The King and the Clown

The King and the Clown

(Wang-ui namja), Lee Joon-ik / ROK, 2005
Korean version / English subtitles, 109 min

This mid-budget production without big stars is an intimate drama with homoerotic subtext and is second in the All Time Top 10 of Korean box-offices. It takes place at the beginning of the 16th century in the final years of king Yeonsan’s cruel reign. Two jesters come to his court and start exposing hidden agendas and intrigues of the king’s counsellors. The jesters’ carnival-like performances also reveal hidden desires and traumas of the king himself.