esrosedotblog

Today's film is a true story and it is also the prince and the pauper told once again in a totally different setting.

Gwanghae, Wangyidoen namja / Masquerade (2012)

a Korean film.

Byung-hun Lee plays the prince and the commoner look alike who is chosen to stand in for him at a critical life and death time. The film is carefully structured to give us plenty of time to see the king's normal role and then to watch the same actor, totally different personality, step into the royal boots.

Much of this is comedy and then somewhere they sneak up on us and the film becomes inspirational and deeply emotional.

The "pauper" finds that his power can be used wisely and in such a way that he does get away with some major changes.

Enough people have become loyal to him and, whether they are in on the deception or not, decide to help him achieve what he sets out to do.

In this respect, because of his goodness, it is easy to accept the even those who are his enemies are stymied enough to give him space.

The fact remains that the king is the king and as he revives from a drugging we worry that the stand in will be done in.

The ending here is quite satisfying as is the entire film.

It is sumptuous.

It is also deeply traditional, it is the court after all, but from the beginning the music, the visual style, the psychology is modern. And not.

This is a wonderful movie and I want to see it again sometime.

A 5 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films