King and the Clown

Based on the popular play Yi, Lee Jun-ik’s sumptuous King and the Clown (Korea’s nominee for the 2006 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar) mines the exhaustive diaries of the Chosun Dynasty for inspiration in depicting its tyrannical 16th-century despot. With a blend of comedy and tragedy, Lee’s drama layers Shakespearean elements with a progressive gay subtext. Two traveling performers, “Captain” Jang-seng (Kam Woo-seong) and androgynous Gong-gil (Lee Jun-gi), share a fearless quality with the Parks as they mock the court of King Yon-sang (Jeong Jin-yeong), blindly risking everything for their art, and each other.