The King and the Clown (2005)

The film which catapulted little known Lee Jun Ki into instant stardom all over Asia. Yes I admit quite candidly that I watched this movie for my recently found Jun Ki mania but I'm going to remember this movie for the masterpiece it is rather than just a random K-movie featuring LJK. The controversy regarding the racy humor used throughout the movie notwithstanding, the movie is a fine portrayal of love, friendship and betrayal. It is heart-warming to see the effeminate Gong Gil and the heroic Jang Seng's relationship, which was most certainly much more than just friendship. At the height of utter despair and chaos in their lives, when they flee from the countryside in the hopes of a better life in Seoul, the way they act out the parts of two blind men in the middle of nowhere is a treat to watch. That is perhaps the most poignant scene from the film barring the one at the very end. There's a puzzle in the title of the movie since it leaves you in doubt about who the real king is. In my opinion it's Jang Seng rather than the tyrannical, literal king since he desires to be a commoner even in his next life and chooses the right to live on his own terms rather than living a life of luxury whose terms will be dictated by others. He is the real king of the movie.
The actors have portrayed their parts to perfection. Jeong Jin Yeong has done especially well in conveying the inner turmoil the King suffered from, his eccentricities and frequent displays of mindless cruelty. Excellent acting by Kam Woo Sung as well. And last but not the least, LJK proves in this movie that he IS after all an actor and not just a great looker. I think it will be hard for even a straight guy to resist his charms after watching this movie.

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I finally watched this film after hearing all this hype and hullabaloo about it from my friends. I had the impression that this would be romantic or sensual ... but by the end of the film, I realized that to me, this film was about a deep friendship.



STORY-

The plot was interesting. It showed how minstrels exposed tyranny through the shows that they performed. And the shows were hilarious and bawdy and fun and campy.

My favorite moment in the film was when Gong Gil and Captain act out as two blind beggars and end up hugging on a hill top. What a beautiful moment. What chemistry. The cinematography in the film was amazing, by the way. The movie could have used more cheerful and fun interactions between these two main characters.

By the end, however, I got impatient. Maybe I could tell what was going to happen next and I was bored. I don't know. The end of the movie lost its steam.



ACTING/CAST -

Fantastic acting from the 3 main male leads.

Lee Jun Ki is so pretty... it's that great skin and his sensitive eyes. But he really was quite convincing as the fragile Gong -gil who amazingly has a lot of inner strength. It was interesting to watch the lovely Jun Ki sashay around.

Gam Woo Sung is a great actor, this I knew after watching him in the drama Alone In Love. He was really believable as the Captain. And his loyalty to Gong Gil is so touching.

And the King was in a class of his own with his psychotic behavior. Jung Jin Yeong never disappoints me.



MUSIC-

Honestly, I don't remember the soundtrack to this movie.



MY COMMENTS-

Overall, an interesting and lovely film. Great acting, an interesting and unique story line, and vivid cinematography. I don't regret watching this.

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The King and The Clown is not a comedy. It's an adult situation historical movie. The story is about a troupe leader who makes a simple request to perform for the King.
I enjoy watching this movie because it was entertaining, artistically and mentally. Despite the simple title of this movie, it open the doors to many dark sides of society including abuse, harassment, and childhood trauma.
The movie, The King and The Clown, is definitely for adults. It was never meet for teenagers and children to see.
The story and plot of the story is easy to follow.
The actor and cast did a superb job. I enjoy watching the overprotective friendship between the two lead actors, Kam Woo Sung and Lee Jun Ki.
The music was great simply because it fit the historical time.
My overall score is a nine for this movie. I did not give it a ten because I wanted to know the real back story of the two lead actors.

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I always knew that street performances would be a source of entertainment during that era but this movie surprised me with the vulgar content of the performers comical scenes. Half the time I felt uncomfortable, probably because I am used to the "conservative" nature of Korean historical dramas and movies.
The idea of using jesters to expose the corruption in the court seemed like a harmless idea but how things quickly go wrong surprised me and left me heartbroken in the end.

Kam Woo Sung did an awesome job portraying the brave, brash Jang Seng. I feel that this character is most notable for his undying loyalty to Gong Gil. Which makes me wish they had integrated a bit of a back story to really convince people why he accepted the punishment in the end.

I found myself screaming "Leave him alone" or "don't touch him" whenever Gong Gil was asked for. He is such a fragile and pure character that I hated the fact that he was pimped out to perverted assholes. However, what happens between him and the king starts off adorable but eventually goes down hill.

Jeong Jin Yeong, who plays the king, has officially become one of my favorite actors. His portrayal of the unstable, depressed king with mother issues left me speechless. Especially at times when the role of the "king" was broken (when he interacts with the performers, I was just as uncomfortable as the characters were.)

What I really liked about this movie is the demonstration of the idea of being the most powerful man in the country somehow dehumanizes the person. It's like when you become king you have to suppress your emotions, hopes, and pain. I don't think anyone ever thought the king could be miserable despite his lavish lifestyle and ultimate status. The street performers may have had little and a harsh life, but they were much happier and had more freedom than the king. Or maybe people knew, but no one did anything about it.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie, despite feeling uncomfortable every now and then. I think the main idea behind this movie is brilliant - using performance to expose corruption and ,unexpectedly, bringing out the wounded and emotionally unstable persona buried deep within "the king".

