This movie was based on a legend/historical account from Korea in the 1500's, and they brought it beautifully to life. Tender at times, funny, with brilliant colours, sounds that took you there and political satire at a time when it could as easily get you killed as lauded; this film was truly one of the most rounded films I've seen in a great while. The acting was wonderful, the characters so 3 dimensional that they almost seem to leap off the screen at you. The relationships between characters are very true to life and you feel sorry when court intrigue comes between people just trying to live and love each other.