Comment

Feb 03, 2018dnk rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This film provides a fictional reconciliation for the two diametrically opposed facets of the ill-fated King Gwanghae, temperamental, paranoid and abusive on the one hand and reformist on the other. While the truth is that a mental illness may have been exacerbated by the instability of his childhood, the explanation offered here is that a jester/clown stood in for him after a poisoning and that it was he who offered the historic reforms Gwanghae is credited for. What I love about the best Korean drama is that it commits to all facets of the story it tells. It is at times funny, indulging in some of "gross out" humor that would horrify the most hardened viewer of R-rated American comedies (the toilet scene- just...no), but it balances that with deep emotion (it's hard not to be pulled in by Byung-hun Lee's outrage and sadness) and romance. Lee also does an amazing job of selling both the tyrannical king whom you might not mind seeing assassinated and the jester with a heart of gold, both of whom believably transform in the course of the film. The supporting roles were also complicated characters; they might not have gotten as long on screen, but they were able to quickly convey what their motivations were, whether through dialogue or expressions. While the young servant Sa-Wol and the Captain pulled at my heartstrings, the quieter Chief Eunuch, Councilor and Queen Consort made a more lasting impression, and I found myself thinking about them long after the film ended. Finally, the attention to detail in the set design was amazing, from the costumes and settings to the food (I was very excited every time the King was offered a late-night snack). Highly recommended for fans of Korean historical fiction