Description

In 16th-century Korea, under the Chosun dynasty’s most depraved and tyrannical king, country showmen Jang-sang and his effeminate “partner” Gong-il travel to Seoul to ply their trade. With their superior acrobatics and tightrope antics, they easily upstage a local troupe, which they subsequently join. Having caught wind of local gossip, Jang-sang convinces them to stage a show to satirize the king and his consort -- he reasons that the king’s bed is where the money is, and he’s right. But while the plebs bust their guts over the minstrels’ crude comedy, royal law enforcement burst in to arrest and troupe for treason, a charge that leads to a death sentence. Thinking on his feet, in stocks, Jang-sang negotiates a deal with his would-be executioners: The troupe will perform their act for the king, and if he laughs, they live.

Last year, The King and the Clown became Korea’s highest grossing domestic film of all time. The historical costume drama highlights the pomp of theatre and the royal court, and all its sordid, colourful characters, while capturing the raw beauty of a relatively rural Korea, a vivid backdrop for a story with present-day resonance. Depicting the fragile reign and unchecked excesses of the “loose cannon” King Yeonsan (played with nuanced eccentricity by Jin-yeong Jeong) and the tender but troubled relationship between Jang-sang (Woo-seong Kam) and Gong-il (Jun-gi Lee), The King and the Clown ties into today’s socio-political climate, with themes also explored in recent Western films such as Marie Antoinette and Brokeback Mountain. Moreover, director Jun-ik Lee achieves a commendable balance of drama, comedy and tragedy. And while the physicality of the central romance, and the ensuing love triangles, is almost entirely absent from the film, its emotional core is key to this universal story.

—Lorraine Carpenter

“Overpowers viewers with its irrepressible power and charm” – CHOSUN ILBO

Website

http://www.kingsman.co.kr/

Credits

Director: Lee Jun-Ik
Screenplay: Choi Seok-hwan, Kim Tae-wung
Cast: Gam Wu-seong Lee Jun Ki Jeong Jin-young Kang Seong-yeon Kwon Won-tae
Producers: Jeong Jin-wan, Lee Jun-Ik
Distributor: CJ Entertainment