Jung Woo-sung becomes homme fatale for reimagined folktale

27 December 8, 2013December 8, 2013

Jung Woo-sung becomes homme fatale for reimagined folktale

by javabeans

I AM a sucker for retold fairy/folktales, so I’m intrigued to hear Jung Woo-sung (Padam Padam, Cold Eyes) has just signed on to one, which will be a modernized reinterpretation of the classic Shim Chung story. The movie is titled Madam Bbaeng-deok, and based on the title alone I’m guessing that this is one of those fairy-tale reversals that are so popular these days, as Bbaeng-deok is the stepmother in the tale while Shim Chung is the pure, kind, filial ideal of daughterhood that has been upheld for centuries.

The original tale is about a poor (but virtuous) young woman named Shim Chung who takes care of her blind father on her own, and hears that her father’s eyesight may be restored. It will cost an exorbitant amount, so she decides to offer herself as human sacrifice (sailors blame their rough passages on an angry sea god needing appeasing), only to be rescued by the sea god. He takes pity on her and sends her back to shore in a lotus flower, and she is seen by a king who falls in love with her and marries her. She is then reunited with her father, who regains his sight. Moral: Filial piety saves lives!

This film reworking is a provocative melo about a “dangerous love” so I’m anticipating quite the departure from the classic interpretation. Especially since Jung plays an homme fatale professor who becomes obsessed with love even as he gradually loses his eyesight. (If that makes him the dad character and the movie’s about his love with Bbaeng-deok, I wonder how the well-known Shim Chung narrative plays in, since he is an old man by the time we begin the folktale.) Jung is the first one to be cast, so we’ll have to wait for more info on the other roles.

Madam Bbaeng-deok will be directed by Im Pil-sung of 2007’s horror film Hansel and Gretel and 2005’s Antarctic Journal; he also was an assistant director on The Host. The movie plans to begin filming in early 2014 with a release later in the year.

Via MBN

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Tags: Jung Woo-sung

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1 adette

December 8, 2013 at 8:16 PM

Shim-chung is one if those stories with a moral that I get but don't really get. I mean, on the one hand she's willing to sacrifice herself for her father which is really noble out whatever... but on the other hand, it's like, if I were a blind parent, I'd rather have no sight and live with my child than be able to see but be alone. So I can't help but feel like her noble sacrifice isn't really that noble, cos she's basically abandoning her elderly father... I mean I know she gets saved and things turn out well for both of them in the end, but it's not like she threw herself into the sea knowing that that would happen...

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Orion

December 9, 2013 at 12:29 AM

It's a typical tale about living your life for your parents and giving your all for them. I think that difference in culture between us and Korea is why we don't get it. For us, a parent is the one who has to give the best they can to their children and make the biggest sacrifices so they can grow up and have a happy life.

So it's a case of our cultures finding the notion of a child living for a parent wrong, which twists our view of the whole moral. Since times are changing though, I do hope they can twist this around and topple the moral, showing why it's unfair to make the younger generation sacrifice for those before them. It would be a cool step into modern ethics.

I trust the director either way though. 'Hansel and Gretel' was brilliant.' 'Antarctic Journal' was an unfinished mess, but he seems to have learned from it, so I still trust him and still love his style.

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PeepsLeAwesomePotato

December 9, 2013 at 9:32 AM

I don't understand why parents are supposed to make sacrifices and the children shouldn't.

I mean, I know that parents are supposed to be responsible for their kid growing up happy and healthy but they're also just human and as kids, we also have a responsibility to make them happy (as gratitude for all that they're done for us).

Although, yes, I agree with the original notion that throwing yourself into the river to ensure that daddy gets his eyesight back is stupid and not really noble.

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Orion

December 9, 2013 at 12:20 PM

Of course children need to make sacrifices too, but not ones that will ruin their own lives for the parents. Any loving parent has a child because they want to create another happy person.

Children do not choose to be born. Or to be miserable for the sake of those who made that choice. Adults make that decision, so they are the ones who need to be responsible for the happiness of the people they choose to bring into the world.

So while any family needs to make each other happy, parents are the ones who, if it comes to it, have to sacrifice something instead of their child, if that something will make the child miserable.

