By Pierce Conran
Blood Merchant transposes its original Chinese cultural revolution setting to Seoul and tells the story of a young laborer who has his sights set on his village's most beautiful woman. But before he can marry her, according to the town's rules he must sell his own blood to prove that he is in good health.
Ha Jung-woo launched his directing career with Fasten Your Seatbelt last year at the Busan International Film Festival. A fun and tightly plotted comedy set on an airplane mid-flight, the film showed off Ha's knack for comedy and satire, two elements that will feature prominently in his follow-up. Following the weak debut of The Huntresses, his co-star Ha Ji-won hasn't had a hit film in a while yet remains very popular for her TV work. Considering her co-star and director's recent box office clout, he starred in the hits The Berlin File and The Terror Live last year, this should be a return to form for the screen siren.
Chronicle of a Blood Merchant will be produced and distributed by NEW, which has been the most consistently impressive Korean studio of the last few years, with titles such as Cold Eyes, New World and The Attorney under their belt. Given the outfit's track record, there involvement bodes well for Ha's first big directing gig. Shooting will get underway soon and the film should reach theaters by the end of the year.
Reviews and features on Korean film appear regularly on Modern Korean Cinema. For film news, external reviews, and box office analysis, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update, Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Korean Reviews, which appear weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (Korean Standard Time).
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