A scene from the Korean romance movie „Secret: Untold Melody.“ / Courtesy of Plus M Leisure
Taiwan’s 2007 fantasy-music-romance movie „Secret“ is extensively thought to be a cornerstone of the revival of Taiwanese cinema and stays a beloved basic amongst Korean audiences.
After its launch, numerous Korean followers added Danshui, the movie’s picturesque setting, to their must-visit lists when touring to Taiwan, proving the film’s enduring attraction.
The unique movie tells the story of Xianglun, a piano prodigy who transfers to a mysterious arts highschool, the place he meets Xiaoyu, solely to uncover her secret.
Starring Jay Chou and Gwei Lun-mei because the leads, the film was a masterpiece in its personal proper. So why did director Search engine marketing Yoo-min select to remake it in Korean about 20 years later? Watching this well-crafted but considerably bizarre remake, one attainable purpose emerges: to reimagine the story throughout the context of modern-day Korea.
In contrast to the unique, the Korean model feels extra grounded in actuality. Smartphones make their approach into the narrative, the setting shifts to a college, and the once-fragile feminine characters have been up to date to be extra unbiased, becoming up to date sensibilities.
These adjustments lend better plausibility to the story, particularly within the male protagonist’s quest to seek out the all of a sudden lacking feminine lead. Notably, Yoo-jun’s father, portrayed by Bae Seong-woo, is wittier and extra partaking than his counterpart within the authentic.
A scene from the Korean romance movie „Secret: Untold Melody.“ / Courtesy of Plus M Leisure
Director Search engine marketing stays devoted to a lot of the unique story and settings, making just a few intriguing adjustments. Whereas promising pianist Yoo-jun (Doh Kyung-soo) and Jung-ah (Gained Jin-ah) carry a lot of the narrative weight, further subplots — comparable to Yoo-jun’s estranged mom being a famend pianist — really feel pointless. Many of those new parts dilute the simplicity and emotional purity that made the unique so efficient. The remake can be extra dialogue-heavy, which diminishes the mysterious ambiance as soon as evoked by the previous campus buildings and banyan bushes within the authentic.
That stated, the remake retains the long-lasting piano battle sequence from the unique, although it lacks the depth of the unique. Doh Kyung-soo, who reportedly had no prior expertise studying sheet music, impressively conveys vitality and realism by his gestures and expressions through the efficiency.
Nonetheless, the movie fails to ship a memorable rating or lasting emotional impression, leaving little impression as soon as the credit roll.
„Secret: Untold Melody“ is ready for launch on Jan. 28. (Yonhap)
