Synopsis
The story of JANG Hee-Bin entering the royal palace as a lady-in-waiting and rising to the position of queen but meeting an early death has been dealt with repeatedly in movies and on TV, making it a tempting role for actresses. Surrounded by old ladies of the court and bored out of his mind, Donggoong sees young, beautiful JANG Ock-Ran and falls head over heels for her. After his succession to the throne, he awards Ock-Ran with the title of Hee Bin for she has given him a son. JANG Hee Bin conjures up a conspiracy to have the queen exiled, then takes her place. However, when the king realizes her manipulative nature, he has her thrown out and brings the queen back, The highly-ambitious JANG Hee Bin consequently takes her own life. JANG Hee Bin is a villainess that we can not hate for having wanted to improve her social status in a society ruled by a strict hierarchy. Director JEONG Chang-hwa, who debuted with < Jang-Hwa and Hong Ryeon story >, broke away from the conventional historical plays with their glamorous sets and costumes and focused on the conflicts between the characters surrounding the ladder of power instead. The director contrasted JANG Hee Bin with the infinitely kind queen and emphasized her spitefulness as well as her desperate struggle to climb up the social ladder. Harboring poisonous scents and possessing a fairy-like beauty, the '60s queen of the screen KIM Jee-Mi played JANG Hee Bin, while KIM Jin-kyu with his image of an agonizing man played the part of King Sook Jong.(CHO Young-jung)