[Editorial] 'The King & The Clown' Mocks Establishment

"The King & The Clown" is a movie that is not about mainstream society. Its traveling entertainers symbolize those who are not in the mainstream, and the characters Jangsaeng and Gonggil are not part of the inner circle either. Yeonsangun, the child of deposed queen Yun, is the head of state but remains outside the key group within the royal household. The same goes for Jang Sok Su and the eunuch Cheoseon.

The story itself is also about mocking and revolting against the mainstream, and it is about the joys and sorrows of people who have been uprooted. Yeonsangun mocks and kills his grandmother and the preceding king's retainers for having a part in the dethronement and death of his mother. Jangsaeng pierces the chests of cabinet members with daggers of satire while Gonggil ridicules Jang No Su. However, Jangsaeng loses love and his two eyes, Gonggil had to engage in acts of sodomy, and Yeonsangun ends up ruined. The way Yukgap, Childeuk, and Palbogi become the hunted in a hunting act is symbolic.

From the start the film was a movie in the margins. There are no superstars, no fancy graphics, and no tense action. When it opened, it occupied only half the number of screens taken by "Typhoon" and "King Kong." You never noticed it because the media was giving much more coverage to "Typhoon," and the critics said it was "okay but it won't be hit." Industry insiders said it would bring in an audience of only 3 million.

A mere 45 days since it opened, however, it has sold 10 million tickets. That is a pace faster than "Silmido" and "Taegukki." News media and film critics are scurrying around trying to explain why the movie is a hit despite their predictions. Director Lee Jun Ik's answer is simple; it is the spirit of those now are not in the mainstream, members of the persecuted and alienated majority. Lee, too, is a typical example of a film director who is not part of the mainstream.

It is usually not the mainstream elements in a society that change the world. Instead it is usually those in the margins, who try to overturn the rules, structures, relationships, sensitivities, and privileges of the mainstream. We applaud this super insult on the established mainstream and the audience's insight.

The Hankyoreh, 11 February 2006.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]