A Frozen Flower is a 2008 South Korean erotic historical film. It is directed by Yoo Ha and stars Jo In-sung, Joo Jin-mo and Song Ji-hyo. A Frozen Flower-Movie subbed Part 5 of 15) jinjiluscious. 11 years ago 220.3K views. Rated:18+ A Frozen Flower a.k.a Ssanghwajeom is a 2008 korean movie about boy love during the Goryeo Dynasty based on a true story of a love triangle involving the King,Queen and the head of the Royal Guards.
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The movie was loosely based on the life of King Gongmin of Goryeo during the Goryeo Dynasty. This king supposedly refused to get concubines when he was with his wife but when the wife died, he went into a concubine frenzy and pursued men as well.
The movie was always open about the fact that the story of the movie is far removed from reality.The narrative movement seems solid. The king and his general have been together since they were kids. Neither knew how it is to be with a woman. However, as it turns out, the king is more certain about his sexuality than his general.
When the general discovered how it felt like to be with a woman, he realized he has a male side to him.As solid the story seems to be, it is also where the biggest failure happen. The whole story became a mess when the director opted to demonstrate love through sex. The queen and the general never interacted outside of their evenings when they were supposed to have sex. During the time when then they were supposed to be falling in love, the director didn't provide a reason for the two characters to do so. Aside from their genitals, there really was no other way one character complements the other.Thus, all the dimensions are lost. It became about sex instead of love.
There wasn't even an exploration on how the general felt for the king and what he discovered about that feeling when he started sleeping with the queen. There was no exploration on how the queen felt about the king either. However, the controversy of the film lies not in the narrative but in the treatment. The movie is one of the most controversial in Korea primarily because of the explicit sex scenes. There were about six or seven, all of them involved sensitive exposure.It's nothing new to Hollywood but I have to admit that even to Hollywood standards, the sex scenes here are pretty graphic and long.
And detailed. I get the desire of the director to show the intimacy and there are movies out there where the sex scenes were justified but Frozen Flower is not one of those movies.It was clear that it was about sexual awakening. The queen was a virgin and the general was a virgin to women.However, towards the end of the movie, the General and the Queen ended up fighting for each other which must mean lust turned to love. That's where the problem started. Unless the director explicitly intended for love to be defined by sex, there weren't a lot of scenes that showed their emotions crossing over from lust to love.There was one time when the Queen gave the General a necklace and one of the two gave the other soup but that's about it.
There weren't a lot of motivations, reasons or driver for the emotions to cross over to love.By all accounts, the General and the Queen were each others' rebellion having been trapped in the royal life with the King but it still does not justify how lust transitioned to love.The director didn't give the characters and the love a chance to grow.Sex should have been the result of love. In this movie, sex is the be-all and end-all of love and that's why many also think the film is a total failure. Of course, the director and the writer can easily say that sex is their contextual definition of love but that's a paradoxical non sequitur.As I've said, explicit sex scenes aren't new in Hollywood but it doesn't give any filmmaker an excuse to use it carelessly. In this movie, sex scenes didn't have to be treated the way it was treated. If the intention was to show how the emotions have changed, from obligation to love, wouldn't it make more sense to change the treatment of the scenes from raw to romantic?
Or wouldn't it make more sense to bring their relationship out of the bedroom and into something that involved spiritual or emotional connection that would involve clothes?If the intention was for the audience to see how the emotions change, why would there be a need to include scenes where I can't even see their facial expression? The two actors weren't that great as actors to be able to convey their emotions using their back muscles, you know. And in those shots where their faces were shown during sex, I couldn't quite get whether they were in agony or they were having stomach problems. They looked so miserable. Why on earth are you having sex with him if you are in agony?It is also undeniable that the sex scenes were long and detailed. Considering most of the greatest films of all time didn't involve nudity in a sexual context, I don't understand why these scenes have go on for so long.I have no problems with nudity and sex scenes but I am always adamant that it be done ONLY when there is no choice because it is absolutely necessary for the story.
There are so many love stories that didn't even show skin and even more love scenes that were done with so much sensitivity - 300, Ghost, Pretty Woman. Lo and behold, it is possible. Of the three main characters, the king stood out. There is natural depth in his eyes. There is a natural disturbance and instability there and it meshed well with his royal bearing.
He walked with pride and certainty but his eyes showed softness. It is also interesting how he decided to attacked the role with timidity. He was reserved and his movements were small but precise so that when he exploded in anger, the horror was greater.The general played well as the object of affection. From the get go, it was clear he was the 'female' in the relationship however subtle it may be but the lack of dimension on his role probably affected the dimension of his acting. Of course, there will always be a question on whether or not it is up to the director or the actor to put dimension on the character but those who know film would know how much the actor can influence his role.The queen is probably the biggest failure. It is understandable that she takes on a regal form but she must have mistaken royalty to stiffness because her face always looked like she just rolled out of bed and saw a bear standing by her feet. I just watched this drama.
