akash_sebastian 'The King and the Clown' is well-written, and quite entertaining, historic drama. Other than its comic overtones, it deals with many interesting themes, which include love, power, affection, satire and freedom of speech. Its unique plot and characters are what hold your attention throughout the movie. It has a well-stirred mix of aesthetic and commercial values.The three main protagonists are the core of the film; a talented jester, a tyrant king and a beautiful eunuch, who gains the affections of both. The three actors playing them are really brilliant, especially Lee Joon-ik, who plays the effeminate eunuch with such charm ad charisma, and looks more beautiful than some actual actresses (ahem).The summary of the movie, which says "Two clowns living in the Chosun Dynasty get arrested for staging a play that satirizes the king. They are dragged to the palace and threatened with execution, but are given a chance to save their lives if they can make the king laugh." - This is just the beginning of the whole story; the plot is much more than that.The king's character is the most fascinating one: His mother was ordered by the previous king to commit suicide by consuming poison. Her death left a lasting trauma on the future king's psyche, which played a significant role in the deformation of his character. But other than his tyrannical excesses, he was a man of great sensitivity and intelligence. And the way he connects and forms a bond with Gong-gil, through Gong's jests and plays, is quite moving. It's forms an interesting study of human nature.The climax scene is quite artistic and meaningful, and shows the end of a reign and beginning of love & friendship (in next life) so beautifully merged.(Note: It's a period drama, and the homosexual themes are just implied. Some foreign viewers call it the 'Korean Brokeback Mountain', but that's an amusingly misleading nickname; the are no sex scenes or nudity. The themes have been explored in quite a subtle way because of the country's culture.)

bluenooky007 King Young San was perhaps the most infamous tyrant in Korean history (or perhaps the most well known). He showed sociopath tendencies even as a child(hurting animals and such)but what drove him over the age and started his tyrannical reign was his discovery of the circumstances under his mother died.His mother Yoon, was the King's favorite concubine. She was falsely accused of plotting to kill her rivals and ordered to drink poison by the king. The circumstances of her death were kept a secret until King Young San found out by accident. Upon his discovery, he was seized with sorrow and rage, and put to death or exiled anyone who was responsible of his mother's death. Even those those who didn't strongly oppose her execution were put to death.Although he is portrayed as a terrible dictator, his love for his mother and the terrible pain her death caused adds an extra dimension to his tyrannical reign.It is interesting to note (according to the movie) his bringing the clowns into the palace and having them perform those skits was what drove his ministers into a rebellion.

baak_gwai I agree with every comment user "ngc891" said in their review. But would like to ad a bit of a Western view of this film.1. This film has done remarkably well in Korea despite the taboo nature of the film. I though do feel that a lot of Koreans have not really grasped the full intent of this film. Homosexuality has only recently gained some acceptance in South Korean society, with its strict Confucian traditions and strong Catholic Church. In April 2004, the government removed homosexuality from a list of "socially unacceptable sexual acts." Still today (I am there quite often, half of my year is spent in North East Asia), the elders still see homosexuality as a myth, something that is sometimes talked about, but definitely does not exist.2. This film's main plot line is about two men who are deeply love each other (passionately, not fraternally) but do not know how to express it outwardly to each other, so they stay content on their friendship. The leader of the pack of jesters, Jang-sang, is desperately in love with Gong-gil. The troupe heads to Seoul to be the best pack of jesters in Korea. They soon land upon the stage of King Yeonsan who is amused by their performance (which portrayed the likeness of the king in a negative manner). The king falls is infatuated with the very effeminate Gong-gil (by the way, in Western eyes, Korean men may seem effeminate, but that is not the case, they are just very comfortable with their sexuality and do not feel it necessary to put on a macho front as Westerners sometimes do). The King and Gong-gil engage in what one would consider an affair, although it was not a concealed one, very public in fact. This of course enrages the queen and she sets out to destroy Gong-gil and the troupe. You can see the worry and that remaining spark of love in Jang-sang's eyes as he sees the love of his life drifting away. And the eyes have it as one looses his sight; then the other comes back to seal their timely death, together. End scene with the troupe traveling to a new destination…or was it them traveling to an old destination, it is up to your idea.3. I have read a set of omnibus collections at the Seoul National University Library on the history of the Korean Dynasties. King Yeonsan has the shortest entry of any king in the history of these Dynasties. He was a selfless man who did not do for his people, but did for for him. The King harbors mixed feelings of love and hatred towards his late father King Seonjong for killing his mother as a result of rivalry among his concubines. He also killed members of his ministry for publicly detesting his lack of ruling for the people.I hope that this write up does not offend either a Korean or a Westerner, but this is the way I looked at this film from my Western eyes and felt with my Eastern heart.P.S. This is the first user comment I ever submitted to IMDb.com.

