[HanCinema's Film Review]"The Ascension of Han-ne" + Full Movie

"The Ascension of Han-ne" was the late Ha Gil-jong's favorite film, one that he declared as the greatest Korean film of the 70s, along with "Ieodo", by Kim Ki-young, whose films were among his main inspirations. Ha criticizes his era once more, this time , however, not through metaphor, but by evoking the past.

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The story takes place in the 19th century Joseon Korea, in a traditional shaman village, during the yearly sacrificial rites. Man-myeong, a man from the village who is considered "trouble" by the community, stumbles upon a woman who committed suicide and saves her, even bringing her back to his hut to treat her. The appearance of Han-ne, as is the girl's name, flusters the locals, starting with a widow who is immediately jealous of her presence in the house of whom she considered a potential future husband. The reaction of the rest of the village is not much different, with many considering her appearance so close to the rites as a blasphemy, but in the end, after some crucial interventions and Man-myeong's pleas, they allow her to stay. Eventually the girl starts narrating hers and her mother's story, to justify the reasons behind her attempt, but her future turns up even more tragic. Yun Pil-joo, the master of sacrificial rites and essentially the head of the village, plays a crucial role in both.

Ha Gil-jong's narrative unfolds in two axes. The first one is the setting of the village, which he presents as one where the ties of the people are close, but also one where gossip, superstition, and an institutionalization that result from the constant routine and the subsequent inability to adapt to anything new are dominating the inhabitants. The above issues have been portrayed a number of times in Korean cinema, but usually end up on a positive note, by highlighting how the close ties of the people result in them helping one another in their time of need. This, however, is not the case here, and the particular village is presented as a hellish setting, where a spiritual leader does whatever he wants by invoking the power of religion, with the inhabitants following him, essentially like sheep.

This aspect brings us to the second axis of the narrative, with Ha criticizing Confucianism and the resulting patriarchy, through a rather pointed approach that has both mother and daughter suffering the same horrible fate, eventually even taking Man-myeong with them, all due to Yun Pil-joo's despicable actions. The ending of the movie does function as an ancient Greek tragedy, but there is no catharsis here, just an evident pessimism that seems to highlight Ha's opinion of the aforementioned "values" during the 70s.

One of the most impressive aspects of the movie is the various rituals portrayed throughout, which are quite appealing to the eye, both due to Ha's direction and their capturing by DP You Young-gil. At the same time, they are also depicted, through the intense editing of Hyeon Dong-chun and the loud music, as something nightmarish, considering that the most horrible events of the story actually took place during these rituals. As such, Ha makes another critique, this time against tradition and religion, thus concluding the rather rich context of the movie.

Since we mentioned the cinematography, it is also worth noting that the overall presentation of the rural setting is exceptional, as much as the more urban that appears during the flashbacks, with a number of images of intense beauty appearing throughout the movie. The job done in the depiction of the era and the rituals is also top notch, in an overall great effort in the visual aspect of the production that perfectly accompanies the narrative.

Hah Myung-joong plays the simpleton Man-myeong in a style that is somewhat excessive, but also fitting for the overall aesthetics of the movie. Jeon Young-sun in the double role of Han-ne and her mother is exceptional as the victim, in perfect harmony with the melodramatic premises of the movie. The one who steals the show, however, is Hwang Hae as Yoon Pil-joo, who plays the main villain in the movie in a way that is both majestic and despicable.

"The Ascension of Han-ne" is a movie that delves deep into the issues of traditionalism, patriarchy, and the dark side of religion. Ha Gil-jong's direction and the performances of the actors are truly exceptional, resulting in another masterful movie by the late director.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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"The Ascension of Han-ne" is directed by Ha Gil-jong, and features Hah Myung-joong, Hwang Hae, Jeon Young-sun, Gook Jung-hwan, Do Kum-bong, Park Jeong-ja. Release date in Korea: 1977.