In the late 1960′s, the Korean film industry began to lose its vibrancy due to strict censorship by the dictatorial Park Jung-Hee government. Shin Sang-Ok, who had then the biggest film company and studio in Korea, was under constant pressure to produce box-office hits. A search for a mainstream genre, efforts to avoid censorship, and Shin Sang-Ok′s own affection for historical pieces, are all combined successfully in this film. <b>Eunuch</b> takes place in a Chosun dynasty palace. But it has nothing to do with power struggles and secret feuds between women, which were popular film fodder at the time. This film is about the love-hate relationship between the royal concubine and the eunuch, and also the king. Shin Sang-Ok creates a closed world with vivid colors. And in this space, personal agendas take the form of pure love, strong sexual desire, or homosexual psychology. Royal concubines, eunuchs, and even the king use human sentiments as a means to rebel against absolute rules and dogmatism. It is easy to see the film, which is considered one of Shin Sang-Ok′s best historical pieces, as an allegory for contemporary issues. (Kwon Yong-Min)