The King and the Clown

The King and the Clown
Directed by	Lee Jun-ik
Written by	Choi Seok-hwan (screenplay) Kim Tae-wung (original play)
Produced by	Jeong Jin-wan Lee Jun-Ik
Starring	Gam Wu-seong Jeong Jin-yeong Kang Seong-yeon Lee Jun Ki Kwon Won-tae
Cinematography	Ji Gil-Wung
Edited by	Kim Sang-beom Kim Jae-beom
Music by	Lee Byung-woo
Distributed by	Cinema Service
Release date	December 29, 2005 (South Korea)
Running time	119 min.
Language	Korean
Budget	$4.5 million USD (est.)

The King and the Clown (왕의 남자, or Wang-ui namja) is a 2005 South Korean film, adapted from the 2000 Korean play titled "Yi", ("You") about Yeonsangun of Joseon, a Joseon dynasty king who falls in love with a court clown who mocks him. The movie is based on a small passage from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty that briefly mentions the king's favorite clown. Production costs were relatively modest for a Korean film, approximately $4.5 million dollars.

There are alternative titles of this movie: The King's Men or The King's Man (the literal translation of the Korean title to English) and All the King's Men (working title). In Chinese, the title is "王的男人" or "王和小丑", and in Japanese, it is known as "王の男". An alternative English translation of the title is "The Royal Jester" as translated by Do-ol Kim Yong-Oak. [1]

This film was chosen by Korea as its submission for the Oscars in the best foreign film category. [2]

Plot

Set in the early 16th century during the reign of King Yeonsan, two male street clowns and tightrope walkers, Jangsaeng (Gam Wu-seong) and Gonggil (Lee Jun Ki), are part of an entertainer troupe. Their manager prostitutes the beautiful Gonggil to rich customers, and Jangsaeng sickens of this practice. After Gonggil kills the manager in defense of Jangsaeng, the pair flees to Seoul, where they form a new group with three other street performers.

Together the group comes up with a skit mocking some members of the Royal Court, including the king and his new concubine Jang Noksu. After they are arrested for treason, Jangsaeng makes a deal with Choseon, who turns out to be one of the King's servants, to either make the king laugh at their skit or to be executed. They perform their skit for the king, but the three minor performers are too terrified to perform well. Gonggil and Jangsaeng barely save themselves with one last joke at the king, who laughs and then makes them part of his Court. The King falls for the effeminate Gonggil, whom he calls to his private chambers often to perform finger puppet shows. Jangsaeng becomes jealous of this relationship (though it is never explicitly stated that there is anything more than friendship between him and Gonggil - this topic of friendship/love has been much debated by film reviewers). Meanwhile, the King becomes more and more unstable. He makes the clowns perform a skit depicting how his mother, the favorite concubine of the former king, was forced to take poison after being betrayed by other jealous concubines. The King then slaughters these concubines at the end of the play. Jangsaeng asks Gonggil to leave with him and the gang at once before the King kills them too during one of his homicidal fits. Gonggil, who initially sympathized with the King, begs the tyrant to give him his freedom but his pleas fall on deaf ears.

The king's main concubine, Jang Noksu, becomes enraged by the attention the king has been lavishing on Gonggil. The Counsel Members tries to have him killed during a hunting trip, resulting in the death of one of the members of the street performing team. Days after the hunting trip, there is a kiss between the king and Gonggil (which has caused much buzz and excitement among film reviewers). Then, she tries to have him jailed by having flyers run in Gonggil's handwriting insulting the king severely. Jangsaeng takes the blame for the crime for which Gonggil has been falsely accused and is imprisoned.

Choseon secretly releases Jangsaeng, telling him that he should forget Gonggil and leave the palace. But Jangsaeng ignores the advice and returns to walk on his tightrope across palace rooftops, this time openly and loudly mocking the king. The King shoots arrows at him while Gonggil tries in vain to stop him. Jangsaeng falls and is caught, and has his eyes seared with burning iron as punishment before being thrown into prison again. Gonggil attempts suicide, but his life is saved by the palace doctors. The king has Jangsaeng walk his tightrope blind. As Jangsaeng tells the story of his and Gonggil's trials and tribulations while balancing on the rope, Gonggil runs out to join him. They have a conversation filled with much hidden meaning and significance. Gonggil asks Jangsaeng what he would like to return as in his next life and Jangsaeng replies that he would still choose to be a clown. Gonggil answers that he has found his King and he too would return as nothing else but a clown.

