A FROZEN FLOWER
Korea, 2008, 133 minutes, Colour.
Jin- mo Ju, Ji- hyo Song, In- seong Jo.
Directed by Ha Yoo.
A Frozen Flower is quite a spectacular historical Korean story, the time of the Koryo Dynasty and the Empire of Yuan. The specific focus is on the king and his relationship with his wife, a daughter from Yuan, welding the two areas of empire together. The difficulty is that the king is of a homosexual orientation and unable to consummate the marriage. He has set up a special band of thirty-six boys who have been trained in martial arts to be his team and bodyguard. He is particularly fond of one, the chief, Hong-rim. The idea comes to him that he ought to ask Hong-rim to join with the queen and impregnate her, secretly, so that he will have an heir and there will be peace in the kingdom.
The film develops into a threesome, but not in the way expected. The chief falls in love with the queen and begins a relationship with her which she reciprocates. When the king discovers it, he is consumed by jealousy of both. The film turns violent – a conspiracy against the king, and a massacre at a banquet of the conspirators. The king then turns his attention to his friend as well as to the queen, becoming ever more vindictive, castrating his friend, subjecting the queen to a humiliating life.
Matters come to a head when the chief returns from exile, confronts the king, and duels with him – with the inevitable death of both.
There are a variety of martial arts and sword-fighting sequences, a number of very colourful banquet, singing and dancing sequences. The film is spectacular in scope, beautifully photographed.
While it recreates the period and the difficulties and conflicts of the period, it is more specifically interesting in the character of the king, the chief, the queen, and the entanglements between them.
1. The impact of the film? Korean history? Audiences knowing or not knowing the background? How important?
2. The title, flower, the flower shop, the song and its lyrics?
3. The recreation of the period, the film as spectacular, costumes and decor, sets? Action sequences? Spectacle sequences? The beauty of the photography? The musical score?
4. The focus on the king, his role in the empire? His ruling, his being subject to the Yuan Empire? The setting aside of the thirty-six boys? Their military training, their seclusion? The special force for the king? Singling out Hong-rim to be the leader? The arrival of the queen, the ceremony in her honour, the songs, the king and his singing and playing? The attack, the masked soldiers? The defence of the king? His fighting and his skills? The chief saving his life from the flying dagger? The king receiving him in audience? Honouring him?
5. The sequence of the guard who escaped, with the maid, the pursuit by the special guard? Capture and death? Indication of themes to come? The sense of honour with all the special guard, wanting to die for honour’s sake?
6. The relationship between the king and Hong- rim? The homosexuality? It being covered over in Korean history? The effect on Hong -rim? The marriage, the role of the queen? The decision of the king to ask Hong- rim to impregnate the queen? The attempts, the change in Hong-rim, in the queen? Their falling in love? The episodes in the library? Clandestine meetings? The queen leaving the function where the king was playing? The consequences? The pregnancy not eventuating?
7. The intrigue against the king, the ministers, their meeting, the queen’s brother becoming involved? The special force and their discovery of the truth? Following the conspirators? Explaining to the king, the special ceremony, the returning troops? The king and his decision, locking the doors, the chief and his leading the group and the arrest of the conspirators? Their execution? The minister pleading for his life, his death? The queen’s brother, the chief relenting and letting him escape?
8. The effect on the king? His suspicions of the queen? His suspicions of the chief, sending him away for supervising investigations into the conspiracy? The chief’s return? His meeting the queen, the king and his inquiries, interrogating him about the tactics book he read? Their fighting and his overcoming the chief, warning him?
9. The discovery of the queen and the chief together in the library? The consequences? The queen and her wanting to die, suicide attempts? The confrontation with Hong-rim, the castration? His being allowed to escape? His meeting with other members of the guard? His decision to return to confront the king? Discovering the friends had been executed after torture?
10. The confrontation with the king, the guards holding back, the queen and her arrival? The fight to the death, the king superior in martial arts to the chief? The chief and the sword in him? His killing the king? The guard and their handling the situation, the cover-up?
11. A spectacular film, the life in the kingdom? Issues of power, jealousy, passion? The combination?
