Prince Yeonsan

Directed by Shin Sang-ok (신상옥)

Written by Lim Hee-jae (임희재)

133min | Release date in South Korea: 1962/01/01

Synopsis
This is a typical historical drama from the early 1960s on Yeonsangun (Shin Young-kyun), a king who had a life of extreme ups and downs. He is a son of King Seongjong (Kim Dong-won-III) and in great shock as he finds out that he is the son of deposed queen Yoon (Ju Jeung-ryu). As soon as he ascends the throne, Yeonsangun tries to restore the queen title of his mother but faces opposition from his grandmother, Queen Dowager Insu (Jeon Ok), and her courtiers, which turns him into a violent king. He becomes rougher than ever and loses his head over drinking and women. One night he meets his mother who had died under false accusation in his dream and he becomes even more confused. Meanwhile, he hears the story of his mother from his grandmother (Han Eun-jin) who gives him the bloody summer jacket the deposed queen wore on the day she was executed. Yeonsangun begins his bloody revenge on all those related to the deposing and execution of Queen Yoon. The film is surely spectacular with fancy dresses and set, exaggerated camera angles used to describe the twisted psychology of Yeonsangun, and actor Shin Young-kyun's over-the-top acting.

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