简介：Synopsis Su-dong(ChoYong-su)andOk-rang(KimSam-hwa)havebeenbetrothedsincebeforetheywereborn.WhenScholarKim'ssonMu-ryeong(ParkAm)recentlyreturnedfromHanyangbeginstolustafterOk-rang,hermother,whoconsidersSu-dongunworthyofherdaughter'shand,takesadvantageofthisfacttostrikeapromiseofmarriagewithScholarKim'swife.Su-dong'smother(KoSeon-ae)andOk-rang'sfather(KimSeung-ho)havetheirchildrensecretlywedonafield,andthenewlywedsrunawayfromthevillage.Afterspendingtheirfirstnighttogether,theyarecapturedbyScholarKim'smenwhohavepursuedthem,andSu-dongfallsoffacliffintheprocess.EncounteringOk-rangassheisbeingdraggedbackbyScholarKim'smen,herfatherkillsoneofthembyaccidentandbothfatheranddaughterarethrowninjail.Mu-ryeongdemandsOk-rang'shandinmarriageinexchangeforcoveringupthemurder,andOk-rangreluctantlyacceptshisproposal.Mu-ryeongtakesOk-ranghomeaftersheisreleasedfromjail.Su-dong,followingintheirwake,triestokillMu-ryeong,butwhenOk-rangtellshimthatsheisdeterminedtomarryMu-ryeong,hefallsintodespair,returnstohishome,andhangshimself.Su-dong'smotheranduncleburySu-dong'sbodybytheroadthatOk-rang'sweddingprocessionistotake.Whentheprocessionpassesbythegrave,everyoneinthepartyfindsthathisfeetarestucktotheground.Su-dong'smotherblockstheprocessionandstabsOk-rang,whohasemergedfromherbridalpalanquin.Ok-rangcrawlstowhereSu-donghasbeenlaid,anddrawsherlastbreathbyhisgrave. Notes "AfilmthatallowsustoseethearchetypeofKimKi-young'scinematicvision" YangsanProvince(Yangsando,1955)isdirectorKimKi-young'ssecondfeaturefilm.TheprintedreviewsfromthetimeindicatethatYangsanProvincedidnotreceivemuchcriticalacclaimwhenitwasfirstreleased.Forexample,YooDo-yeonslamsthemovieasa"workofbadtaste,"afailedattemptattragedyonthepartofthedirector.Alongsimilarlines,HeoBaek-nyeoncriticizesitasaninsincerefilmthat"debasesthedignityofKoreancinema." Certainly,theplotofYangsanProvince,whichfollowsthelovetrianglecomposedbytwoloversfromthelowerclassesandanupper-classinterloperwhothreatenstheirrelationship,hasappearedrepeatedlyasahackneyedsubjectinKoreanmassculture,datingbacktosuchcenturies-oldtalesasTheStoryofChunhyang(Chunhyangjeon)aswellastoJapanese-derivednew-schooldramalikeDayDream(Janghanmong).Furthermore,thelackofvividemotionalthroughlinesintheactors'performances,linesandscenesthataresymbolicyetdisjointedfromthecontext,andtheexaggeratedactionandfacialexpressionsofthelovescenesmightwellhaveprovidedadditionalimpedimentstotheaudience'sabilitytonaturallyimmersethemselvesinthefilm.Inparticular,thedenouement(missingfromtheKoreanFilmArchive'sremainingfootage),inwhichSu-dongdescendsfromtheskyinarayoflightandtakesOk-rangupwithhim,couldevenhavecomeacrossasinsultingtointelligentmembersoftheaudienceatthetime,steepedastheywereinconventionalrealism. Ironically,however,whatwasdenouncedasthefilm'sweaknessbyKimKi-young'scontemporariesappearstoustodayasthedefiningcharacteristicofthedirector'scinematicvision.Thatis,theunnaturalnessandexcessthatseemtosatirizeforcedemotionalresponsesoreventoconverttragedyintofarcefirstshoweditsgerminYangsanProvince,andlaterdevelopedinearnestfromTheHousemaid(Hanyeo)onward.Aboveall,wemustpayattentiontothefactthatKimKi-youngpurposelyderivedthefilm'ssubjectfromanoldKoreantale,andthatthesceneheprofessedthemostattachmenttowasthefilm'sgrandioseending.Inshort,KimKi-youngcreatedYangsanProvincenotfromtheperspectiveofrealismbutoffantasy.Thisintention,unfortunately,doesnotappeartohavecomethroughinthefilmaswellasitcouldhave,anditwouldbesomethingofastretchtonumberYangsanProvinceamongthe"classics"ofKoreancinema.Nevertheless,themovieprovidesavitalcluetounderstandingKimKi-young'searlyworks.Ifwerememberthefactthatitistheonlyoneofthedirector'seightfilmspriortoTheHousemaid(1960)tosurvivetothisday,YangsanProvincetakesonevenmorehistoricalsignificance. Afterword: -Themovietellstheheartbreakingstoryrecountedinthesong,"YangsanProvince(Yangsando)." -YangsanProvincewasreleasedonDVDasthefirsttitleintheKoreanFilmArchiveCollection'sclassicscollection.…