But cultures and ideas about giving birth, parenthood and what it means for humans differ, which is why I think Korean audiences will "get" this better.

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JO

December 9, 2013 at 10:43 AM

She did it for her father because she legitimately believed that if she was a sacrifice to the sea gods, then they would answer her plight. It has fantasy woven into it....it's a fantasy, folk-tale? Also, during the time period, they legitimately believed these things. Now, in your time context and Western background, don't lord over culture as if you have the moral higher ground. It doesn't make sense...

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2 coffeenlucia

December 8, 2013 at 8:28 PM

Jung Woo-Sung was amazing in Padam Padam...

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3 divyrus

December 8, 2013 at 8:59 PM

I don't like this new dramabean version for iOS ! :'(

Where do I find who wrote this post?
This may be unrelated , but one of my favorite pastimes is to read the post and guess of it's written by girl Friday or java beans ! I CANT FIND THAT !

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4 divyrus

December 8, 2013 at 9:01 PM

And there is NO reply button for comments !
Back to desktop version it is ! :-/

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5 divyrus

December 8, 2013 at 9:04 PM

Now to related stuff ,
LOL @ filial piety saves lives !

I always enjoy these Korean folk tales !

I loved your old post about few of the fairy tales! Do do one again !

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6 callmeadreamer

December 8, 2013 at 9:44 PM

Reading this made me think of the 1N2D episode where Ji-won had to argue that Shim Chung wasn't a filial daughter. I'm laughing all over again thinking about how she should have lived harder and you can't go to heaven if you die that way!

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7 heartieme

December 8, 2013 at 10:46 PM

So how about the movie with kim ha neul?or two in a row for him..if that's the case, daebak!

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kanz

December 9, 2013 at 5:03 AM

He seems not take a break.. From Cold Eyes, to film with Kim Haneul to this one

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8 Lisa

December 8, 2013 at 10:59 PM

They should remake a drama/movie of the manhwa The Bride of the Water God.
Gosh, it'll be so pretty.

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Kiara

December 9, 2013 at 7:23 AM

Big YES to that :).

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9 eunjae

December 9, 2013 at 3:04 AM

Not sure whether I like the thumbs up button and also, the mobile version of Dramabeans, the old one was much more comfortable!

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Houstontwin

December 9, 2013 at 9:02 AM

I also don't like the thumbs down option. Thumbs down is a pretty hostile gesture for such a friendly and positive site.

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10 ninda

December 9, 2013 at 3:23 AM

mind to give a review of cold eyes?thanks

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11 amber

December 9, 2013 at 4:36 AM

I too don't like this version of dramabeans.com.

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12 Tulipsaki

December 9, 2013 at 7:34 AM

This story sounds confusing.

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13 CaroleMcDonnell

December 9, 2013 at 8:58 AM

love me some reworked fairytale/folktale as well...now i just have to look up the straight-up fairytale so i can understand the reworking better. thanks for the news!

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14 tura

December 9, 2013 at 11:06 AM

Not a fan of Jung Woo Sung but I do think he is hawt. I've only seen him in Athena and it was not a good experience for the both of us am sure

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Perrie

December 9, 2013 at 12:43 PM

You should check him out in Padam Padam :) Really good story and wonderful cast!

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owl

December 9, 2013 at 9:36 PM

Yes, I am struggling with watching him in Athena as we speak, I'm on episode 9 with my brother (or I'd drop it, but we watched IRIS, IRIS 2, City Hunter, and now Athena together). I do not like his acting at all in it ~

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15 Perrie

December 9, 2013 at 12:42 PM

Good lord, that is a beautiful picture of Jung Woo Sung! He looks sooooooooo good....
sorry for the shallowness, lol

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jensredshoes

December 9, 2013 at 7:48 PM

I know! I have a really good pic of him on my locker at work but I have to replace it with this one tomorrow. ;) Thaaank you Javabeans!

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16 heartieme

December 9, 2013 at 7:30 PM

He is right?i'm still confused to choose whether him or wonbin lol

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17 LangitBiru

December 12, 2013 at 9:25 AM

He looks mighty fine in that picture. Well, I love folktale in the modern version. Maybe since kid, I saw Disney movies all about it..

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