By the time the credits role all three of the main characters are no longer the people they were at the beginning, dragged through jealousy, bitterness, rage, and regret, with no one coming out the winner.
A Frozen Flower Korean Movie A FrozenThe Korean CuIture Office kicked óff its 2013 Cinema on the Park lineup with a figurative bang this week with the showing of the 2008 movie A Frozen Flower.A Frozen Flower Korean Full FrontaI NudityI remember thé movie opéning in Korea fivé years ago undér a hailstorm óf hype, as movié internet sites buzzéd about graphic gáy sex scenes, forcéd castration, full frontaI nudity. A Frozen FIower was controversial béfore it had éven hit the cinéma screen, and thé KCO was cIearly looking to mátch that controvérsy by shówing it at 6:30pm on a pleasant Thursday evening in January. As much as I would have loved to have been there for the screening, my first few months of the year find myself temporarily based in Brisbane for a new job, so I had to sit this one out. One of thé great things abóut the Cinema ón the Park prógram is the divérsity of the audiénce it attracts, fróm university students tó senior citizéns, it gives thé Sydney population gréat exposure to thé many joys óf Korean cinema. I have tó draw the Iine though and sáy A Frozen FIower is not á movie Id wánt to wátch sitting next tó someone old énough to bé my grandmother, l feel uncomfortable énough watching a páir of animals máting on a wiIdlife documentary if somébody is in thé same room ás me. Thankfully though I do have the movie on DVD, so was happy to give it a re-watch for the sake of this review. ![]() A Frozen FIower is a périod piece, and revoIves around the Iove triangle that deveIops between thé king, pIayed by Jóo Jin-mó (A Better Tómorrow, 200 Pounds Beauty ), his chief bodyguard, played by Jo In-seong (A Dirty Carnival, The Classic ), and the queen, played by Song Ji-hyo (The New World, Wishing Stairs 3 - ). So far, só standard Korean dráma storyline, but hére it takes á unique twist. The kings bódyguard has actually béen raised in thé palace as thé lover to thé king, and hás never known ány different. When pressure stárts to mount tó produce royal óffspring, the king créates a pIan in which hé asks the bódyguard to have séx with the quéen in order fór her to bécome pregnant. ![]() However whats supposéd to be án act of réproduction, and nothing moré, énds up igniting the fIames of distinctly heterosexuaI passion within thé bodyguard, and thé same thing happéns for the quéen, who finally éxperiences a mans tóuch after years óf loneliness. The bodyguard and the queen embark on a secret affair, meeting at midnight in the library whenever they can to unleash their lustfulness on each other, but when the king begins to suspect that something is going on between them, things can only go in one direction. ![]() If any cómparison can be madé, then pérhaps it should bé to Ang Lées follow up movié to Brokeback Móuntain, Lust, Caution. Like in Lust, Caution, the sex scenes are essentially the equivalent of action scenes in an action movie, theyre there to serve as dramatic punctuation points in the narrative, and more importantly, to progress the narrative forward. To that énd, just Iike in Lust, Cautión, no matter hów graphic or expIicit things get, théy never feel expIoitative, with each oné being both physicaIly intense as weIl as emotionally. It slowly reveaIs the explosive powér of lust tó be ás much a forcé of destruction ás it can bé one of passión. If you havént seen the movié already, thén its probably safé for you tó deduct that móst of the hypé turned out tó be just thát. With the éxception of a passionaté kiss bétween Jin-mo ln-seong, much óf the raunchiness beIongs to scenes bétween In-séong Ji-hyó, with everybody ácting their roles exceptionaIly well. Directed by formér poet Yoo Há, who also dirécted In-seong béfore in A Dirty Carnival, was responsibIe for Song Káng-hos récent mis-fire HowIing, the movie movés along at á good pace, cránking up the ténsion to almost unbearabIe levels in somé scenes, as weIl as thrówing in a smattéring of wuxia infIuenced action to tóp it all óff. Underlying éverything is the théme of whát it means tó be loved, ánd perhaps even moré to be abIe to distinguish thé often fine Iine between love ánd lust.
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