The South Korean film industry has no shortage of costume dramas, and it’s not hard to understand why. Korea has a rich, well-documented history of colorful monarchs and vicious court intrigue, so it seems there is endless material to develop into new stories. Recent hits like Masquerade and The Face Reader have captured the imaginations of viewers with their Shakespeare-esque settings, lavish visuals, conspiracies and power games.
Usually the costumes in costume dramas are just a bit of icing on the cake – a dash of color and style to complement the scenery. But The Royal Tailor stands out for putting the clothing at the very center. It’s a movie about fashion, and the costumes themselves are dazzling. Traditional Korean clothes of this kind are called hanbok, and they feature bold colors, shimmering fabric and sweeping curves of the sort that are hard to find in modern-day fashion.
Directed by Lee Won-suk, whose debut film How to Use Guys with Secret Tips was one of the most enjoyable comedies of recent years (and which won the Audience Award at the 15th FEFF), The Royal Tailor tells the story of two hanbok designers living in the Joseon Dynasty. Veteran actor Han Seok-kyu (The Berlin File, Christmas in August) plays Cho Dol-suk, a man who has served as head tailor under three monarchs, fashioning the elaborate, traditional garments worn by the King and Queen. By contrast, Lee Kong-jin (popular star Ko Soo) is a genius upstart whose unconventional designs start turning heads throughout the city. Eventually, he gets noticed within the palace itself.
Dol-suk is a man of tradition, trusted by the King and respected by his peers, despite his lowly birth. But even he can’t help but admire the bold and daring hanbok designed by his young rival. The two strike up an uneasy friendship, and the audience too is seduced: one of the film’s strengths is the way it captures the thrill of creativity and of breaking from convention to craft something beautiful and unexpected. Ko Soo’s surprisingly pure-hearted performance expresses this dynamic well, and it’s exciting to see his works transform the fashion circles of his time. But jealousies are stirred when he starts designing for the Queen (played with regal grace by Park Shin-hye). Before long, both he and Dol-suk become caught up in trouble at the court.
The Royal Tailor is not based on any real-life king, and it’s not overly concerned with historical accuracy. Instead, it’s a vibrant fable with echoes of Amadeus that celebrates the origins and archetypes of Korean fashion. With ink sketches, colorful fabric and the amazing hanbok themselves filling every corner of the screen, it’s a visual cornucopia.
But the story is also engaging, thanks in part to the interesting relationships that develop over the course of the film. The two designers are worlds apart in temperament and their approach to tradition, but their mutual love of fashion creates an unexpected bond between them, even when conflict arises. The relationship between Dol-suk and the King (played by up-and-coming star Yoo Yeon-seok) is also fleshed out nicely, with the King’s own insecurities playing a big part in how they interact. Finally, the developing friendship between Kong-jin and the Queen is charted in many engaging, elegantly-shot scenes that showcase the natural charisma of both actors. Although at first we might think we know where this relationship is headed, director Lee Won-suk avoids obvious gestures and keeps us guessing to the end about how things will turn out.