The Book of Fish (Korean: 자산어보; RR: Jasaneobo) is a 2021 South Korean black-and-white historical drama film directed by Lee Joon-ik. The film starring Sol Kyung-gu and Byun Yo-han, is about an exiled Joseon era scholar and a fisherman and their exchange of knowledge in writing a book.[3][4] It was theatrically released on March 31, 2021.[5]
| The Book of Fish | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 자산어보 |
| Hanja | 玆山魚譜 |
| Revised Romanization | Jasaneobo |
| Directed by | Lee Joon-ik |
| Written by | Kim Se-gyeom |
| Produced by | Kim Seong-cheol |
| Starring | Sol Kyung-gu Byun Yo-han |
| Cinematography | Lee Eui-tae |
| Edited by | Kim Jeong-hun |
| Music by | Bang Jun-seok |
Production company | Cineworld |
| Distributed by | Megabox Plus M M-Line Distribution |
Release date |
|
Running time | 126 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$2.6 million[1][2] |
The film won the Grand Prize at 57th Baeksang Arts Awards in May 2021.[6]
Premise
editThe Book of Fish is a black-and-white historical film set in 1801 about the Joseon era scholar Jeong Yak-jeon (1758–1816) (Sol Kyung-gu). He was exiled to Heuksando Island during the Catholic Persecution of 1801 in King Sunjo of Joseon's reign. There he wrote a piscine encyclopaedia titled Jasaneobo. In the film a fictional character Chang-dae (Byun Yo-han), a young, conservative and eager to learn fisherman is introduced.
Cast
edit- Sol Kyung-gu as Jeong Yak-jeon
- Byun Yo-han as Jang Chang-dae
- Lee Jung-eun as woman from Gageo
- Min Do-hee as Bok-rye
- Cha Soon-bae as Poong-heon
- Kang Ki-young as Lee Kang-hwe
- Dong Bang-woo as Magistrate of Naju
- Jung Jin-young as King Jeongjo
- Kim Eui-sung as Official Jang
- Bang Eun-jin as Changdae's mother
- Ryu Seung-ryong as Jeong Yakyong
- Jo Woo-jin as Byeol-jang[7]
- Choi Won-young as Jeong Yak-jong
- Yoon Kyung-ho as Moon Soon-deuk
- Jo Seung-yeon as Yi Byeok
Production
editThe Book of Fish is a black and white film, which are making a comeback in South Korea.[8]
- Filming
Filming was wrapped up on November 15, 2019.[9]
Release
editThe film was theatrically released on March 31, 2021 by Megabox.[5]
The Book of Fish has been invited at the 20th New York Asian Film Festival. It was featured in 'Standouts' strand and screened at Lincoln Center and SVA Theatre in the two-week festival held from August 6 to 22, 2021 in New York.[10][11] It was also selected in 'Korean Cinema Today - Panorama Section' at 26th Busan International Film Festival and will be screened in the festival in October 2021.[12] The film was also screened at 10th Korean Film Festival Frankfurt on October 23, 2021.[13] On May 6, 2022, it was screened at the Habitat International Film Festival (HIFF), at the Habitat Center in New Delhi.[14]
In 2022, it was selected as one of the films in 'The Actor, Sol Kyung-gu' special exhibition event at 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival to honour actor Sol Kyung-gu.[15]
Reception
editBox office
editThe film released on March 31, 2021, on 1250 screens.[16] It was at the number 1 place at the Korean box office by collecting 54,000 audiences on the weekend, taking its total commutative audience to 255,000 persons in the second week of its release.[17]
According to Korean Film Council data†, it is at 14th place among all the Korean films released in the year 2021, with gross of US$2.71 million and 342,540 admissions, as of December 11, 2021[update].[2]
- †The system of KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) is managed by KOFIC.
