NYAFF REVIEW: ‘Sound of a Flower’ details rise of first female pansori singer
The Sound of a Flower, which recently played the New York Asian Film Festival, is a thoughtful, contemplative drama about a woman trying to break into the male-dominated world of pansori singing. This Korean traditional form of musical storytelling is a unique mixture of styles that produces dramatic and often moving songs that tell epic tales of romance and intrigue. The singers depicted in this dynasty-set drama approach the art form much like a monk or religious figure approaches faith. They are strict with their guidelines and follow the techniques of a master singer.
In telling the story of Jin Chae-sun (Bae Suzy), director Lee Jong-pil focuses on the art form behind the female singer. She wins her spot on the singing team of master Shin Jae-hyo (Ryoo Seung-ryong) by practicing, practicing, practicing. She perfects her style and soaks in every word of her teacher.
Of course, Chae-sun still faces discrimination. At first, she tries to fool everyone, including Jae-hyo, by dressing as a man. It doesn’t take long for her disguise to be discovered, so instead the singing troupe decides to break down barriers and convince the people in the high court that she’s worthy of a shot.
It’s an uphill battle for Chae-sun and Jae-hyo. The female singer receives much derision and contempt for trying to break the tradition, and Jae-hyo, a silent type, faces swift retribution for going against the orders of Prince Regent Heungseon Daewongun (Kim Nam-gil).
However, change is in the air. It’s up to Chae-sun to convince the prince regent to update the male-only policies and let her have a chance.
Throughout The Sound of a Flower, Jong-pil showcases the regal splendor of the high court and the lush, verdant countryside of Korea. The lensing on the film is beautiful and matches the monastic approach to the singers’ art form. This is a slowly moving and mindful narrative, one that evolves over the course of nearly two hours.
Suzy is excellent as the lead character. She’s interested and naive when she first listens to the singing instruction in her local neighborhood; however, soon that interest turns into determination. Her singing skills are evident, but it takes the instruction of Jae-hyo to fine tune her craft. That instruction can be harsh — extremely harsh. The singers are subject to beatings and unconventional practices to improve their voices and follow the historical traditions of the art form.
Seung-ryong has the less flashy of the two main parts. He doesn’t speak much, but when he does, the actor imbues the character with power and respect. It’s hard to like this instructor, but it’s also hard to discredit his effectiveness.
The underlying romance between Chae-sun and Jae-hyo seems underdeveloped and unrealistic. This is mostly because Jae-hyo’s character doesn’t receive much subtext. The entire story is told from the perspective of this young woman trying to break down barriers around her, and there’s little time paid to her instructor and how he adopted his harsh tutelage techniques.
The Sound of a Flower will stand as a thorough and nicely paced drama about an important chapter in pansori history. It’s largely effective because of its rich performances and beautiful landscapes.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
- The Sound of a Flower
- In Korean with English subtitles
- 2015
- Directed by Lee Jong-pil
- Written by Jong-pil, Ah-young Kim, Jae-eun Jeong, Hye-rim Park and Mi-na Chung
- Starring Bae Suzy, Ryoo Seung-ryong, Song Sae-byeok and Kim Nam-gil
- Running time: 109 minutes
- Rating:
