A Frozen Flower

A Frozen Flower is a 2008 Korean Film directed by Yu ha. A story particularly controversial is the characters’ violation of royal family protocol and their pursuit of love. I am not a 100% sure that this movie is based on a true story but the fact that it's historically based is just fine with me.

• Jo In-sung as Hong Lim
• Ju Jin-mo as King
• Song Ji-hyo as Queen

Set near the end of the Goryeo era (AD 918 ~ 1392). The story is about a love triangle between King, His Queen, and the Commander of the Kunryoungwe, Hong Lim.The King and Hong Lim are in the beginning lovers while the Queen sleeps in a cold bed with no hope of having children. Because the King does not have an heir, the Yuan Dynasty in China wants to put one of its members on the Goryeo throne. The King knows that he can not produce an heir because he can not get it up for a woman, so he asks his lover Hong Lim to impregnate his wife for him. Hong Lim first sees it only as a duty he must fulfill for this master but soon he grows to love the Queen.The King then grows jealous towards his wife for snatching his lover away from him, so he asks Hong Lim to stop visiting the Queen's bed chamber. But the bond between the Commander and the Queen has grown too strong and he continues to see her. When the King discovers this he flies into a fit of rage and has Hong Lim castrated. When the King discovers that his wife is pregnant, he decides to accept the child but to make sure that no one will question the legitimacy of the child he orders the executions of all the people involved. The Queen doesn't want Hong Lim to die so she send for him to go to a distant land but he comes back to rescue her. The King and Hong Lim engaged in a fierce battle. The King stabs Hong Lim in the heart and asks whether or not Hong Lim ever loved him. Hong Lim replies no. The King is temporary stunned and Hong Lim stabs him. In the end both men die.

I am giving this movie a 4/5. The plot in the movie was good and I did like the story but then ending was a bit unsettling. I myself am not a big fan of happy endings but this was just weird. I feel rather sorry for the King and wish things had worked better for him. As for the Queen and Hong Lim, I think that they were a bit too selfish. The Movie in itself had far too many sex scenes which in my taste was rather odd. But all in all the movie was fine and I would say if you like lots of drama and Historical Korean (I do) scenery go ahead and watch this. This movie is NOT for minors.