Critical response
editGoing by Korean review aggregator Naver Movie Database, the film holds an approval rating of 9.11 from the audience.[18]
Kim Boram reviewing The Book of Fish for Yonhap wrote that the film keeps interest of the viewers alive as the tone is not serious. He considered that the beautiful scenery of Heuksando Island made the viewing pleasurable. He praised the performances of Sol Kyung-gu as an open-minded scholar and Byun Yo-han as Chang-dae, a young but conservative fisherman. Concluding the review Boram said, "The black-and-white cinematography makes the movie feel like a Joseon Dynasty ink painting, .... and the viewers even get the sense that color is not really important in the script-driven and performance-based piece."[19]
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Awards | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 57th Baeksang Arts Awards | Grand Prize | Lee Joon-ik | Won | [6] |
| Best Film | The Book of Fish | Nominated | [20][21] | ||
| Best Director | Lee Joon-ik | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Byun Yo-han | Nominated | |||
| Sol Kyung-gu | Nominated | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Kim Se-kyum | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Lee Eui-tae | Nominated | |||
| Chunsa Film Art Awards 2021 | Best Director | Lee Joon-ik | Nominated | [22] | |
| Best Actor | Sol Kyung-gu | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Kim Se-gyeom | Nominated | |||
| 30th Buil Film Awards | Best Film | The Book of Fish | Nominated | [23][24] | |
| Best Director | Lee Joon-ik | Won | |||
| Best Actor | Byun Yo-han | Nominated | |||
| Sol Kyung-gu | Nominated | ||||
| Best Supporting Actor | Jo Woo-jin | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Lee Jung-eun | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Kim Se-gyeom | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography Award | Lee Eui-tae | Nominated | |||
| Best Art/Technical Award | Lee Jae-Sung | Nominated | |||
| 15th Asian Film Awards | Best Film | The Book of Fish | Nominated | [25] | |
| Best Director | Lee Joon-ik | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Shim Hyun-seob | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Director | Lee Jae-Sung | Nominated | |||
| 42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Film | The Book of Fish | Nominated | [26][27][28] | |
| Best Director | Lee Jun-ik | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Sol Kyung-gu | Won | |||
| Byun Yo-han | Nominated | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Kim Se-gyeom | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Lee Eui-tae | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Kim Jeong-hun | Won | |||
| Best Music | Bang Jun-seok | Won | |||
| Technical Award | Shim Hyun-seob (Costume) | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction | Lee Jae-Sung | Nominated | |||
| Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Best Film | The Book of Fish | Won | [29] | |
| Best Actor | Sol Kyung-gu | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Kim Se-gyeom | Won | |||
| FIPRESCI Award | Lee Jun-ik | Won | |||
| 41st Golden Cinematography Awards | Best Actor | Sol Kyung-gu | Won | [30][31] | |
| Best Film | The Book of Fish | Won | |||
| Best Director | Lee Jun-ik | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Lee Eui-tae | Won | |||
| Best New Actress | Min Do-hee | Won | |||
| 8th Korean Film Writers Association Awards | Best Director | Lee Jun-ik | Won | [32] | |
| Best Actor | Sol Kyung-gu | Won | |||
| Best Music | Bang Jun-seok | Won | |||
| Busan Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | Byun Yo-han | Won | [33] | |
| 2022 | Director's Cut Awards | Best Director | Lee Joon-ik | Won | [34] |
| Best Screenplay | Kim Se-gyeom | Won |
References
edit- ^ "The Book of Fish". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
- ^ a b "KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) Korean films box office for Year 2021". KOFIC. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ Choi Young-joo (December 15, 2020). 이준익 감독·설경구·변요한 '자산어보', 2021년 개봉 [Director Joon-ik Lee, Gyeong-gu Seol, and Yohan Byeon,'Sasaneobo', released in 2021]. No Cut News (in Korean). Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ "The Book of Fish". HanCinema.
- ^ a b Kang Hye-ran (March 28, 2021). '자산어보' 이준익 "과도한 세금, 백성 착취하던 시대 돌아본 건…" [Jun-ik Lee,'Asset Looking' "I looked back at the era of excessive taxes and exploitation of the people… "]. M News (in Korean). Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ a b Lee Jae-hoon (May 14, 2021). 유재석·이준익, '백상예술대상' 대상…'괴물' 3관왕(종합) [Jae-Seok Yoo and Jun-ik Lee, Grand Prize in'Baeksang Arts Awards'... 'Monster' 3 crowns (Total)]. Newsis (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
