What happened to the mistrels at the end?
In the 2nd last scene where Jang-sang and Gong-gil were jumping on the rope, rebel armies were seen moving in. So, the mistrels should be caught in the rebellion too. According to history, King Yeonsan will be dethroned and sent to exile. So, what happened to the 2 mistrels? Did they die (since the ministers all hated them)?
Jang-saeng and Gong-gil were killed... either by the rebels, or by themselves.
Actor Gam Woo-sung who played Jang-saeng said in the DVD's audio commentary that he intentionally threw Jang-saeng's fan away to express the end of his life when they jumped. The fan is a kind of lifeline for a tightrope walker to balance himself on the rope. Therefore, throwing the fan (lifeline) symbolizes his mental and physical suicide. Even if they were alive after the jump, they would be killed by the ministers who abhorred them so much.
As for the last scene where all minstrels including Six Dix are playing and dancing together on the hill, Director Lee Jun-ik called it "a kind of fantasy that has nothing to do with the movie's narrative, like the tap dance scene in "Zatoich" (a Japanese movie directed by Beat Takeshi)". In the fantasy world where ontological questions like "I'm here and you are over there" are raised, the minstrels are delivered from worldly existence (political struggles). It's a kind of nirvana (emancipation).
Yes, that last scene also reminds me of the last scene in "Lifetime Companion" the wonderful gay-themed movie where all the dead characters meet on a beach at the end of the movie and look so happy to see each other, etc. I have lost many friends to Aids in the last 20 years and it always moves me when I think that, maybe, somewhere, their souls are together where they are away from the cares of this world - would turn out to be quite a party!
shareI saw this question on a Korean website elsewhere and the answer to it left a deep impression on me, so I'll put a little summary of it here.
"Well, would you have liked to have seen Jang-Saeng and Gong-gil's heads bashed in and oozing blood all over the stone yard? I'm guessing 'no.' No one wanted to see them die. The frozen scene is the best ending; it will leave the two crystallized in our minds forever, together in life and death."
Oooh i was confused about the ending. Yes, it's so beutiful that ot's crystalize in my heart forever, but i need to know what really happened historically...
Poor gong gil ;-;
"You will respecy my AUTORITAAH!!"
~Eric Cartman~
Historically? The movie is about 97% fiction. In reality, Gong-gil was a cheeky minstrel who dared tell the king that he was crap at his job, and the king had him killed - the entire event takes up about one line in the Chosun dynasty archives. It is unknown whether Jang-seng existed; I'm guessing he was a fictional character created by the playwright.
share"...The frozen scene is the best ending; it will leave the two crystallized in our minds forever, together in life and death."A very good ending to a very good film. share