Just read the novel instead.
This movie has changed and disrespected the original source material to the point where it's completely unrecognizable, from the little details to the overall messages and symbolism that ORV tried to convey, everything had been completely butchered. As an adaptation, it fails in every aspect. As a movie, the cinematography is amateurish, the script sounds AI generated, the CGI is a joke, and some actors with major supporting roles are just completely sidelined for no particular reason; it's underwhelming, to say the least.
This isn't a matter of an "accurate adaptation" anymore. This is setting a precedence for future adaptations to completely mess up a beloved story by removing all the aspects that make it good in the first place. ORV isn't loved because it's a generic male power fantasy, it's loved because the story subverts this. By stripping away everything to adhere to the general audience's expectations, there won't be anything left to love. There is genuinely so many things wrong with this movie from the erasure of Korean history to even misogyny (which wouldn't be noticed if viewers don't know the original story).
ORV is a love letter for its readers, but this movie spat on it, tore it with a paper shredder, stomped on it repeatedly, burned it, and threw the ashes into the ocean.
This isn't a matter of an "accurate adaptation" anymore. This is setting a precedence for future adaptations to completely mess up a beloved story by removing all the aspects that make it good in the first place. ORV isn't loved because it's a generic male power fantasy, it's loved because the story subverts this. By stripping away everything to adhere to the general audience's expectations, there won't be anything left to love. There is genuinely so many things wrong with this movie from the erasure of Korean history to even misogyny (which wouldn't be noticed if viewers don't know the original story).
ORV is a love letter for its readers, but this movie spat on it, tore it with a paper shredder, stomped on it repeatedly, burned it, and threw the ashes into the ocean.
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