Chunhyang

Veteran Korean director Im Kwon Taek finally breaks into the U.S. market with his 97th movie, a retelling of an 18th-century legend about two young lovers (Lee Hyo Jung, Cho Seung Woo) separated by class and by a lecherous, corrupt governor (Lee Jung Hun). Im moves smoothly back and forth between his story and a pansori singer (Korea’s venerable tradition of sung storytelling), performing the drama before a modern audience. Pansori sounds odd to western ears—a sort of cross between Asian opera and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins blues—but the performer’s emotion comes across and the past/present juxtaposition greatly enriches the film, which is serenely but firmly paced, well-acted by the young lovers (and by Kim Hak Yong as the hero’s crafty servant), and beautifully photographed by Jung Il Sung.