- ^ Jo Yeon-kyung (April 6, 2021). [무비IS] 류승룡·조우진, 이토록 특별한 '우정 [[Movie IS] Ryu Seung-ryong and Jo Woo-jin, such a special'friendship']. Daily Sports (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ William Schwartz (March 17, 2021). "[HanCinema's News] Black-and-white Films Making a Comeback in South Korean Film". HanCinema. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ William Schwartz (November 15, 2019). "[Photo] Wrap-up Still Added for the Korean Movie "The Book of Fish"". HanCinema. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ MacDonald, Joan (July 20, 2021). "20th New York Asian Film Festival Screens Several South Korean Films". Forbes. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ Conran, Pierce (July 15, 2021). "Korean Films on Show at 20th Anniversary of New York Asian Film Festival". KOFIC. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ "2021 Program". BIFF. September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ "The Book of Fish / 자산어보". Korean Film Festival Frankfurt. WordPress. October 23, 2021. Archived from the original on December 29, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
- ^ Kim Young-hyun (May 3, 2022). 인도 순수예술영화제에 '자산어보' 등 한국 영화 5편 상영 [Five Korean films including 'Jasaneobo' screened at the Indian Fine Arts Film Festival]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- ^ "26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival: THE ACTOR, SEOL KYUNG GU". Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The box office for The Book of Fish (2021)". KOFIC. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ Han Mi-hee. [박스오피스] '자산어보' 개봉 2주차에 주말 1위(종합) [[Box Office] Ranked #1 on the weekend in the 2nd week of 'Sanjango' opening (Total)]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Naver 영화. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ Boram, Kim (March 19, 2021). "(Movie Review) 'The Book of Fish' tells story of struggle during historic upheaval in black and white". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ Park, Dong-je (April 12, 2021). "5월 13일 개최 '57회 백상예술대상', TV·영화·연극 부문 최종 후보 공개" ['57th Baeksang Arts Awards' held on May 13th, final nominations for TV·Film·Theatre are revealed]. BreakNews (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ Kim Jin-seok and Jo Yeon-kyung (April 12, 2021). 57회 백상예술대상, TV·영화·연극 부문 최종 후보 공개 [57th Baeksang Arts Awards, final nominations for TV, film, and theater released]. Daily Sport (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ Kim Ji-eun (July 5, 2021). 춘사국제영화제, 본상 후보작 발표…자산어보·승리호 등 23편 [Chunsa International Film Festival Announces Main Award Nominations... 23 episodes including Jasaneobo and Seungri]. Newsis (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ Jo Young-mi (August 26, 2021). 모가디슈' ·'자산어보' 13개 부문 중 8개 부문 후보에 올라 [Mogadishu' and 'Jasaneobo' were nominated for 8 out of 13 categories]. Busan Ilbo (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Kim No-eul (October 7, 2021). '모가디슈' 작품상 포함 6관왕→유아인·전종서 주연상 쾌거(종합)[2021 부일영화상] ['Mogadishu' 6 awards including Best Picture → Yoo Ah-in and Jeon Jong-seo's Best Leading Achievement (Comprehensive) [2021 Buil Film Awards]]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ Lee Seung-mi (September 9, 2021). [공식]'소리도없이' 유아인X'콜' 전종서, 亞필름어워즈 男女주연상 노미네이트 [[Official] 'Silent' Yoo Ah-in X 'Call' Jeon Jong-seo, 亞Film Awards Nominee for Best Leading Actress]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved September 9, 2021 – via Naver.
- ^ Jeong Hyung-hwa (November 1, 2021). 42회 청룡영화상 11월26일 개최..'모가디슈' 최다 후보 [42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards held on November 26th... Most nominations for 'Mogadishu']. Star News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ Kim Nara (November 1, 2021). [제42회 청룡영화상, 후보 발표…류승완 '모가디슈' 최다 부문 노미네이트 [공식] [42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards, nominations announced... Ryoo Seung-wan 'Mogadishu' Nominated for Most Category [Official]]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ Han Hyun-jung (November 26, 2021). '모가디슈', '청룡' 작품상 등 5관왕…설경구·문소리 주연상[종합] [5 crowns including Best Picture for 'Mogadishu' and 'Blue Dragon'... Seol Kyung-gu, Moon So-ri Best Leading Actor [Comprehensive]]. Star Today (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ Kim Yu-jin (November 10, 2021). 설경구·문소리, 제41회 영평상 남녀주연상…'자산어보' 최우수작품상 [종합] [Seol Kyung-gu and Moon So-ri, 41st Youngpyeong Awards Best Actress... 'Jasaneobo' Best Picture [General]]. Export News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ Kim Mi-hwa (November 21, 2021). "자산어보' 설경구, 황금촬영상 남우주연상" [Seol Kyung-gu, Golden Cinematography Award, Best Actor]. Star News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
- ^ Kim Cheol- gwan (November 21, 2021). 영화 <자산어보> 황금촬영상 5관왕 [The movie <Jasaneobo> wins 5 Golden Cinematography Awards]. OhmyNews (in Korean). Retrieved November 25, 2021.
- ^ Lee Jae-Hoon (December 6, 2021). '모가디슈', 영화제작가협회상 작품상…고두심·설경구 주연상 ['Mogadishu' wins Best Picture at the Film Producers Association... Go Doo-shim and Seol Kyung-gu Best Actor]. Newsis (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ 변요한·김선영, 부산영화평론가협 연기자상 [연예뉴스 HOT④] [Byun Yo-han and Kim Seon-young, Busan Film Critics Association Actor Award [Entertainment News HOT④]]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Naver. November 29, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ Lee Gyu-lee (February 26, 2022). "Squid Game' wins best series screenplay, director and actress at Director's Cut Awards". The Korea Times. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
External links
edit- The Book of Fish at HanCinema
- The Book of Fish at the Korean Movie Database (in Korean)