The Sound of a Flower

The Sound of a Flower (Korean: 도리화가; Hanja: 桃李花歌; RR: Dorihwaga) is 2015 South Korean period drama film based on the life of Jin Chae-seon, who became Joseon's first female pansori singer in 1867.[5] Jin risks her life by cross-dressing as a man, at a time when women were forbidden to sing in public or perform on stage.[5][6][7][8] The film focuses on the relationship between Jin and her pansori teacher, Shin Jae-hyo. The Korean title, Dorihwaga, is a song written by Shin about his protégée after she became a court singer.[1]

The Sound of a Flower
Theatrical release poster
Hangul도리화가
Hanja桃李花歌
Revised RomanizationDorihwaga
LiterallySong of the Peach and Plum Blossoms[1]
Directed byLee Jong-pil
Produced byKim Dae-seung
Screenplay by
  • Lee Jong-pil
  • Kim Ah-young
Starring
Music byKim Tae-seong
CinematographyKim Hyun-seok
Edited by
Production
company
Yeonghwasa Studio
Distributed byCJ Entertainment[2]
Release date
  • November 25, 2015 (2015-11-25)
Running time
109 minutes[3]
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Box officeUS$2 million[4]

The film was directed by Lee Jong-pil, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kim Ah-young. Bae Suzy, who plays Jin Chae-seon, studied pansori for a year to prepare for the role.[5] Ryu Seung-ryong plays her teacher, Shin Jae-hyo.[8] Kim Nam-gil is the king's father and regent (the Heungseon Daewongun) and Song Sae-byeok is Kim Se-jong, a famous pansori singer.[9] Lee Dong-hwi and Ahn Jae-hong play Shin's disciples.[10]

Plot

Jin Chae-seon is an orphan raised by a gisaeng during the Joseon era in 1867. She enjoys pansori performances and eavesdrops on lessons at the pansori school. She secretly practices singing when she is alone, and asks pansori teacher Shin Jae-hyo to teach her. She is immediately rejected because females are not allowed to learn pansori and perform in public. She then disguises herself by cross-dressing as a man, but got rejected again. When Shin hears the news that the king's father and ruler of Joseon, Heungseon Daewongun, is going to hold a national pansori contest, he changes his mind and decides to train Jin for the competition. However, no one must discover that Jin is a woman, or they both will face death.[11]

After a period of training, Jin performs the Chunhyangga at the palace. Heungseon Daewongun is enchanted by her performance and decides to keep her at court. Shin Jae-hyo then realizes how much he loves her and composes "Dorihwaga" to express his longing for his pupil.

Cast

Release and reception

The film was released in South Korea on November 25, 2015. It was widely anticipated due to the high-profile cast, and had the most ticket reservations. However, it ranked a disappointing fourth place in the box office, drawing only 245,000 viewers during its opening weekend. Industry watchers attributed this to the film's "boring plotline" and Suzy's "unpolished" vocal performance.[12] Lee Mi-ji of StarN News blamed the film's loss of focus and "stagnation" in its second half; it focused on the romance between Jin Chae-seon and Shin Jae-hyo, rather than Jin's life story.[13] The film ranked thirteenth place in its second weekend, and had sold a total of 300,729 tickets at that time, earning ₩2.1 billion (US$1.8 million).[14]

The film received mostly negative reviews from critics, who criticized the editing and screenplay, as well as Suzy's performance.[15] Jin Eun-soo of Korea JoongAng Daily gave the film a mixed review. She praised Suzy's performance, but criticized some aspects of the screenplay, complaining that "somewhere along the way the film became an ode to Suzy, not Jin Chae-seon".[16]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Recipient Result
2016
 52nd Paeksang Arts Awards Most Popular Actress (Film)
Bae Suzy
 Won

References
  1. Gwak Jae-gu (2014). "Gochang: Among the Dolmens, Lives Lived and Loves Lost". Koreana. The Korea Foundation (autumn). Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  2. Kil, Sonia (November 30, 2015). "Korea Box Office: 'Inside Men' Stays on Top, 'Mockingjay' Sinks". Variety. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  3. "The Sound of a Flower (2015)". The Chosun Ilbo. November 27, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  4. "The Sound of a Flower (2015)". KoBiz. Korean Film Council. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  5. "Suzy sees former self in 'The Sound of a Flower' singer". The Korea Times. November 20, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  6. Lim Jeong-yeo (November 5, 2015). "Ryu Seung-ryong encourages high school student". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  7. Lim Jeong-yeo (November 25, 2015). "Suzy and Park Bo-young's movies release on Wednesday". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  8. Lim Jeong-yeo (November 5, 2015). "Suzy lauded by 'Sound of a Flower' staff". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  9. Ahn Sung-mi (November 19, 2015). "Suzy talks about her difficulties". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  10. Baek Byung-yeul (November 19, 2015). "Suzy practiced pansori for one year for film". The Korea Times. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  11. "2015.12.04 Now Playing". Korea JoongAng Daily. December 4, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  12. "Suzy's new movie bombs at box office". K-Pop Herald. December 1, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  13. Lee Mi-ji. "Ryu Seung Ryong & Suzy's new movie, 'The Sound of a Flower,' stagnating". StarN News. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  14. Jin Eun-soo (December 8, 2015). "No. 1 spot remains white whale for adventure flick". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  15. "Suzy disappoints with pansori movie". The Korea Times. November 30, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  16. Jin Eun-soo (November 27, 2015). "Review: Suzy shows a new side in historical film". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
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