DICK STEEL King and the Clown was South Korea's best selling film of 2005, having sold more than 12 million tickets over a span of 7 weeks. But after watching it, it's difficult to fathom the craze, nor about the New York Times hype that it "may be the equivalent of 'Brokeback Mountain'". Not that it is a bad movie, it is actually entertaining and tells an intriguing story in the courts of the Korean emperor.Perhaps anything to do with the gay theme will suffer inevitably comparisons to Lee Ang's acclaimed Brokeback Mountain. But somehow, the way this film developed, I saw it in a different light - a story between two male best friends, even though one of them might look and behave more effeminately than even some girls do. Instead of jumping to the straight conclusion that both the protagonists are gay, why can't it be a platonic relationship, and that the more effeminate one had chosen what he had to do, i.e. sell backside, because being poor minstrels, they cannot afford to put food on the table? Literally capitalizing on his looks, to bring back the dough. Sure his friend might not like the idea, and it could be interpreted as either being jealous (as a lover), or disapproving (as a friend). Then again, because of culture, this movie might have decided to be more subtle about the theme. Ambiguous to say the least, but it makes for interesting debate if you watch this with a friend.Two friends, Jang-seng (Kam Woo-sung) and Gong-gil (Lee Joon-ki), are impoverished street performers who dream of having their entertaining performances reap rewards they should be getting. They come up with a wildly popular and bawdy performance poking fun at the emperor and his consort, and it's not long before they get arrested, only to have Jang-seng proposition a dare, that if the King doesn't laugh at their skit, they can be put to death.As fate would have it, their jittery performance brought on a favourable response from the tyrannical King (Jung Jin-young). Having now become official court jesters, their subsequent plays, whose content they obtain from coffee-shop talk of those days, about the royal family and other court scandals, serve as suggestive fuel for the King to break free from his constrictive shackles, and take some serious action according to his whims. But dictator attitudes aside, he casts a lustful eye at Gong-gil, and turns almost childlike when in his presence, in private. The most powerful man in the kingdom, reduced to a vulnerable kid in the presence of a lowly minstrel. What ensues is an interesting look at the relationship dynamics amongst the three men, and with the people around them.Set during the Chosun Dynasty, King and the Clown has some of the most gorgeous sets bringing to life an era long gone, and beautiful costumes that drown the movie in a myriad of colours. The songs are also fairly pleasing to the ears, and the skits, I believe, are likely to be many times more enjoyable if you understand Korean, instead of having to rely on subtitles.The movie also makes discreet jibes at those in power, and their ability, or inability, to accept satires about themselves. It is always easy for men in power to dismiss harshly the satires and their creators, but it takes a lot more to be able to look past the comic and understand the issues made fun of. There are brief scenes at courtroom politicking and on corruption, but these scenes are too short to leave any lasting impression or distract the audience.The cast is a delight to watch as they carry their roles with aplomb. The chemistry between the 3 main leads was almost perfect, especially Jung Jin-young as the temperamental King - childish at times, serious at others, and the androgynous looking Lee Joon-ki truly owned the role of Gong-gil, that even as a guy, I thought he was beautiful to look at (*ahem*).All in all, King and the Clown is a story of friendship, how good friends fend for each other, how, despite shortcomings and misunderstandings, the best medicine is always laughter, and it's the strength of the bonds between men that can ultimately stand up against fear and overcome any adversary. If only the opening didn't spoil the entire movie.