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| - The King and The Clown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Synopsis The story is set in the Joseon Dynasty during the reign of King Yeonsan, an infamously tyrannical monarch. Jang-saeng, a member of the Namsadang Troupe, comes to Hanyang (currently Seoul) with Kong-gil to escape the abuse of powerful aristocrats. After arriving in the capital, Jang-saeng and Kong-gil perform a skit satirizing the king and his concubine Nok-su, quickly attracting attention. The palace learns of it, and they are arrested. While enduring excruciating torture, Jang-saeng raves that if given the chance, he could make the king laugh. Fortunately, he is given the chance to prove himself. Performing before the ruler makes the jesters nervous, and despite Jang-saeng’s best efforts, the king doesn’t laugh. But when Kong-gil appears in drag, playing the role of a shrewd woman, the king cannot control his laughter. The two are appointed as royal jesters, and from then on, live a life of luxury. Their parodies satirize the corruption of public officials, which keeps the king in a jovial mood. On the other hand, members of the court who are depicted in the jesters' skits are severely punished. At a royal banquet, the jesters perform a Korean opera depicting feminine rivalry. This awakens in the king painful memories of his mother, and he puts all of his late father’s royal concubines to the sword. Troubled that their comedic skits invariably lead to bloodshed, the jesters decide to leave. For some reason, however, Kong-gil wants to stay. |
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View Point The blockbuster Korean movie "The King and The Clown" broke all previous movie records to become the all-time number-one hit following 112 days at the box office. By the final screening on April 18, 2006, The King and The Clown had drawn close to 4 million viewers in Seoul and over 12 million people nationwide. Compared to Silmido and Taegeukgi, the first to attract 10 million viewers, The King and The Clown is truly remarkable because it was only screened in 300-400 theaters nationwide. Box-office records aside, the movie also gained rave reviews for its visual production. And although it featured no major stars, actor Lee Jun-ki emerged as a screen icon overnight for his role as Kong-gil. On April 14, 2006, the movie received the Daesang Award (Best Prize) at the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards Ceremony held at the Haeoreum Theater in Seoul. Based on an acclaimed play titled “Yi,” The King and The Clown, is set in the Joseon Dynasty. What makes the film unconventional is the central focus on male court jesters as leading characters, since, until this film, the public knew little about their place in history. Great attention went into costume production. Not only were the stars’ costumes custom-made, even those of the extras were painstakingly sewn. In all, 600 costumes were completed over the course of a year. In the Korean classical opera scene, the jesters wore colorful paper costumes. The paper costumes were constructed using fabric for lining and hanji paper for the outer layers, which were lavishly painted in bright colors. Three designers worked day and night for a full month to produce just one costume. The producers’ efforts are seen in the props as well. They were assembled over the course of a year, and some pieces cost tens of millions of won. The masks and hand puppets, the royal palanquin, royal bedding and cushions, fans, and furniture were all made based on thorough historical research. Another realistic touch was the stunt work. In order to perform their own stunts, the leading actors learned tightrope dancing and other tricks before filming began. |
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Photos Courtesy of Cine 21 
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