the king and the clown (2005)

how is it that i always end up watching exactly the opposite of what i want to watch? i was going through netflix last night trying to find something light-hearted to wash away the bad taste that 'the best offer' left in my mouth. instead, i found myself watching 'the king and the clown', a movie that caused a lot of scandal when it first premiered. i remember my parents explicitly forbidding me to ever watch it and never elaborating further what exactly they found so offensive. back in 2005 i didn't have much interest in korean movies anyway, and i forgot about it after awhile.

set in the late 15th century during the joseon dynasty, 'the king and the clown' stars lee jun-ki as gong-gil and gam wu-seong as jangsaeng as two skilled street performers that are arrested and sentenced to death after mocking the king in their performances. jangsaeng then makes a deal with one of the king's servants to grant their pardon if they make the king laugh with their skit.

i can understand why this movie caused the scandal that it did. what unfolds between jangsaeng, the king and the effeminate gong-gil can be described as nothing less than a love triangle. the bond that jangsaeng and gong-gil share is beyond words, and the lengths that the king goes to make gong-gil his is pure love-struck obsession. this story is remarkable in its exploration of queer relationships, especially in the context of the traditional joseon dynasty. korean society still holds very conservative views towards both hetero and homosexual relationships. lee jun-ki is absolutely phenomenal in his role. the final scene where he's on the tightrope with jangsaeng had me in an absolute wreck- i don't think i've cried that hard watching a movie since 'les miserables'.

as visually striking as it was thematically, the costume and set design reflect the cultural richness that was the joseon dynasty. i have to say, the subtitles on netflix were really well done! they not only accurately translated the korean dialogue but actually made the slang fit more with what english speakers would be familiar with. i definitely recommend this movie, even if you don't know a thing about korean history or culture.