I watched last night, I do not have much to say, I call it a very pretty film that puts a bit of horror, drama, melodrama but the fantasy genre to become the main protagonist. The film also tends to imitate in his own way the Hong Kong movie by entering the Wuxia, and even a slow motion scene. Plot not trivial but very linear, with a final very satisfactory in my opinion, in fact, conveys a disturbing and tragic sense of imagination with poignant intensity. Kim Hye-jeong, with this film has carved out a unique place in the history of Korean cinema for her obvious sex appeal, perfectly interprets the Queen Jinseong, a femme fatale who exercises great power but that ultimately follow the path of destruction as a punishment for his excessive lust.
4 Reviews
quite linear film more fantasy than horror, and with a bit of Wuxia
dreist23 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Messy attempt at a Corean historical fantasy
refresh_daemon8 July 2008
Apparently, a Corean fantasy classic of sorts, One Thousand Year Old Fox takes a hugely melodramatic and underscripted story, attached some pageantry and, at the time, the best special effects that could be mustered from the Corean film industry and puts together a rather messy film, which makes me start to wonder if director Shin Sang OK's excellent Mother and Her Guest was just an unusually good stroke of luck.
The story is a big mess. While it has a promising set up, in that a general returning from combat in ancient Silla (a kingdom that once occupied a section of the now Corean peninsula) arouses the affections of the young queen. However, in fidelity towards his beloved wife and child, he spurns the queen and she has the wife and child ejected from the city. This eventually leads to tragedy as barbarians were apparently at the gate and the wife gains the spirit of a vengeful 1000+ year old fox, who has a grudge to bear with the queen's bloodline. The spirit takes possession of the wife during the early morning hours, but the rest of the time, she's back to herself. Of course, the general is still a dutiful soldier and has to defend the queen.
It's not a bad setup, definitely one for tragedy, but the film doesn't really spend enough time developing the characters, the conflict or keeping consistent as it seemed to busy focusing on maximizing the attempts at special effects. While the effects are laughable by modern standards, they're not that bad. Unfortunately, such a focus on wirework, fancy lighting, and so forth draws out a lot of scenes and the combat scenes seem uninspired. The film stock hasn't aged well either and leaves the whole thing a bit of a blurry mess.
Frankly, I got bored. And tired of noticing story inconsistencies. It's not that the actors were terrible either, although the performances were simple, I imagine that the script didn't give them a whole lot to work with. I did appreciate the costumes, the sets and just audacity to really just go for a fantasy film set in Corean history, but it all just doesn't come together well enough. I heard that this film received a remake, released a few years ago, so I might search that out, but I imagine without an improvement in the basic material of the script, it probably won't be able to reach much higher than this. Possibly passable viewing for those who are curious and noteworthy in terms of Corean film history, but everyone else can probably skip this one. 5/10.
The story is a big mess. While it has a promising set up, in that a general returning from combat in ancient Silla (a kingdom that once occupied a section of the now Corean peninsula) arouses the affections of the young queen. However, in fidelity towards his beloved wife and child, he spurns the queen and she has the wife and child ejected from the city. This eventually leads to tragedy as barbarians were apparently at the gate and the wife gains the spirit of a vengeful 1000+ year old fox, who has a grudge to bear with the queen's bloodline. The spirit takes possession of the wife during the early morning hours, but the rest of the time, she's back to herself. Of course, the general is still a dutiful soldier and has to defend the queen.
It's not a bad setup, definitely one for tragedy, but the film doesn't really spend enough time developing the characters, the conflict or keeping consistent as it seemed to busy focusing on maximizing the attempts at special effects. While the effects are laughable by modern standards, they're not that bad. Unfortunately, such a focus on wirework, fancy lighting, and so forth draws out a lot of scenes and the combat scenes seem uninspired. The film stock hasn't aged well either and leaves the whole thing a bit of a blurry mess.
Frankly, I got bored. And tired of noticing story inconsistencies. It's not that the actors were terrible either, although the performances were simple, I imagine that the script didn't give them a whole lot to work with. I did appreciate the costumes, the sets and just audacity to really just go for a fantasy film set in Corean history, but it all just doesn't come together well enough. I heard that this film received a remake, released a few years ago, so I might search that out, but I imagine without an improvement in the basic material of the script, it probably won't be able to reach much higher than this. Possibly passable viewing for those who are curious and noteworthy in terms of Corean film history, but everyone else can probably skip this one. 5/10.
Thousand Year Fox
BandSAboutMovies8 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The kumihois a nine-tailed fox that appears in many classic Korean folktales. It is similar to the Chinese huli jing, the Japanese kitsune and the Vietnamese ho ly tinh, which are ancient creatures that live on the flesh of humans and often shapeshift into female form.
As the film begins, Yeo-hwa is banished fby the queen. She walks the wilderness with her baby. Bandits attack her, killing the baby - by stomping it to death - and as she escapes, she drowns in a lake. However, the fox spirit raises her and takes over her body, using it to seduce and destroy men. Back in the kingdom, Yeo-hwa's husband wants to save her, but he is being seduced by the queen.
This was picked up by Shaw Brothers and distributed in Hong Kong. It has some really cool wirework fights as well as a near-genre jumping feel.
Director Shin Sang-ok is, of course, the same man who was taken from his country to make Pulgasari and then, after escaping, came to America to produce all of the 3 Ninjas movies and direct 3 Ninjas: Knuckle Up. Life's weird.
As the film begins, Yeo-hwa is banished fby the queen. She walks the wilderness with her baby. Bandits attack her, killing the baby - by stomping it to death - and as she escapes, she drowns in a lake. However, the fox spirit raises her and takes over her body, using it to seduce and destroy men. Back in the kingdom, Yeo-hwa's husband wants to save her, but he is being seduced by the queen.
This was picked up by Shaw Brothers and distributed in Hong Kong. It has some really cool wirework fights as well as a near-genre jumping feel.
Director Shin Sang-ok is, of course, the same man who was taken from his country to make Pulgasari and then, after escaping, came to America to produce all of the 3 Ninjas movies and direct 3 Ninjas: Knuckle Up. Life's weird.
An appreciation
j_eyon15 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I didn't approach this film with high expectations so I was surprised at how quickly I got caught up.
While considered a horror film by its prestigious director (Shin Sang-OK), by today's standards of over-the-top horror scenes devoid of characterization, this is a drama with supernatural elements built on understandable and conflicting motives (it's about the effects of a Shilla queen's lust for a General in her army who, instead, pines for his wife -- who encounters the disembodied spirit of a 1,000 year old fox demon).
The story is wonderfully straightforward and unfolds at a satisfying pace. The dialog is a little melodramatic but the acting and directing makes it tolerable.
You'll need to keep in mind that special effects everywhere were primitive in the 1960s. And that age has affected the film stock.
However, I found Shin Sang-OK's direction excellent and this story of a dangerous entanglement absorbing.
While considered a horror film by its prestigious director (Shin Sang-OK), by today's standards of over-the-top horror scenes devoid of characterization, this is a drama with supernatural elements built on understandable and conflicting motives (it's about the effects of a Shilla queen's lust for a General in her army who, instead, pines for his wife -- who encounters the disembodied spirit of a 1,000 year old fox demon).
The story is wonderfully straightforward and unfolds at a satisfying pace. The dialog is a little melodramatic but the acting and directing makes it tolerable.
You'll need to keep in mind that special effects everywhere were primitive in the 1960s. And that age has affected the film stock.
However, I found Shin Sang-OK's direction excellent and this story of a dangerous entanglement absorbing.
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