King and the Clown

Set in Korea during the Joseon dynasty, King and the Clown follows two street performers, Jang-sang and Gong-gil, who travel the country as part of a troupe. After they stage a satirical play mocking the king, they are arrested and brought to the palace, where they face execution. They are offered a way out: if they can make the monarch laugh, they will be spared. Their performance succeeds, and the two are allowed to remain at court, where the king develops a growing fascination with the reserved Gong-gil, stirring jealousy among those close to him.

Released in late 2005, the film was directed by Lee Joon-ik from a screenplay by Choi Seok-hwan, marking his second feature after Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield (2003); he also served as a producer. The cast includes Kam Woo-sung as Jang-sang, Lee Joon-gi as Gong-gil, Jung Jin-young as King Yeonsan, Kang Sung-yeon as Jang Nok-su, Yoo Hae-jin as Yuk-gab and Jang Hang-seon as Cheo-sun, with 27 credited performers in all.

Made for about 4 million USD, it went on to take roughly 74 million USD worldwide, a return that shows how widely it reached beyond its home market. On IMDb it holds 7.3/10 from around 6,300 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7/10 from 124 votes, indicating solid approval from viewers.