Hwang Jin Yi: TV (06) vs Film (07) (1)

This is completely unrelated to anime but I wanted to do it since we have two versions of the same story about one woman, both featuring a heavyweight/ popular/ beautiful actresses Ha Ji Won (TV) and Song Hae Gyo (movie). All for a woman whose face we can’t even see clearly today, the interest and curiosity generated by her life and legend is enormous. We’ll do a quick walk over of two different potrayals.

Hwang Jin Yi, the Legend

The Love of a Bachelor
At the age of 15, a nearby bachelor was said to have died of love for her – I quote. This scene appears in both TV and movie versions, illustrating the charms of a young Jinyi and also mark the beginning of her courtesan career.

“The aristocrat lady you so loved, is no longer in this world. As a common woman, I give my best wishes to you. Please go and find peace.” – Movie Jinyi

The movie takes the fact at face value (the bachelor is a nameless nobody) but uses the moment to symbolise the demise of her former life and status. The scene shows how she is forced (for the first time) from the comfort of her home to face the mocking of common people. The act of covering the coffin with her wedding shawl is also highly symbolic of her dashed hopes and dreams.

“We are in mourning for lost love. Let us cry freely today. This cruel Gyobang and the cruel lives we lead. As courtesans, we must smile even as we die. But today, we want to cry freely, mistress.” – TV series

The TV series makes full use of this and fleshes it out into Jinyi’s first love (or first encounter with love). The demise of her lover illustrates the impossibility of simple love for courtesans and sets the stage for future conflict. However, the series turns the moment into high cheese, by having the whole gyobang descend into mourning, in sympathy with Jinyi.

The Wit of a Courtesan
Jinyi seems to have been famous for making a sport of ridiculing aristocrats, although it is a little strange considering she is a half-aristocrat in one version and was brought up with all riches and respect due one in another.

If I gave my body to have you go from Heaven to Hell, sir, the magistrate promised me a very precious book. Would it not be better for you sir, to take a courtesan over a widow? Your Honor, his face shows that he is in hell, so this treasure is mine. – Movie Jinyi

Hats off to the movie version for its subtle wit. What Jinyi did was practically like a slap in the face to the self-satisfied scholar. Jinyi is so sly and her last slur about his face showing that he is in hell, is one hell of a clincher. It probably hurts like a bitch to know that you are being humiliated for a book.

I’ve already put your poem in my heart, thus I do not need such tokens. The human heart would lose its fevor if it were to rely on tokens. Therefore, Your Excellency, you must leave your heart here. Your heart that cherishes a friend you shared poetry with…that appreciates the arts…that is willing to protect your friends. – TV Jinyi

Here’s also use of shocking scenario with clever dialogue, but with much less subtlety. If what the movie Jinyi did was a slap in the face, the TV Jinyi dealt a direct punch. Somehow, I find it hard to believe that the Ming ambassador would still be so overawed by her impudence. The dialogue is clever but show tries too hard by showing everyone’s shocked faces.

The Men in a Courtesan’s life
Here’s a quick overview of the different men, or the green leaves that surround the lone blossoming peony.

Childhood friend, cum bodyguard cum lover cum Robinhood wannabe, Nomyi is a real cliche. He is like the Eunho (first love), music minister (love) and bodyguard Mu-myung (guardian angel) all rolled into one. Except for one thing – his betrayal of Jinyi – that gave him an interesting dimension, but that is too little to raise his flat and tasteless character.

The magistrate (right) whom Jinyi was flirting with – and playing a dangerous game with – is the sardonic antagonist, somewhat movie equivalent of Lord Baek. However he is a much more dangerous man and is a real nasty antagonist to be reckoned with (unlike Lord Baek who is like hot air compared to him).

TV Jinyi had more love interests than one sometimes acquire in a lifetime (4 in total, 5 if you include Eunho’s dad) but I decided to leave out Mu-myung in the light of his extreme passivity. Only 3 really mattered.

Eunho is the ill-fated first love who is destinated to die so that Jinyi can be on her way to becoming a reknown courtesan. The music minister – uh, excuse me Kim Jae Won fans, but I think his character is too much of a Mr. Nice Guy. He’s kind of like Eunho, sans the freshness and youthful curiosity that makes Eunho cute. You can imagine. I like Lord Baek (far right) better but I wished they gave him more depth and stop dumbing him down. So what if he couldn’t get Jinyi’s love? I’m sure there is more to him than a 2 dimensional despo.

On to Part II