A Frozen Flower

The Plot

In protecting himself from the dominance of Yuan Dynasty China and to establish an autonomous state, the King of the Goryeo Dynasty Korea formed a band of personal palace guard composed of thirty six young soldiers, called the Kunryongwe. Trained from young, the band was led by Chief Hong Lim, whom the King chose as both friend and lover.


But as politics would have it, the King who was joined in matrimony to a princess of the Yuan Dynasty, was expected to produce an heir.


To save his throne and honour, the King did the unthinkable - task his male lover, Hong Lim, to sleep with the Queen to produce the much needed heir and be the saviour to the country.

The Cast
Jo In-sung - Hong Lim
Ju Jin-mo - King
Song Ji-hyo - Queen





Foxi Feels
First and foremost, I would like to expressed advanced apologies if what I am going to write will offend some of you, in any moral or religious way. I am in no way a homophobic nor do I condone the idea of any type of physical bonding other than the tried and tested way.


All I am going to do is review a good movie as how I feel it deserves to be reviewed, and if I step on anybody's toes (which, I really hope I won't), sue me.


So, if you trust me then, read on........


***


Beautiful is the only way I can begin to describe A Frozen Flower (aka The Frozen Flower or Ssanghwajeom). Beautiful and crazy (smiles).


Be forewarned that this movie will shock you in a lot of ways. For me, it was a rare find, and despite the taboo storyline and sometimes unnecessary sexual scenes, it is an essentially beautiful, yet obsessive and sad, love story.


Like I said, the movie is beautiful. Beautiful leads, beautiful costumes, beautiful choreography and beautiful cinematography. 


Call it the oriental Brokeback Mountain, if you like; set in sageuk Hanguk (tradional Korea), no less. 

Pretty bishounens
 - can anyone spot cutie Song Joong Ki in the pix?

Very quickly, the story is about a Goryeo King (Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ (918–1392) was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea), who surrounded himself with a group of trusted personal guards, whom he trained from young, and the politics and expectations that came with his stature of a king.


As per normal monarchy traditions, a King must marry for politics and beget an heir. Betrothed to the princess of the neighbouring (and far more powerful) Mongolian/Chinese Yuan province since in his teens, the King later married her but in name only - having no feelings other than respect and obligations for her. 

Sigh...you don't need  a rock concert
when you can have these two to play for you

The majesty's object of affections (and obsession) however, lay in the form of Hong Lim, one of his personal guards, whom he took a liking to from the very start of the latter's young training.

A reminisce of Emperor Ryuuki
and Seiran in battle

Fast forward to adulthood, Hong Lim, was elevated to the role Chief of the Personal Guards, as well as confidante, companion and lover to the King.


The King himself was really a good man and worthy leader. And since he has been with Chief Hong Lim ever since the latter was a wee lad, the King was essentially a one-man-man (eh?). He fought his own battle and was pretty just in a lot of ways. So, earning true respect and loyalty from his subjects came to no surprise.


In Chief Hong, he found a willing lover, trusted confidante, advisor and voice of conscience, as well as a fierce protector.


However, in order to save the country, the King needed an heir and entrusted his most trusted friend to do the job.

Seriously, sire?

As fate would have it, what turned out to be an incongruous yet inescapable task for Chief Hong also proved to be an eye opener for the young lad. Having never had relations with the opposite sex, Chief Hong found a revelation in his joining with the lonely Queen, and a dangerous affair of the body and soul started.

Declaration of love

You can probably guess where the situation led, of course - with the King suspecting and finding out the affair between his lover and his Queen. But what you may not expect is how the story unfolded and climaxed (excuse the pun). 


To dismiss the movie into a simple love triangle that ended in a raging jealous rampage, would be an irresponsible reviewing on my part.


What really made the movie are the depth and mixed emotions that the leads brought to each of their characters.

First we have the Queen, who grew up in a foreign palace, detesting the man her fiance and then husband was in love with; and then, feeling lust for the said man and ending up loving him to the point of risking a full fledged war between her birth and adopted countries. And the subtly beautiful Song Ji-hyo just excelled at playing the sullen yet stoic Queen.   

