Appearing on-screen is a young woman with smoky eye make up, peach-toned blush and a lush purple dress.
To go with her black silk jacket finely embroidered with a golden flower print, she put on a black lace hat almost as big as an umbrella, with a piece of chiffon that drapes down to her shoulder.
It's hard to tell if this is the Hwang Ji Nyi we know ― a renowned 16th-century gisaeng and a poet who always appeared on screen with pale cheeks and red lipstick matching her dress, ridiculing aristocratic society with wit and scholarly insight.
Instead, what we have is an expensive period drama, which took four years in production and 7.1 billion won ($7.7 million) to complete.
Visually, however, the money pays off in the film adaptation of Jang Yoon-hyeon's "Hwangjin-y - Movie - 2007".
Whether in designer-made costumes or the period settings, the film glows with style, providing a poisonous glimpse of the self-deprecating heroine who led herself to tragic isolation through her seductive character.
But instead of her literary gifts admired by so many authors and directors of movies and TV dramas in the past, Jang focuses on melodramatic tensions between the heroine Ji Nyi (played by Song Hye-kyo) and Nom-yi (Yoo Ji-tae), Ji Nyi's admirer since childhood.
Perhaps their romance is what makes Jang's latest remake so different from other films about the heroine's eventful life.
The film revolves around the secret of Ji-nyi's birth.
Having been brought up in an aristocratic family, she lives a protected life surrounded by her family's support.
But upon learning that she was the child of a mistress, she is faced with the choice of living as an aristocrat's mistress, killing herself or working in a brothel.
She resorts to the last option.
Based on a famed novel by North Korean writer Hong Seok-jung, the film takes a brief departure from the central theme of the heroine's life by resorting to the secret romance between Ji Nyi and Nom-yi, who proves his loyalty in every way he can, for example by crushing the testicle of a male aristocrat who deflowers Ji Nyi at a gisaeng house.
The romance between the two is a radical shift from the original story of Hwang Ji Nyi.
And perhaps parts were a bit overdone, especially after Nom-yi became a Robin Hood, and the film begins to wobble
But one of the film's ultimate failures is its miscasting, a risk the film couldn't have avoided.
As predicted, Song does not possess the same charisma of a femme fatale exuded by young actresses who played the role in the past, like Ha Ji-won from a television drama "Hwangjin-i ". Despite Song's mediocre performance, her presence on-screen does not go beyond the simple display of a pretty young actress in designer costumes in a period movie.
The restrained dialogue on Yoo's part also does not capture the melancholy and struggle endured by Nom-yi to add a layer of thoughtfulness to his character. Perhaps Yoo's image we remember is far too modern and edgy for a classic Robin Hood on screen.
Nevertheless, the artful style in "Hwangjin-y - Movie - 2007" is something that deserves more credit, separate from the debate of historical accuracy.
It takes a great leap from artful period dramas like "Untold Scandal" or "Forbidden Quest" to a level of production art we've never seen before, completely altering the notion of tradition.

"Hwangjin-y - Movie - 2007"
Directed by Jang Yoon-hyeon
Starring: Song Hye-gyo, Yu Ji-tae
Running Time: 141minutes
Subtitles: English
Genre: Drama

Hwang Jin Yi

Release Date : June 2007
Language: Korean
Running Time: 141 mins
Starring: Yoo Ji-tae, Song Hye-kyo
Directed by: Jang Yoon-hyeon
Official Website: http://www.festivefilms.com/hwangjinyi

Movie Plot
Based on a novel by North Korean writer Hong Suk-joong, "Hwang Jin Yi" is the most legendary courtesan in the 500-year reign of the Chosun Dynasty. She is especially known for her love affair with the rebel Nom-yi. Born as a daughter of an aristocratic family, Lady Jin Yi discovers the dark secret behind her birth. Revolted, she decides to strip herself of all the privileges of her birth to follow the path of a 'gisaeng' (equivalent to geisha). She becomes Myung-whol, a courtesan. Through hardship and trials, she rises as the most desired 'gisaeng', even in the tightly controlled royal palace. Her only love, however, is a man nobody ever knew. The man she chose was compelled to abandon his identity and cross class lines. In an age where one's fate is determined by birth, her commitment to her love never wavers.

SHk is very pretty in this series, i really like her she even got an award with this movie (2007 6th Korean Film Awards: Best New Actress (Hwang Jin-i) its just that i cant stand watching her doing that short love scene humn. (maybe im not really used to watch her doing that I feel pity for her for that scene)

She Got an Award??owhh...thats great!!

i want to watch this one... where can i download this Movie? thanks