The Singer (2020)

Music changes the world

I find this movie rather interesting as we were introduced to the Korean traditional singing pansori, which often story tell Korean folklore. Personally, I enjoy folklores of various cultures, so perhaps that is why I enjoy this movie much. The singing of pansori by Hak-kyu in the movie was indeed moving, providing comfort to the commoners in times of injustice due to those corrupted officials. I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in Korean traditional culture.

It is not just an ordinary story about the singing culture .. It is a dramatic, sensitive story that stirs feelings through watching the movie. My feelings were conflicting. Sometimes I laugh and sometimes I cry and sometimes I cry because of my happiness .. I was really hesitant to watch the movie because I said, "Why am I watching a movie about music?" Not just a movie .. It is really a touching dramatic story. I got attached to the movie and I am very impressed with the cast and everything they have presented, especially the little girl ♡ ^^

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Intro to Korean pansori and folk tale.

Based on a Korean folktale about a young filial daughter with poor blind father, who sold herself to fishermen looking for sacrifice to the sea deity, to save her father from blindness & poverty. The deity takes pity on her when she jumps into the ocean, and returns her to the land in a giant lotus flower. Then she was taken in by the imperial couple because she resembled their dead daughter, and adopts her as their princess. The new princess throws a week of feast for the poor in hope to reunite with her father, who was still blind, poor and driven by the guilt of losing his daughter, wondered the country in despair. When they were reunited on the last day of the feast, the father hears the daughter's cry and miraculously regains his sight. Everybody lives happily after...

The musical took the basic concept from the folktale and made few interesting realistic tweaks. Seeing Lee YooRi in a movie for the first time was exciting, although her role was small the character was likeable. Surprising musical talent was discovered in Kim MinJoon and Park CheulMin. Overall, the movie had nice dip into the folk music, glimpse into the Joseon era, and kept everything simple and light with happy ending. The plot could've gone darker but aside from emotionally intense pansori, it was a story about loving couple with sweet optimistic younger daughter, loyal quirky friends, and villains where justice was served.

A sample of pansori THE STORY OF SHIMCHUNG is on YouTube. Cha JiHyun sings in the perspective of the blind father, reminiscing about his daughter, towards the end, https://youtu.be/kV2OjootdNA. Although it doesn't have subtitle, you can feel the intensity of the character's emotion. It's an amazing show.

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