Korean audiences have long shown a warm interest in the swordplay genre, from the Shaw Brothers films of the 1960s and 1970s up to more recent works such as Hero. Although it has never pioneered the genre as Hong Kong has, the Korean industry has turned out swordplay movies on its own and in collaboration with Hong Kong or Chinese filmmakers from the 1960s right up until present examples such as the box-office hit Bichunmoo (2000).
The Legend of the Evil Lake is a remake of an early Korean swordplay fantasy The Thousand-Year Fox (1969) by legendary director Shin Sang-ok. The film opens in 57 B.C. when the founder of Korea’s Shilla Dynasty battles against a tribe that practices dark arts, eventually sealing the spirit of its leader into the ground with a special sword. More than a thousand years later in A.D. 896, the Shilla queen, her most trusted general Biharang, and his young peasant lover Jaunbi are all swept up in a growing rebellion. With rebels theatening the kingdom and mistrust rampant among the nation’s top warriors, a rival general tries to murder Janunbi, at which time she accidentally releases and is possessed by the 1000-year old vengeful spirit.
Shot completely in China with a mixed Korean-Chinese crew, Legend makes use of its modest (by international standards) $5 million budget to create striking visuals and well-executed wire action. In contrast to the quirky excesses of many Hong Kong works, Legend presents its simple story with an utter seriousness that in its best moments provides for scenes of quiet beauty. The film’s tempo picks up in the second half, as Jaunbi seeks revenge and the general struggles to fight against his transformed lover. A work of impressive scale, born out of a rare collaboration between Korean and Chinese filmmaking talent.
Darcy Paquet