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This was an amazing movie and I have rewatched it about 5 times already. The story touched my heart in so many ways, I can't even say.

For those of you who can't watch this because of Junki and how he acts in this, I pity you. This is the best I have ever seen him act and this is where his career took off. A great actor is one who can act all types of roles to perfection, and he can. I only wish I could be as good as him.

I will continue to watch this movie for as long as I live because it is that amazing. It has replaced all other movies at the top of my favorite list. I think I'm going to watch it right now, as a matter of fact.

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When I decided to watch this, I wasn't really sure what to expect based on comments and reviews - but I decided to watch it anyway out of curiosity and because...well, just look at Lee Joon Gi! Do I need any other reason?

What I found was a love story. Not a friendship, not a bromance - but a love story. If Gong Gil had been a woman rather than an effeminate man, I think there is no doubt that it would be considered a love story by anyone who watched it. Just because he was a man, doesn't mean it isn't. Jang Seng is very protective of him, in the way that someone is protective of someone they love very deeply. When they are torn apart by the king's obsession with Gong Gil, they both obviously suffer for it. And Jang Seng is jealous and angry when he sees that Gong Gil isn't unmoved by the king. He even tells the king, after openly mocking him again, to kill him because he has nothing left to lose - because he'd already lost Gong Gil - he either had to leave him behind, or stay and be forced to watch the king use him as a playtoy. The king's response is a punishment other than death - and I think the reason why is obvious.

It's really hard to review this without going into spoilers, and hard to describe what I found so moving about this movie. I thought the acting was excellent. The king is at the same time horrifyingly creepy and pitiable after more of his story is revealed. The trust and partnership between Gong Gil and Jang Seng is beautiful. Lee Joon Gi seems to have received Best New Actor awards in several programs for this role, and deservedly so - his innocence and emotions are conveyed wonderfully. The music didn't particularly stand-out to me, but it sets the mood in the background for the emotions being portrayed - especially in the final scenes. And I give it a high rewatch mark because I think some of the nuances are probably difficult to pick up on the first time around - even if it may not be the easiest film to rewatch.

This film should have the "tragedy" tag added to it. Don't go into it expecting a happy ending. Of course that seems to be par for the course for movies in this genre. Also, the minstrels shows are quite bawdy, so if you're easily offended by crude humor, you probably won't enjoy it.

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An excellent portrayal of the hedonistic appetite of a King who veers from being a man full of heart to being a tyrant who is still plagued by the loss of his mother. The way his childlike nature comes out in front of the minstrels is both unnerving and makes you giggle. Seriously, this movie is the definition of dark humor. But the raw story of a messed up love triangle will leave you heartbroken. You don’t even have to be a Lee Joon gi fan to enjoy this one but please keep in mind this is very much an adult themed movie. It broaches a lot of subjects that are for mature audiences. Even the jokes and language is very much 'foul' if you don't get offended easily though and don't mind the darkness, please watch it. The acting overall was just amazing. Everyone is doing a remarkable job portraying their characters. It leaves you wanting more when the movie ends. But good God Lee Joon Gi lol I'm still up awe of this guy! He played the role so naturally and he's beautiful BEYOND WORDS like I have seen flower boys, I love flower boys, I saw Hwarang, okay? Minho, V, Hyungsik? It's my favorite drama, so I'm no newb to flower boys, but this guy lol um I don't have words to describe his ethereal, androgynous beauty other than that it broke my heart just looking at him. That's the beauty of this film. It's dark, and grotesquely evil, and ridiculously, unnervingly BEAUTIFUL.

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Lee joon gi is mesmerizing as gong-gil

Wanted to check this out cause the plot intrigued me. The story reminded me so much of the webtoon. "The Painter Of The Night," but with more drama and violence. First of all, let me just say that Lee Jun Ki is one of the most beautiful men I've seen. And such pretty eyes. They have a unique shape, but they're so pretty. Jong-Gil was such an enchanting character, visually and theatrically. Apparently because of him and this movie, the "flower boy" look started in Korea, and LJK was the first one ever.  The movie started off slow to me, but once Gong-Gil and Jong Saeng reach the palace, things get very interesting. The king's character was more complex than I realized. A lot of his weird habits and irrational decisions stem from the traumatic memories of his mother's death, and it literally drove him mad. I would have liked to see more of Consort Jang. She caught my attention the first scene I saw her in. My only real complaint about this film is that it ended too quickly. I think it could have easily been 30min-1hr longer because I personally wanted more scenes between Gong-Gil and the king. 8.5/10

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I might have sugar-coated the rating a bit.

Acting was great. Loved the main actors.
Story showed how much life really was, is, and will be.
Music was ok. It was simple, but after you finish the movie you don't really realize it was there because you were concentrating on the acting and story so much, you ignore the background.
I'm not sure what author was trying to convey exactly at the end though.

But even though I liked the move, I can't say I'll re-watch it.
I believe I have enjoyed it more then usual because I've already known the main actors before I've saw this movie.

Overall it was an interesting experience, and I had my share of sadness and laughter.

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