Wang-ui namja (2005)

Director:

Jun-ik Lee

Writers:

Seok-Hwan Choi (writer)
Tae-woong Kim (play)

Release Date:

29 December 2005 (South Korea)

Genre:

Drama | History | Thriller

Plot:

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. |

Plot Keywords:

King | Gay Interest | Palace Intrigue | Gay Kiss | Korea

Cast

Woo-seong Kam	...	Jang-sang
Jin-yeong Jeong	...	King Yeonsan
Seong-Yeon Kang	...	Nok-su Jang (as Sung-Yeon Kang)
Jun-gi Lee	...	Gong-gil
Hang-Seon Jang	...	Cheo-sun
Hae-jin Yu	...	Yuk-gab
Seok-yong Jeong	...	Chil-duk
Seung-hun Lee	...	Pal-bok

Also Known As:

King and His Men (Hong Kong: English title)
The King and the Clown (International: English title)

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Color:

Color

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Australia:MA | Singapore:NC-16 | China:(Banned) | France:Unrated | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

South Korea

Company:

Eagle Pictures

Trivia:

This film was selected as the official Korean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 79th Academy Awards. The runners-up were Kim Ki-duk's Time, and the horror comedy The Host.

Quotes:

Jang-sang: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ahhh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
[From subtitles]
Jang-sang: You have the wrong man. I wrote it. He's innocent. The audacity of it has my signature all over it. After all, it was by audacity that I got in the palace.
Nok-su Jang: You're making this up!
Jang-sang: Well, well.
[Stands up defiantly in front of the King and Nok-su]
Jang-sang: A whore and her tongue's work is never done.
Nok-su Jang: How DARE you!

Name in English

Well I had seen commentary about this one several weeks ago and got to see it last night. It was actually so good that the action alone could carry most of the story since I did not understand the dialog. Now although the name translates directly as 'The King's Man' the English title being used for it is the "King and the Clown". This is why I had such a hard time finding it on this site, so the administrators might want to add this other title. It is based on a true story. Also the historical representation (should be somewhere around the year 1506 since this is the end of King Yeonsan of the Joseon Dynasty's reign) or staging and costumes was absolutely magnificent, not to mention some very good acting.