Then we have the stony yet handsome Hong Lim, who struggled with guilt between the love, friendship and loyalty he felt for the King and the newfound pleasures of the male-female bonding and growing love he had with Queen. In fact, there were silent eye movements on his part that suggested that he may have been infatuated with the Queen long before the fatal task was given to him by the King. And Jo In Sung.....sigh....I'm so glad you are out of the army, sir (grins).


Last but not least, the King of Goryeo himself. Burden with carrying a country that was in constant threat of being overtaken by the neighbour, his only solace was the company of his playmate - in all aspects of emotions, physique and politics. So, finding betrayal in highest sense ie in the matters of the heart, can just push a man over the edge; and Ju Jin Mo - you just rock!

Knights of the round table...minus Arthur

All that, plus political scheming and personal ambitions within the Kunryongwe itself.


The movie had lots of cringe-worthy moments - where you would find yourself squirming either in embarrassment, pain or sadness; and it was laden with graphic sexual scenes - both yaoi and hetero - so, please do not watch this with your in laws (and yes, that includes you 30 and 40 year olds too!).




In the end, you would definitely empathise with all three leads, without going into the morality aspects of the story, and would probably pull your hair and clutch your stomachs at the sheer fatality of the whole situation.

Final showdown

I can't choose between any of the three leads for I felt all of them carried the story equally - with stronger leanings towards Jin Mo (have always loved him ever since '200 Pounds Beauty') and In Sung (looking leaner & better since his 'Memoirs of Bali' days).

You lucky girl, you....

My radar tells me that both men are straight and visually you can probably tell by how the Queen and Chief Hong's tryst were more loving and natural where as the male leads looked like they were in pain filming their sexual escapades (lol). But hats off to both Jin Mo and In Sung, because emotionally, they will knock you off your seat with their silent connection.

Doomed affair

And I'm reiterating, this movie is certainly not for the faint hearted and you have been duly warned. However, it is truly a good movie and beautiful love story.


So, it's up to you really. On my part, I would say, go for it, I dare you to (grins).

Beautifully shocking 

Watch The Frozen Flower Online

(DailyMotion)

Download A Frozen Flower Soundtrack

(The King's Version)

(Spolier Alert)

I dream of the day when....

Did Hong Lim lie when he said he had never felt love for the King? 

For me, yes, he did. He probably said what he did in his moment of rage.

He may not love the King as how the King wanted to be loved, but he did feel (more than just brotherly) love and affection and definitely undying loyalty for the latter (even more so than what he felt for the Queen, I would say).

This fact can evidently be seen when he fought for the King during the assassin attack scene in the beginning, the many quiet moments they shared in the King's private quarters - during the painting and musical interlude scenes - and also from the fact that Hong Lim was prepared to leave the Queen to maintain peace in the courts and as a show respect for the King.

But more tellingly, the fact that Hong Lim turned away from the screaming Queen to look at his mentor and friend during his last dying breath (and the dream sequence at the end of the movie) covertly suggests that the love and loyalty that Hong Lim felt for the King far outweighed the brief ecstasy of the joining of the flesh (and souls, if you insist) that he had with the Queen.


Though, sexually Hong Lim may have been manipulated or brainwashed to think he loved the King sexually too in the early days, I felt that in the end, it was the friendship and respect that were stronger between the two men.

In heaven we unite

(End of Spoiler)

Jo In Sung gushiness tribute


I can't help but to quote a fellow reviewer on Jo In Sung apparent hotness '... can you go through the rest of your life having never seen the HOTNESS that is Jo In Sung???? How can I ask you to deprive yourself like that???!!!!' (ha ha ha...thanks, Countess Bobo, I just fell off my chair laughing at your comment, but I feel for you, dear, I really do...)


And in Mika's Youtube review, she can't get past from saying Wow...at every mention of Jo In Sung's name (lol)