The Last Princess

Directed by Hur Jin-ho and adapted from Kwon Bi-young's bestselling novel, this Korean period drama stars Son Ye-jin as Deokhye, the last princess of the Joseon Dynasty. The film follows her forced removal to Japan as a child during the colonial occupation, her repeated blocked attempts to return home, her arranged marriage to Count Sō Takeyuki, and her eventual return to Korea in 1962 after decades away. The real Deokhye was born at Changdeok Palace in 1912, spent years confined in a Japanese psychiatric hospital, lost her only daughter to a disappearance in 1956, and died in 1989 at the palace where she was born. The director openly concedes at the outset that historical accuracy was sacrificed for drama, describing the film as complete fiction based on true stories. The largest departure is this: the film presents the princess as a strong figure resisting the occupation, while the historical record contains no evidence she took part in independence activities, and the person who actually secured her return to Korea was a journalist, not the savior character the film invents. It drew 5.6 million admissions in Korea, the biggest hit of the director's career, and won Son Ye-jin Best Actress at both the Grand Bell and Baeksang awards. Who it's for: Fans of Korean period drama anchored by a strong central performance. Who it's not for: Not for viewers who care about historical accuracy, since the film swaps a lonely real life tragedy for patriotic heroism.