The chief of the soldiers was not gay which was the point. The King knew this on some level or he would have never suggested him being with the Queen. The soldier was basically raised from childhood to serve the King and that is how they saw their relationship apart of his service, you never see him thinking about the King in a romantic way. He treated sex with the King like it was his duty, but he was in love with the Queen. He sought her out and wanted to be with her (intimately).
The King was truly in love with he but he never loved the King, thus the point of the drama. You lost me from the very beginning, specifically, when you stated that you liked Japanese culture. Please remember that Nanking, unit 731, and comfort women are also a part of Japanese culture even though the traces of those events were successfully wiped out from the collective memory of the whole nation.
Now, from my personal view that I project from the top of my very high horse: you didn't understand anything about this movie. I don't even think you are capable of understanding. At least your review demonstrates that much.
Which is good in a way - this movie is not for dum-dums who are used to mass culture and believe that the Palme d'Or is the measurement of quality and value.But for the rest of those who are reading this review: if you are a real connoisseur and want nothing but the best - watch it. You won't be disappointed. This is oneof my favorite movies and I like only. I don't know.
Maybe five movies tops? On a personal note, I'd like to add: Fairlane Raymundo or whoever wrote this review - mediocrity at its finest. To say that this film is 'mediocre at best' is rather untrue and harsh.
It has its redeeming qualities, a lot of it actually. A lot of what the reviewer is looking for in terms of depth can be found under the surface, the dialogue and what is not being said; if the reviewer only knew how to look. It's not a wuxia film where emotional scenes are mostly drawn out. And like what the reviewer said to close this review -' It feels like the movie is a classroom teacher who just declares the lessons to be learned instead of allowing the students to discover the truths.' - she has to discover these truths herself. It's not that the characters fell in love because of sex. Or Hong was transformed because of sex.
Or even that the movie had so much sex. I think you are focusing on the wrong thing being that 'there's so much sex scenes' that you've failed to see how the relationship blossomed. Hong felt guilt in the beginning and so did the queen. But when they kept sleeping with each other, Hong sort of realizes how he is at the king's disposal. The king made him sleep with the queen. He was tormented because he's only been with the king even from a young age (which film suggests it's always been one sided as the king was older and had power over him).
He developed feelings for the queen because he had empathy. He has never been with a woman before let alone allowed to be with one so there was no time for him to realize he can love a woman. They developed feelings for each other by kind gestures they showed one another. They couldn't have shown falling in love by going on dates because their relationship started as a secret and turned into a secret they had to keep from the king.
They were both lonely. Hong in the sense that he had to serve the king and the queen being trapped in her non intimate marriage. Sure there were a lot of sex scenes but none were unnecessary. If you think about it. That's how affairs are.
It's graphic, yes, to show sexual awakening of the characters. It's called frozen flower. I agree that hong and the queen lack in facial expressions but as far as the movie goes, I think it was done well. For me, this movie was able to show how their lust turned into love. The Queen never felt how to be touched, and made love to before by the king, since he is gay.
Even if it's a slap on her face to have sx with another guy,she still does it since her loyalty for the king still is her priority and it can be seen how she wanted to protect the king, even her love is unrequited. She even told hong how she despises him before since the king only have eyes on him. On their 1st attempt to have sx but did not push thru it can be seen how she cried bec.it hurts her pride as a wife and woman. 2nd was just a plain sx, her 1st as a virgin but it can still be seen she still is sad abt it. But on their 3rd try and 2nd attempt to have sx, it can be seen hong tried to win her approval by setting her mood, that's the 1st time she even responded to his kiss,she allowed him.
1st time Queen felt that she belong to someone, that he wants her. Hong also felt the same, it can be seen how he tries to explore what can make queen open up. In their all boys setting growing up, the feeling to be with a girl for the 1st time was also foreign to him, on one scene he is seen reminiscing his sx with the queen, how beautiful she was. Then that lust started to turn into love, he bought her that necklace nd honey suckle tea (implies she is special since he said before, his late dad thought that to him), it meant so much for queen at that time, esp.they are on that setting where meeting is not that fully allowed. She saw hong as thoughtful and it slowly creeps into her system, before they had the sx in the library, she already embroidered that forehead band meaning he is special for her already, she longed for him.
