

King And The Clown (Wang-ui Namja) (Korea) (2005)

Director: Lee Jun Ik
Cast: Kam Woo-seong, Jeong Jin-yeong, Lee Jun-gi

Yup ... this film has broken all time Korea Box Office hit! 
i.e., more than Taegukgi, JSA, etc

Recently, it received 15 nominations at the Grand Bells Awards (Daejong)

Note: 
I feel that the lesser one knows about the plot of this film, the better it will be
But if you insist, here is the official website
see
http://www.kingsman.co.kr/
http://www.festivefilms.com/kingandtheclown/

Synopsis
Based on the play "Yi" and some historical figures, the film traces the survival of two clowns/jesters who performed on the streets, and due to survival needs, they had decided to venture into the city. Over there, they performed acts that mocked at the king and his concubine. What an audacity! So, they faced execution ... how will they survive? ... and how will all these end?! ...

My thoughts ...

-- I thought the theme of the film is much larger than the overhyped and marketed "gay relationship" ... In fact, the original title captures the essence of the entire film best ... i.e., "The King's Man (or The King's Clown)" ... suggesting the ambiguity in roles ... in the film, the king is likened to a clown, while the clown(s) are in control like a king. 

Interestingly, the film has also made a swap of "colors" in their costumes. Traditionally, the king is supposed to be in red, while the clowns are in blue ... this swap of colors further accentuate the theme of the film ...

As a result, I am rather perturbed that many media/publicity seem to emphasize on the "probable" gay relationship of the protagonists as opposed to the satire of the story ... in fact, after watching the film, audience would be more captivated by the wit and clever plot ... it is more about the survival of the the clowns (or jesters) in the palace (rather than the gay relationship) ... 

I also thought it is NOT a well comparison to parallel it to Brokeback Mountain nor Farewell To My Concubine ... the three are VERY different ... 

-- I thought the film is very well executed on three grounds ...
(i) the wit in the plot (so please avoid reading too many synopsis/reviews that contain spoilers)
(ii) the casting/performance of the three main protagonists
... yup, the King's first appearance in the film is so dominating ... that serious and intense look ... wow ...
... and yup, you have heard enough about how effeminate one clown is ...
... and not forgetting the other clown, his performance is great too ...
(iii) the very subtle but great portrayal of their relationships ...

-- What do you have to be concerned about (if at all) ...
(i) some of the mockery are kind of vulgar (so parents might be concerned)
(ii) in order to believe the plot/acting, you have to understand that the King is kind of "insane" and experiencing lots of troubled past ...

Conclusion
Highly recommended ... mainly for a well written script and a great performance ...

PS: Try to avoid reading too many synopsis/plot (cos what propels the film is its script and surprises (if any)) …