A Frozen Flower (Ssang-hwa-jeom) (2008) directed by Ha Yu

[reviews_and_ramblings]

A historical drama set in the Koryo dynasty and focused on the relationship between a king and his bodyguard.

Director: Ha Yu

Writer: Ha Yu (screenplay)

Release Date: 30 December 2008 (South Korea)
11 October 2009 (Chicago International Film Festival, USA)

Genres: Drama, History, Romance

Storyline: The king of Goryeo Dynasty Korea attempts to shake off the dominance of Yuan Dynasty China and establish an autonomous state. He forms a palace guard composed of thirty six young soldiers, led by military commander Hong-rim. But the king faces betrayal when Hong-rim falls in love with both him and his rival, the Yuan Dynasty queen.

The Goryeo King is under pressure from his Yuan rulers to either produce an heir, or name his cousin the Crown Prince, which he resolutely refuses to do. Although married, the King's true love is not his wife, the Queen, but his chief bodyguard, Hong Lim. During his marriage he has never so much as touched the Queen. One day the King asks Hong Lim to sleep with his wife, assuming that would solve the issue of his succession as long as a royal son is produced. Instead it begins a vicious love triangle filled with forbidden lust, betrayal, and uncontrolled revenge.

Awards: 2009 Won Baek Sang Film Art Award as Best Actor to Jin-mo Ju
2010 Orient Express Section Special Jury Award to Ha Yu, Fantasporto

@IMDb
@Amazon: A Frozen Flower (2008)
@Netflix

 





















 

Cast (in credits order)
Jin-mo Ju ... King
Ji-hyo Song ... Queen
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
In-seong Jo ... Hong-rim
Hong Jong-Hyeon
Hyeon-woo Kim
In-beom Ko ... Yeon Ki-mok
Tae-won Kwon ... Jo Il-moon
Ju-hwan Lim ... Han-baek
Ji-hyeon Min ... Concubine
Min-wu Noh ... Min-wu
Ji-ho Shim ... Seung-gi
Jung-ki Song ... King's men - No-tak
Wook-hwan Yeo ... Im-bo

     
The Chief and the King

Comments

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not much of a spoiler ;-) the movie is so tragic from the beginning that indead I would have been surprise to find an HEA. But the acting and the setting is very good, so it's worth the sight.