Throughout the film, the tyranny of the king and corruption of his Courts is revealed. At the very end there is a popular uprising resulting in an attack on the palace, and as people storm the court, Jangsaeng and Gonggil jump up from the rope together, and Jangsaeng tosses away his fan, signifying the death of both which is never actually shown in the film. The last scene is a happy one where Jangsaeng and Gonggil appear to be reunited with their clowning troupe, including the friend who died earlier during the hunting incident. The whole company jokes, sings and dances, as they all walk away cheerfully into the distance. [3]

Reaction

In South Korea, 12.3 million people saw the film, and it grossed more than any South Korean film before it - $85,000,000. (In the summer of 2006, the film The Host surpassed this with 13 million tickets sold.) It seemed unexpected that the film gained so much success, what with its focus of traditional arts and homosexual underlyings, especially without the attraction of high profile celebrities.

Despite the movie's huge popularity in South Korea, it was first banned from screening in China. It premiered in Shanghai on 28 October 2006 and Chinese DVD version is distributed. [4]

Cast

Gam Woo Seong - Jangsaeng

Jeong Jin Yeong - King Yeonsan

Lee Jun Ki - Gonggil

Kang Seong Yeon - Jang Noksu

Trivia

• The film is based on a play "Yi" ("You").
• Gong-gil existed in real life, also as Prince Yeonsan's clown. His existence is confirmed through a small passage in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, briefly mentioning the exchange of words between the King and the clown.
• The film used 6 traditional Korean folk and jester culture.
  • Orum or Chul-tagi/Jultagi (slack-rope walking)
  • Totpogi (a form of masked dance drama; also known traditionally as "peoples' art", using witty dialogues, music, dance and drama to take a humorous and satirical look at society)
  • Deolmi (the only form of puppet play in Korea; the puppeteer uses his fingers to move the nape of the puppets to tell funny stories and songs)
  • Pungmul (a type of group performance shown at the beginning of the film and also the climax of any Namsadang; usually performed by about 20-30 people using small & big gongs, janggu and barrel drums, hand-held drums and conical flutes)
  • Namsadang (literally meaning "male temple players"; both a festival and a name for itinerant performing troupe, generally comprised of both men and boys, founded at the end of the dynasty, during the regency of the Daewongun; Korea's first professional itinerant entertainment troupe performing dances, songs and acrobatics for the common folks in marketplaces and villages, usually accompanied by patter and banter with the audience)
  • Samulnori (percussion-based Gugak)
• Jang Nok-su is erroneously mentioned as a kisaeng in the film. In real life, Jang Nok-su served as a domestic maid of Great Prince Jean, the King's first cousin once removed, before becoming the King's favorite.
• Great Royal Dowager Queen Insu (formally Queen Sohye) died in the film having a heart attack, & Eom gwi-in & Jeong gwi-in were killed in the film personally by the King, because of a Chinese play resembling the King's parents, grandmother, & 2 of his father's concubines. In real life, the 3 unfortunate women were killed (20 March 1504, Second Literati Purge) by being beaten to death on orders by Prince Yeonsan.
• The Chinese play mentioned above had the 3 royal "women" (as portrayed by the jesters) wearing makeshift copies of Qing headwear. The Qing Dynasty wasn't established until 1644, the 21st year of Injo's reign, at least 138 years since Prince Yeonsan's death.
• The Chinese play depicted Prince Yeonsan's mother (formally Queen Jeheon, despisingly called the Deposed Queen Yoon) being the victim of malicious gossip made by 2 of Prince Yeonsan's father's concubines, with her execution (by poisoning) ordered by Prince Yeonsan's grandmother. In real life, Queen Jeheon was executed due to her temperament and extreme jealousy (even going lengths as to striking her husband), as ordered by her mother-in-law the Great Royal Dowager Queen Insu.
• In the film, the Chinese play is the reason of how Prince Yeonsan discovered of her mother's fate. In real life, however, many corrupt officials (such as Im Sa-hong and Yoo Ja-gwang) revealed the truth, therefore setting the violent tone of his reign.

