Christopher Lovins

10.18399/acta.2017.20.2.005

The Fatal Encounter  Roaring Currents Chŏngjo historical film

This article evaluates The Fatal Encounter (Yŏngnin 逆鱗) as a historical film. Drawing on the work of Robert A. Rosenstone and Robert Brent Toplin, it asks whether or not the film offers a historical interpretation and examines its use of artistic license. It concludes the film is a work of history that engages with historical sources and data, offers a narrative interpretation, and engages in what Rosenstone has termed "true invention." The exercise of dramatic license is acceptable for a film of this type, the big-budget blockbuster, and it remains in the realm of history, unlike works of "faction" such as Roaring Currents (Myŏngnyang) or costume dramas such as Zhang Yimou's Hero. The article compares The Fatal Encounter to Roaring Currents in order to highlight the differences between a historical film and a work of faction apart from the films' respective merits as works of art. Within the limitations of its format, The Fatal Encounter presents a reasonably authentic view of its historical setting and offers an interpretation that includes aspects of history not typically presented in popular works of Korean history.