Country: Korea
Genre: Drama/ Art
Director: Jun-ik Lee
Year: 2005
Rating: 
TRASH CINEMA ESSENTIAL MOVIE
I’ve just been floored by yet another Korean drama.
The King and The Clown tells the true story of a troupe of acrobats/comedians that became part of the court of King Yeonsan (Jin-yeong Jeong) back in the 1500s. The king, who was unstable emotionally, used the troupe to expose court intrigues, root out his enemies, and as a sort of therapy to resolve long simmering resentments. In turn, members of the court learned to manipulate the king through his relationship with a member of the troupe, Gong-gil (Jun-ki Lee).
The movie is devastating emotionally. There are a number of crucial relationships in the film. Jang-sang (Woo-seong Kam) and the effeminate Gong-gil are devoted to each other. Is it a homosexual relationship? I don’t think so, but their love goes deeper even than that. Jang-sang is extremely protective of Gong-gil. Early on in the film, he helps Gong-gil escape from a situation in which he is being pimped out to a government official. King Yeonsan is a fascinating character. While he can be exceedingly brutal, he is also highly intelligent and sensitive. The King grows obsessed with Gong-gil, which drives Jang-sang nuts.
As the court intrigues intensify and the body count rises, it becomes an open question whether anyone in the troupe will make it out of King Yeonsan’s court in one piece.
Screenwriter Seok-Hwan Choi, adapting Tae-woong Kim’s play, has taken a gut-wrenching scenario and executed it brilliantly. The dialog, even translated from Korean to English, sparkles.
The acting, from the leads to the bit parts, is stunning. I’d like to especially praise Seong-Yeon Kang, as Nok-su Jang, the King’s consort and Hang-Seon Jang, as the king’s advisor, in secondary roles.
The production design by Seung-yong Kang is nothing short of magnificent. To give you an idea of the look of the picture, Korean clothing and architecture has a family resemblance to dynastic Chinese stuff, but apparently evolved in quite a distinctive direction. The colors and shapes are mesmerizing.
The score by Byung-woo Lee is modern, thoughtful, and lovely. It increases the depth of the emotions, not in an on the nose way, but indirectly. It’s subtle and original in concept.
It’s hard to express exactly why The King and The Clown has such a devastating effect. The storyline and the way the tension evolves is not linear, but somehow it has an overwhelming cumulative effect.
I should make plain that this is an art film with a capital A, but it is also quite accessible, and evokes feelings as intense and gut-wrenching as the most graphic and outrageous genre cinema.
What I’m trying to say is that The King And The Clown is absolutely not light entertainment, but if you don’t mind being emotionally put through the wringer, I highly recommend seeing it.
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