Thanks to the fine work of the Korean Film Archive Collection, we have the chance to see the extremely rare, early work by one of South Korea's most infamous directors - his second feature.
This is several centuries distant from the more famous, Power of Yahgsan Province - and the earlier film captures the trenchant melodrama of South Korea's most characteristic film style. It's a period drama that touches on the themes off love, loyalty, and tragedy. The difficulties of star-crossed love (and cruel deceptions).
You can't say enough about the loving treatment afforded this rare and surprising work. Even while more famous films by Kim Ki-Young threaten to fall into obscurity, this provides an uncommon insight into the director and his earliest work, and any fan of classic cinema will be pleased by the result. We even have a generous menu of special features, including a small section on the recovery of lost film.
The Korean Film Archive collection has an expanding group of features, and you can bet that I'll be investigating each of the DVDs. This kind of project thrills one with the possibility that we might someday have the chance to enjoy a DVD of Hanyo (The Housemaid) - maybe the most famous and exciting of director Kim's impressive output. Until then, let's be thankful for the surprises in his earlier film.
