Shadows in the Palace (Goongnyeo)

Last night I finished watching Goongnyeo (2007), otherwise known as Shadows in the Palace although the name translates literally to "palace woman". Overall I did not much care for it.

SPOILERS: My primary problem was that it tried to be two movies at once -- a serious mystery drama and a j-pop horror, and the later really detracted from the former, which I thought was doing just fine until about the half-way point of the film. If they had kept to slowly unraveling the details of the murder, I'd have been happy. Instead, they introduced the mystical and once that happens any detective work goes right out the door. It really bothered me! I was also upset by the brutal and grotesque violence that those women had to endure, portrayed in such detail. I mean it was just so vivid, so graphic, I was just turned right off. I suppose the director wanted to get the point across that we were once barbarians. They surely succeeded in that regard.

Which is too bad because I was quite interested in the story and plot -- there's been a murder inside the palace made to look like a suicide. What then appears to be a simple case of infidelity is spun quite around on its head. Once you get to that point in the film I'd say you've seen the best parts already. Sticking around for the ending, with its spirits and possessions and gratuitous gore, is a real disappointing experience.

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