So when she said she will wait for him nxt day and he didn't go, she was brokenhearted by it so she decided to leave palace first. Hong even did not told king abt him going back early since he rushed to see queen, he misses her. That scene they had sx when he follwed her to the outside of the palace, that's a love scene that shows how they misses each other, shown thru their body, you can see how he wants her, how they explore each other and make each other satisfied and pleasured, but even if he is with her he still longd for her. The nxt scene after that was the memorable part that verifies for both of them it is not just lust, she cooked something for him and she said it is their custom to only give it to the person you love, and when hong ate it he cried since he already know now she feels same way to him. That part where he told king he is only blinded by lust and don't love her is him protecting queen since king wanted to have her partnered to a different guy,since king also knows but just denying, he is losing his lover. He can see how hong is already in loved with the queen. It can also be seen on the end part when he is already castrated, even if he knows he can't make the queen happy anymore, he knows in his heart that none of this matters for both of them, the queen can also be seen that she still wants hong and wanted to protect him so she called in his friends to help him escape.
He also told king he never loved him, it is more of a duty serving the king and not love, he also realizes that. Movie itself is really explicit with the sx scenes but there is more to that, just need to understand the setting and simple gestures really means a lot at that time. Lust turned into real love in the end.
I recently wached this movie.I think.she was feeling empty even after she got married.she want love affection care but she don't have that thing.bec.king can't able to give that to her.when she having sex with hong lim she felt uncomfortable 1st after she felt pleasure her pain fading away bec.of that it's like medicine to pain make go away & hong lim was the 1st man to touch her that's y she maybe fall in love with him.same goes for hong lim.may be he think he was just serving to kingBut they both betray king.but its King decision make them to betray him. I feel bad for him. I really got confused. They showed Hong Lim & Queen were in love with each other & yeah they were in love with each other no doubt about that, but the question is how they fall in love with each other? Because of having sex with each other or just because The queen was a virgin and the general was a virgin to women & that was their 1st time? Or because their body never felt this kind of pleasure before, & now they need each other body & after meeting after meeting each other to pleasure their bodies.not only physically but emotionally their heart were connecting?
Is that the way they fall in love with each other? Yeah, i know queen always felt lonely even after she got married & have a husband. & deep down in her heart she wants that physical love not only that she wanting love she wants home for her heart & that king can't able to give her.& she knew y.bec. He was gayI know king do care for her but that's not enough he doing that just bec.she is his wife & his duti is make her happy as a king but he was not doing well.yeah i know he can't give her physical love but in relationship that's not only matter their is also other way to make a strong bond. He needed to be friend with her it's not that we only make a friends that we attract physically.but if he befriended with her it never would have happened he never get that thought of making his wife to sleep with another manI know his not a bad person but he make very big mistake to doing that with his wifeBut king also give her choice to go back to her home but she didn't it's natural thing bec.for her husband home is her home.they respect each other but that's all nothing more than that i have a doubt they are even friend? They both doing what's best for their kingdom.
What if it was intended? That it's a great tragedy because things happened that way and that given some more time or reflection on anyone's part, then things might not have ended this way. That it's not about true love, but the confusion of love in many forms?If the king didn't misuse those little boys, would the general have been gay?
Was he even gay in the first place, or was it because the King closed everything off? If they had more time, would they realize they're not in love just in lust or are they really in love? If it was love, how come the sex scenes were not intimate (just action packed).
Did they really have to fight to death? In the end, who did the general love? IF only they gave each other time. If only things didn't happen the way they did.As a viewer, it did make me think of those things. But as time grew on, the movie gave a lot of introspection because it didn't make as much sense.Not that I'm comparing, but Romeo and Juliet.
I think obligations and emotions where much simpler and more aligned in the past-it's such a shame when we look at it now though. They seem young, they seem stupid, their noble acts seem unnecessary, their love seem like lust.To me, it's too much coincidence and was handled too carefully, for the story to be senseless (and be just a blind avenue for lust). I like this movie, at first just everyone else here i went to watch it to see these sx scenes but there's a story on it. Upon reading your thoughts about the queen in the story, i felt obliged to give some of my own insights about her. Yes, there might be some awkwardness that her bed scenes with the general were longer and quite improper or very detailed as you say, and if you could say,the director is telling us that their love story is only based on lust.however, let us not forget she was taken by the general as a virgin and she knows nothing of intimacy, for a woman from a conservative country and era at that time,intimacy,sx is a big deal.
He was her first and so it was special.in that era women and man are not like today, they cant just hold hands with someone they like, they could only glimpse or stare a little, give thoughtful gifts.those little things shows too much at their time. In the movie, there was an instance that the general was not able to see her on their meeting place, she felt so sad that she went out of the palace but then this general went to see her.she was given a chance to feel that love from those little things.i think the director did a great job of portraying each character. For me, this film is memorable. Yes, many women view sex as love!i can understand how the queen felt, she was alone in a foreign country without love or intimacy, of course she will fall for the one who gave it to her first!
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If you watch carefully, the 3rd sex scene was different, the chef had to get approval first, he did put her in the mood and they did even kiss! Since the gay love was somehow forced( of course he couldnt refuse the king), i am sure the chief felt like he was somehow in control over the intimate relations with the queen, and men loves that, which means why the chief fell for the queen. For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: Show Details NecessaryHubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam.
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