awards | Technical Award | Jung Ku Ho | Won |
| 2008 | 45th Grand Bell Awards | Best Music | Won Il | Won |
Frequently asked questions
Is Hwang Jin Yi based on a true story?
Partly. Hwang Jin Yi was a real woman of 16th-century Joseon, remembered as the most famous gisaeng in Korean history. The film is adapted from Hong Seok Jung's novel, a work of fiction built around her life, not from a historical record.
Who is in the cast of Hwang Jin Yi (2007)?
Song Hye Kyo plays Hwang Jin Yi, Yoo Ji Tae plays Nom Yi and Ryu Seung Ryong plays the governor Hee Yeol. Youn Yuh Jung, Oh Tae Kyung and Jung Yu Mi support them, and Kim You Jung plays Jin Yi as a girl.
Is the Hwang Jin Yi movie the same as the Hwang Jini drama?
No. The KBS2 drama Hwang Jini (2006) stars Ha Ji Won and runs 24 episodes. This is a separate 2007 film with Song Hye Kyo, adapted from Hong Seok Jung's novel.
How does the Hwang Jin Yi movie end?
The final act turns on Nom Yi, now hunted as a rebel, and the choice Jin Yi makes for him. The sources used for this page do not describe the last scene, so it is not spelled out here.
Where can I watch Hwang Jin Yi?
In South Korea it streams on Netflix, TVING and Watcha. In the United States it is free with ads on Tubi and The Roku Channel. Rights change by country and year. These links point outward: nothing plays from this page itself.
Did Hwang Jin Yi win any awards?
Yes. Song Hye Kyo won Best New Actress at the 2007 Korean Film Awards. The film also won for lighting at the Blue Dragon and Chunsa awards, and Won Il's score won Best Music at the 2008 Grand Bell Awards.
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