I didnt skip a second
I came to watch this movie after watching the drama its ok thats love by Jo In Sung. His mature acting is really a treat to watch.This movie is a masterpiece having the perfect amount of everything. A great story, amazing actors and perfect execution. I didn’t skip a second of this movieThe story where king always felt he is is the supreme and others would do anything for him either its his subjects, wife or love. But each character takes up their chances and makes therier own choice. I also remembered the drama Hwarang were group of men are trained as loyal soldiers to the the king I felt the same vibe with the kunryongwe.
I read the plot and was ready with my box of popcorn and tissues. The love making scenes were done very boldly and perfectly. It really felt they were doing it onscreen. The sex scene between the king and hong lim was a real surprise and It showed the complexity of the movie even precisely. The actors did their part amazingly well. I wont criticize anyone, its the story and it should be apprecited
The betrayal, tragedy, boldness were crazily marvellous. I enjoyed the fight scenes and the sword dance, yes I had seen that In hwarang too. The song played by king on his musical instrument are really heartbreaking.
Rewatch is a must.
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Entertaining Though Overlong...
This film piqued my interest due to its BL/gay content. Though entertaining and epic, the film was overlong and could have easily been shortened by 30-45 minutes. I wonder though, couldn't the King force himself to have sex with the Queen? Many gay royalty had to do the same, if I remember correctly. And if he can't force himself to bed the Queen, why would he force his lover, who he presumed to be also gay, to bed the Queen?Anyways, of course, the evil King is gay and is driven mad by his obsession with his chief of guard who love his Queen. And we were made to root for the straight romance and demean the gay one.
I would love to see historical epic films with a central gay love that doesn't end in death or despair.
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If you're watching this for BL's sake, then don't!!
Honestly, they're a bunch of great actors and the production was really cool. The sex scenes were explicit and the gore fight scenes made it all realisitic. The ending was not what I expected though. I mean, I really didn't get the point of the story. SUPER ANTICLIMACTIC!If you're rooting for bl scenes, dont waste your time! There are bl scenes, but it's just like 8 percent of the whole movie. I can say the storyline could've been written better.
Also, I don't get why the King is sort of the Antagonist of this show. To me, he was just being himself but got hurt by the people he trusts and that's what led him to his demise.
Overall, it's a good korean movie but not so much that I'd want to rewatch it.
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A Realistic View
I find this story very sad. The emprises has no say in her marriage to the emperor. He is gay and does not touch a women but send his men to sleep with her because he needs an heir. She has no say in the emperors order and summits to his request. She falls for the first guard and he falls for her after he has been sleeping with the emperor. The emperor get jealous because he is in love with the guard. the emperor jealousy ends his rain on the kingdoms. It is a realistic view of what the past could have been. I have to say I cry especially at the end. The performance of these actors was great. A great story.Was this review helpful to you?
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Gripping, emotional storyline.
For over a year I battled to see where to watch this movie, until I eventually stumbled on it in Dramacool and gave it the attention I'd wanted to give it for long. And honestly, this movie is a BOMB. The love triangle is intensely captured. Imagine, chief and the king, with the former growing up under the latter and the latter loving the former from their formative years...and Chief, even as a kid, saying the best person is one who would lay his life down for the king. Reading through comments here I can see people berating the king and hating on him, but in this instance I feel he did what he had to do given the circumstances. I do not applaud it, but I understand it, and him. Furthermore, with the introduction of sex between the Chief and Queen, we see Chief opening up to a new, strange love he'd never witnessed and also being sad about it; he did go to the queen, then sleep next to the king and cuddled him, with tears leaking from his eyes. That was a sign that he loved this man, and he felt sad and confused about loving another. Then the anger, the sense of betrayal, the brutal punishment meted out, are all mind blowing. For me, chief did really love King, even though he told him otherwise in his last moments, to deeply hurt him. I know I would say the same, in the same circumstances... But the love remained there, as, even as he lay dying, he turned to King, in those very last, dying moments he had. That, dears, was love right there.Was this review helpful to you?
A very sad movie
I'm just in love with this movie...I love the actors and the story, I didn't expected that the King will make the Queen to do that but the story is perfect.
I expected that ending...
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Why the movie is named A Frozen Flower?
Well, I'm not gonna answer that question on this review, neither I gonna tell you nothing about the plot... I'm only going to say that if you after watching this movie are in need to ask what is the meaning of the story (like I see on other review), probably you won't be able to say why the name of the movie.The story is more oriented to explore human feelings than break your head with fancy ideas or deep plot twist. The acting was so good and the story telling is pretty easy to follow up. The scenes are well embroidered with the music.
At contrary of others review, the sexual scenes are filled with fully significance if you are aware of the little details, so calling them unnecessary is just result of overlooking one of the mains motives of the story.
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Love or lust...Intricate and layered with jealousy, fear, passion and a lot of bad decisions
This historical movie tells the story of Hong Rim, the Chief of King's guard and his relationship with King Gong Min who ruled in the latest half of the 14th century of the Goryeo Dynasty. I find very interesting the period of history in which the film is set as well as all the the romantic premise which build up in a gut-wrenching love story.Story-wise, I really enjoyed the imbalance of power in the relationship and in the romance. Nothing is as simple as it seems as the feelings get more and more intricated and layered with jealousy, fear, passion and a lot of bad decisions (which frustrated me a lot as they were not super logical sometimes)...It was really love and lust leading to madness in a heart breaking way.
Despite it relative long length, I found the pacing of the movie quite good. My only regret is that we do not spend enough time on the beginning of the relationship between Hong Rim and King Gong Min: I would have loved to see their kinship and affinity evolve in something more, especially with the difference in status in the context of the court. The ending was very satisfying to me because the final actions of the protagonists made it very clear to me as to where their affections were truly lying. I am convinced that it is NOT what was said that is the most telling regarding the romance but rather what was left unsaid and rather shown by the characters.