Release Dates

• South Korea: December 29, 2005
• Taiwan: May 12, 2006 (Theatre Release)
• Singapore: June 22, 2006 (Theatre Release)
• Canada: September 7, 2006 (Vancouver/Toronto Film Festival)
• Japan: October 21, 2006 (Tokyo Film Festival) / December 9, 2006 (Theatre Release)
• Shanghai, China: October 28, 2006
• United Kingdom: October 29, 2006 (London Film Festival)
• South Africa: November 14, 2006 (Cape Town Film Festival)
• New Zealand: December 1, 2006 (Film Festival)
• USA: January 3, 2007 (Los Angeles) [5]
• Italy: March 30, 2007 (Florence Film Festival)
• France: April 1, 2007 (Deauville Film Festival) - Expected Theatre Release in September 2007

Awards

43rd Daejong Film Festival

• Best Film- The King and the Clown
• Best Director- Lee Jun Ik
• Best Script/Scenario- Choi Seok Hwan
• Best Cinematography- Ji Gil Woong
• Best Leading Actor- Gam Woo Seong
• Best New Actor- Lee Jun Ki
• Best Supporting Actor- Yoo Hae Jin
• Most Popular Actor- Lee Jun Ki
• Most Popular Actress- Kang Seong Yeon
• Most Popular Actor Overseas- Lee Jun Ki

42nd Baeksang (Paeksang) Film Festival Arts Awards 2006

• Best New Actor- Lee Jun Ki
• Judge's Special Film Awards- The King and the Clown

14th Chunsa Film Festival 2006

• Best Leading Actor- Gam Woo Seong
• Best Supporting Actor- Jang Hang Seon

Korea Film Awards 2006

• Best New Actor- Lee Jun Ki

27th Blue Dragon Film Awards 2006

• Best Music- Lee Byong Woo
• Most Popular Stars- Lee Jun Ki & Kang Sung Yeon
• Best On-Screen Performing Couple Award- Gam Woo Seong & Lee Jun Ki

Cape Town World Cinema Festival (CTWCF) 2006

• Best Feature Film Award- The King and the Clown
• Best Screenplay- Choi Suk Hwan & Kim Tae Woong

9th Festival Du Film Asiatique De Deauville (France) 2007

• Lotus Du Jury (Grand Prix Jury Prize)- The King and the Clown

[6]

Soundtrack (OST)

• 01.가려진 Vocal 장재형 (장생테마) --- "Veiled," Vocals by Jang Jae-Hyeong (Theme of Jang-Seng)
• 02.프롤로그 - 먼길 ---------------- "Prologue - Long Roads"
• 03.각시탈 ------------------------ "Gak-shi Tal (Mask of a Woman)"
• 04.돌아올 수 없는 ------------------ "Cannot Return"
• 05.너 거기 있니? 나 여기 있어. ------ "Are you over there? I am over here."
• 06.세상속으로 -------------------- "Into the World"
• 07.위험한 제의 하나 --------------- "Dangerous Suggestion Number One"
• 08.행복한 광대들 ------------------ "The Happy Clowns"
• 09.내가 왕이 맞느냐 ---------------- "Am I the King or not"
• 10.위험한 제의 둘 ------------------ "Dangerous Suggestion Number Two"
• 11.꿈꾸는 광대들 ------------------ "The Dreaming Clowns"
• 12.수청 -------------------------- "Serve Maiden"
• 13.인형놀이 ----------------------- "Playing with Dolls"
• 14.연정 -------------------------- "Romantic Emotions"
• 15.그림자놀이 --------------------- "Playing with Shadows"
• 16.피적삼의 울음소리 --------------- "The Cry of Rags"
• 17.광대사냥 ----------------------- "Clown Hunt"
• 18.광대의 죽음 -------------------- "Death of a Clown"
• 19.어서 쏴 ------------------------ "Shoot Now"
• 20.질투 --------------------------- "Envy"
• 21.장생의 분노 --------------------- "The Fury of Jang-Seng"
• 22.내가 썼소 ----------------------- "I wrote it."
• 23.애원 ---------------------------- "Plea"
• 24.장생의 외침 --------------------- "The Yell of Jang-Seng"
• 25.눈먼장생 ------------------------ "Jang-Seng the Blind"
• 26.자궁속으로 ---------------------- "Into the Womb"
• 27.반정의 북소리 ------------------- "Ban-Jeong's Sounds of Drumming"
• 28.반허공 ------------------------- "Mid-air"
• 29.에필로그 - 돌아오는 길 ----------- "Epilogue - The Homeward Road"
• 30.반허공 Guitar Version ---------- "Mid-air" Guitar Version

External links

• Official Site (Taiwan)
• Official Site Template:Ja icon
• Unofficial Fansite for "King and the Clown" (Wang-ui-namja)
• The King and the Clown at IMDb
• Review at koreanfilm.org
• Preview TIFF 2006 at Discovery: 2006 Toronto Film Festival, September 7, 2006
• China bans 'King and the Clown'
• OST (page translated from Chinese)
• Awards