A 2005 film, “The King and the Clown,” is a tale of a notorious tyrant and his clowns in the 16th century Joseon royal court. The blockbuster movie depicts the highly controversial story of a gay love triangle. It involves a young male clown named Gong-gil who agonizes over his love for an older clown, Jang-saeng, and a ruthless yet amorous king, Yeon-san.

A street-performing band of clowns is invited to the court with a mission to make King Yeonsan, who is weary of feuds and conspiracies, laugh. Jang-saeng, the leader of the troupe, pillories the king’s affairs with his concubine, and against all the odds, the king eventually burst into laughter. Thanks to the feat, the band is allowed to stay at the court for more amusing performances for the king. On the contrary, however, there is bloodshed within the palace walls to come. And the king’s lust after a young clown, Gong-gil, enrages Jang-saeng. One of the members of the troupe is killed during a royal hunting party, Jang-saeng has his eyes seared with burning iron as punishment for mocking the king, and Gong-gil attempts suicide. All these incidents drive into catastrophe. And there is a conspiracy aimed at dethroning the tyrannical king, which results in an attack on the palace. Rebel forces barge into the court when the two clowns, Jang-saeng and Gong-gil, jump high up in the air from the rope together, with Jang-saeng tossing away his fan. This implies the death of both clowns, which is never actually depicted in the film. At the last scene, Jang-saeng and Gong-gil appear to be reunited with their troupe, including a member who had died earlier during the hunting incident. It’s not clear whether the scene is reminiscent of the good old days or it describes reincarnated lives of the ill-fated clowns, but all the troupe members laugh, sing and dance, walking away into the distance. The last scene reminds viewers of the conversation between the two clowns just before their deaths. Gong-gil asks Jang-saeng what he would like to in his next life, and Jang-saeng, despite his tragic life as a clown, replies that he would still choose to be a clown. Gong-gil answers that he, too, would return as nothing but a clown.

As this line indicates, the theme of the movie is “the world is nothing but a stage.” But the film also delves into a highly contentious subject matter-homosexuality. It is the first local film to portray homoerotic encounters, as referenced in a literal translation of its Korean title, “The King’s Man.” Breaking the unspoken rule of avoiding the topic of homosexuality in the domestic movie industry, and therefore contributing to people’s acceptance of differences in society, “The King and the Clown” sold more than 12 million tickets, the second highest ever after the 2006 flick “The Host.” This is a remarkable achievement, considering that the production costs were relatively low for a Korean film, about 4.5 million dollars, and the movie didn’t have a big star. The movie owes much of its success to its cross-generational appeal. Film director Lee Joon-ik said various characters in the movie helped pull in audiences from different generations. For example, teenagers love the young clown, Gong-gil and those in their 20s like the older clown Jang-saeng, while those in their 30s and 40s are attracted to King Yeonsan and people over 50 feel close to king’s adviser, Cheoseon. Actor Lee Jun-gi, who performed the role of younger clown, quickly rose to stardom with his impressive portrayal of an androgynous court jester.