Hwang Jin Yi: TV (06) vs Film (07) (2)

The Art of a Courtesan
Well a Joseon gisaeng is somewhere between a high class prostitute and an artisan. So the arts figure largely in their role, besides serving wine and romping with the yangban.

There is just one scene in the movie concerning the arts which made its way into the trailer but nothing else. The way Jinyi prepared for her role is just sit pretty and apply makeup. I often wondered how her gisaeng career went so well. The only thing special about her seems to be her ability to write poems and her unusual background (where is her supernatural talent for the gayageum?) – but aren’t all gisaeng somewhat educated through the establishment?

If the movie had practically nothing about the arts, the TV series was ALL about it. They were obsessive about the arts and portraying Jinyi as an artist of epic proportions (probably somewhere equivalent to a ‘national treasure’). It gets a little excessive and pretentious after a while, but it is still by far the more interesting version because it put the arts in the limelight and showcases everything from colourful costumes to dance, music, even tightrope-walking.

The Sex in a Courtesan’s Life
It sounds rather crude but who doesn’t want some salacious details of a courtesan’s life, probably the most liberal group of people in confucianist Joseon society.

Koreans seem to shrink from the more salacious part of human lives (with the exception of Untold Scandal), even when it comes to courtesans. The movie tries to get by with some psuedo-nude shots here and there – shoulders & above for women, chest & above for men, a portion of Jinyi’s calf/ back & so forth, but the dead giveaway is the total lack of body contact. The men does everything but touch. You can’t go to bed without body contact.

If the movie was conservative the TV series treated sex with kid gloves (especially when it comes to the pristine main character). It wouldn’t even tell us who Jinyi’s virginity was auctioned off to (in the end). As a courtesan, she never sleeps with anyone but her true love. I often wondered how she became so jaded without having to give away anything of herself. Undoing the jacket tie is the closest they ever come to doing the nasty. Sex, in the show, is largely symbolic.

The Legend of Myung-Wol
They have two explanations of how Jinyi came to adopt Myung-wol (lit: bright moon) as her courtesan name. In the movie, it originated from the words she had written to the unwitting bachelor who thereafter died of love for her. In the TV, it came from inspiration for a poem which came to her after she ‘buried her (first) love’. The legend of this Myung-wol remains and each actress has her own intepretation.

Song Hae Gyo: The Poison-Ivy

There are three things that cannot be conquered in Song-do. The first is the Bak-yeon Falls, the second is, Master Wha-dam of the marsh. He is a truly virtuous man. You do not even hold a candle to him sir. And the third is I, Myung-wol. – Movie Jinyi

There is one only word to describe Song’s Myung-wol – Poisonous. From the cool colours of her hanbok to the smoky black eyeliner and peach lipstick, she exudes venom hidden beneath a demure smile. In fact, her smile reminds me of TV Mae-hyung. Her wit and methods are also a tad subtler and slyer, kind of like sitcking a knife beneath your ear under the pretense of patting your head (quote: Rochester XP).

Ha Ji Won: The Fiery Siren

Do you not think that it is better for the moon to be cold and unfeeling? The moon can also be a weapon to destroy and a poison to make others blind. I will be this moon. – TV Jinyi

Ha Ji Won has really fierce, direct eyes and blazes in red. TV Jinyi is the kind who charges into a room and commands immediate attention and awe from men. It is not very subtle but is really epic. It is not surprising that she makes the strongest and most memorable (probably definitive) Hwang Jinyi.