Movie: King and the Clown

Casts: Gam Wu Sung, Lee Jun Gi, Jung Jin Young
Awards: Best New Actor Winner, Lee Jun Gi (100 Sang Film Award 2006); Judges Special Film Awards Winner (100 Sang Film Award 2006)

I think my first encounter with this movie was a glimpse of the movie’s poster at some Asian stars magazine. Didn’t really interested at the time, just another Korean movie with old-time approach, lately there seemed to be a lot of them (the scandalous Bae Young Jung’s Untold Scandal was one of them). But then I saw My Girl a TV drama, where Lee Jun Gi was playing as one of the casts. After seeing him, I couldn’t help commenting his really “bishonen” face, and without any moment to loose my sister—who is definitely a Hallyu mania—said to me: "He played as a drama player who always get the woman roles in King and the Clown!”

After that, of course, I tried browsing away for reviews before seeing the movie. Two awards, including Best New Actor Winner for Lee Jun Gi. Wang Eui Namja (the King’s Boy—my translation from the Korean title) was said to be the highest grossing film of 2005 in Korea, unlike everyone’s expectations. It also made a smooth road to stardom for Jun Gi, now famous for his androgynous-looks.

Lee Jun Gi (as Gong Gil) and Gam Woo Sung (I forget who’s the name, so let’s just call him Captain—the jesters’ group leader) played the two main character of this movie; the story was set during the reign of infamous king Yeon-San. Ever since the beginning of the movie, this two showed us how devoted they were to one another. In a play, while the Captain took the role of a husband/ruler/king, Gong Gil with his pretty face usually took the role of the wife/beautiful girl/queen. At first, I thought the Captain care so much for Gong Gil as a big brother and friend, while Gong Gil already gave out his “affection” to him, but when the story ended, I suspected there were more.

They both flee after Gong Gil accidentally stab their manager’s back in a fight; the Captain brutally tried to protect Gong Gil from another official’s/wealthy man’s treacherous hands. I was really agonized by Gong Gil who just stood there looking helpless and almost in tears, while the Captain got severe beatings from the manager; he was really different from the character Jun Gi played in TV Drama: My Girl (posted a while ago). Couldn’t help admiring his feminine ways of smiling, walking, moving this hands, etc.

After fleeing, they decided to try their luck in Seoul and with the Captain’s great acrobat and performing abilities, they formed a new jester group. They performed satirical plays, criticizing the country’s rulers; the jokes were quite vulgar, left me wondering, was Korean people at the old times really enjoyed that kind of vulgar jokes? Anyway, not only did their shows attracted common people, some officials was beginning to become restless and reported them to the palace. The Captain and his fellow jesters were arrested, but in the middle of their beating punishment, the Captain protested. He said they only tried to play out all things that had been already the shared jokes between the kingdom’s subjects. So he made a bargain, if they could make the King laugh, even only once, they should be freed; if not, they would loose their heads. They succeed, but soon enough the Captain would regret his protest.

This king was described to be a bit wrong in the head. Said to have witness the death of his own mother, the queen, under a treacherous plot, the King grew to be blood thirst ruler, especially for the blood of those people who “murdered” his mother. He was using the jester group to fulfill his revenge. One of the members even said, “I don’t think I can play anymore, every time we play somebody will die!” And the King’s infatuation toward Gong Gil was beginning to be undeniable. The Captain was grim every time Gong Gil was summoned to the King’s chamber. The ending of the movie convinced me more about the special bonding between the Captain and Gong Gil.

The movie was not so wow-ing like I expected. It reminded me a bit of Stage Beauty (Billy Crudup, Claire Dannes), without the "notable" scenes between the Duke of Buckingham and the actor ;-p. Though the beginning and the middle were quick paced (unlike typical Korean movies) and enjoyable, I was not so sure about the closing. I’m sure about one thing, though: I gotta watch My Girl again soon, have got to get the image of Gong Gil off Lee Jun Gi fast!!! ;-p