사극의 변화하는 풍경과 역사를 재현하는 관점들을 맥락화하기: <별순검>과 <한성별곡>을 중심으로

Abstract

Traditionally historical dramas have been one of the most visible genre forms in South Korean television. In recent years, historical dramas are booming and have been increasingly transformed in terms of narrative and visual schemes. In particular, “fusion”and “faction”texts have emerged and gained popular interests. These new breed of historical dramas usually do not necessarily embrace the received representational and generic conventions : cultural producers freely borrow mythical or imaginary characters and elements as well as (re)create incidents that are not necessarily part of the recorded histories. What is also distinctive about emerging fusion and faction dramas is : they tend to employ spectacular images and CGI, large-scale sets and luxurious costumes, as well as to present more “modern”and complex characters. To some extent, the popularity of these new historical dramas seems to reflect the wide-spread popular interests in cultural history, micro-historia, as well as the boom in popular literary forms on various historical events and figures. In this article, after surveying and exploring the main trends in historical drama-making, I want to focus on two historical dramas, <Bulsunkum> and <Hansungbeulkok> which attempt to chart alternative ways of experimenting with historical drama form and redeploying historical narratives. The former creatively interweaves detective genre, crime story, and humor in a historical narrative form. In doing so, <Bulsunkum> introduces new angles and impulses in dealing with historical dramas through its innovative use of cultural imagination. In <Hansungbeulkok>, a powerful, thoughtprovoking, absorbing, and well-crafted political drama meets historical genre form. This drama accentuates the role of historical drama as a kind of narrative delivery vehicle for linking the past and the present by inviting the audiences to reflect on complex and contentious socio-political issues. Through such remediation, <Hansungbeulkok> provides the interested audiences with uncommon experiences of re-thinking and re-envisioning the political matters. In my opinion, these two texts collectively present much valuable and alternative forms of experimenting with, and upgrading historical drama's potential as an important televisual form and culturally nuanced genre in our times.