The acting performance for the three main roles was pretty solid. The trio of Zo In Sung (as Hong Rim), Joo Jin Mo (as King Gong Min) and Song Ji Hyo (as Queen No Guk) worked very well together. I found the relationship between the two male leads the most compelling one but Song Ji Hyo hold her own quite well in these very tortuous relations. Regarding the secondary characters, it was quite good overall, no obvious stand out on the support roles with the exceptions of some of the guards. It was really nice to see some familiar faces acting as secondary characters: Song Joong Ki, Noh Min Woo, Jo Jin Woong ,Yeo Jin Goo and Park Sung Hoon.
The production value was really impressive, even looking at it 16 years later. The fight scenes were very good and the more gruesome parts felt very effective in conveying the violence of the story at that period of time. I loved the decors, it felt rich and well put together. The numerous (but purposeful) sex scenes were also very well filmed. I enjoyed the soundtrack, in particular the scenes were some of the characters were singing: really beautiful and poetic.
I would recommend this movie to people looking for an historical movie with a gut-wrenching love story. The romance is really interesting in the dynamics that it explores. I wish the scenario would have spend more time on some aspects of the relationship and I got frustrated by some choices made by some characters...But overall, I was very satisfied by this movie and its ending as well.
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A gripping story
So after having it always appearing on my recommendations, I finally decided to watch it and really, I wasn't disappointed. This is going into my recommendations list, ofc 19+ only.Many might think the soft porn part was unnecessary, but it actually kinda played a part in bringing the story and what the actors wanted to convey, to life.
The ending was so heartbreaking, and yet it made me smile coz the king and the general were together with no queen in sight ?. I know the king was kinda a pedophile but I really felt his pain when the general said that he never loved him ?. I'm sorry but I supported the king's love over the queen's, although I know I shouldn't, with the castration and the grooming him to become his sex slave practically. The scene where the king and the general died showed so much without words.
So even if it's wrong, I loved the ending. I'd like to think they're together in death and that's what they wanted to show with that ending scene.
So, in conclusion, watch it (only if you're 19+ btw) and make your own opinions coz I'm definitely recommending this to people.
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Loyalty or love - a complex love triangle
HUGE SPOILERS!!!!!I didn’t expect to love this movie so much, but I did. This tells the complicated love triangle between the 3 main leads - Hong Rim (Chief of King’s guard), Gong Min (king) and No Guk (queen). Set during Goryeo dynasty, Hong Rim and Gong Min are lovers, Gong Min trusts Hong Rim the most, and Hong Rim is very loyal towards Gong Min, would do anything for him. But Gong Min, who has no interest in No Guk, is pressured to make her pregnant, so that she will give birth to future heir. But he refuses to sleep with her and orders his lover to sleep with her instead, to make her pregnant. Hong Rim doesn’t want to, but he has no other choice but to obey… neither him or No Guk are happy about it, and it starts out as awkward and confusion when they sleep with each other first time, but eventually comes to enjoy it and their intercouse becomes full of lust and passion. And Hong Rim gets confused by his own growing feelings for the queen while also wanting to stay loyal to the king. It becomes dangerous as Hong Rim and No Guk starts playing with the fire, that could destroy everything…
The acting is amazing by all 3 leads - So In Sung, Jo Jin Mo and Song Ji Hyo! They gave it all and the acting comes off as very natural. The setting, clothes is very beautiful and overall Goryeo is a very interesting dynasty. A high quality movie even tho it’s from 2008…but this movie can be very disturbing , it had Gore and many erotic scenes - so, very sensitive viewers should not watch this. The sex scenes are very intense and realistisic, I started to think that the actors actually Did ’it’ for real. Such a progressive, extremly daring movie as not only violent and erotic - but also because it has homosexuality , in a movie set during Goryeo dynasty!! I don’t want to spoil too much but I have No idea Why so many feels sorry for Gong Min?? Like, seriously!
I was surprisingly moved by the forbidden love story between Hong Rim and No Guk, I truly believe they fell deeply in love with each other, they risked so much just to be together, Chemistry between Jo In Sung and Song Ji Hyo was on fire , it could melt my screen! And I was rooting for the impossible romence. I don’t think Hong Rim was ever in love with Gong Min… he loved him yes, but not romantically.
I love that We have k-dramas that usually are pretty tame/innocent but that k-movies can be anything but tame/innocent lol! If i want to watch something innocent I watch k-dramas , but if i’m in mood for something very spicy, I’ll go for k-movies!
Anyways, this movie is very intense, sometimes I had to hold my breath! It was interesting that when Hong Rim fell for No Guk, his lust/passion/love for her took his mind and thus his huge loyalty for Gong Min started to decline… which of course makes Gong Min in full rage mood!
This movie is almost perfection, nothing really I want to change. I’m proud of the 3 actors who took such daring roles! Kudos to them! I recommend this movie for adults who are not too sensitive, it’s truly a great movie. But don’t watch with your parents!! I truly fell for Hong Rim , who’s Been groomed by Gong Min since childhood , how he Been taught all his life to always obey and be loyal to Gong Min, taught to sacrifice his life for him - taught to always put him first and for Gong Min to be Hong Rim’s whole world. The only one he should ever care about..so when he falls in love with No Guk, it shakens up his life, and him who never before been with a Woman…
Truly a great movie, but no way i feel sorry for the king! It’s all his fault in the first place as he was the one who ordered them to sleep with each other , he should have known that there is possibility for them to develop feelings for each other. This movie … for sure it won’t be the last time I watched it ! :)
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