A minute of tears.

A minute of laughter.   

That’s what the historical drama film directed by Jang Hang-jun (“Rebound”), “The King’s Warden,” provided to the audience through the story of Danjong, the sixth monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea.

For those who aren’t familiar with Korean history, Danjong, personal name Yi Hong-wi, ascended the throne at age 12 in 1452 and was forced to abdicate in 1455 by his uncle, Grand Prince Suyang. Later, he was exiled to Yeongwol, where he was assassinated at age 16, according to History Maps. 

Centered on this historical fact, this film illustrates the tragic story of Danjong (Park Ji-hoon, “Weak Hero”) and Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hae-jin, “Yadang: The Snitch”), the warden, featuring the boy king’s exile until his untimely death. In all transparency, the film did a good job of showing this historical story with tight edits and reasonable creativity, without dramatizing it to an unrealistic extent.

While the movie begins with Danjong being stripped of his title, Eom Heung-do, chief of Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol-gun, hears from a nearby village that bringing in an exiled nobleman brought great fortune to the area. In an attempt to seek this wealth out of the goodness of his own heart to feed the villagers, the chief begged for his village to be deemed the place of exile. However, a blaring contradiction to what he hoped for, the demoted king, who could not provide any wealth, came to the village after being ostracized. 

Although he wasn’t a nobleman the village wished for, Danjong and Eom Heung-do form a strong bond, showing the daily life of the town and the neighbors’ care for Prince Nosan, the abdicated king. He tries to give up his life as he sees his loyal followers dying because of him, evoking a sense of sorrow and pity from the viewers. Yet, the villager’s thoughtfulness and worry warmed not only the boy king but the audience as well, creating a strong emotional bond. Here, Eom Heung-do’s comic acting lightens the mood and does not fail to evoke a chuckle.

As the villagers and Prince Nosan establish a close connection, Danjong finds a reason to keep living and protect his loved ones. Until this part of the story, the film maintained a heartwarming mood, successfully building rapport among characters. 

Adding tension to the film, the villain, Han Myeong-hoe (Yoo Ji-tae, “Vigilante”), a loyal follower of Grand Prince Suyang, stealthily spies on Danjong to ensure complete destruction of the former king’s power. Building on the anger caused by the villain’s selfishness for power, he declares that those who follow Danjong must die, setting the chief’s son as an example, nearly killing him.  

Danjong, who doesn’t want to lose his loved ones again, decides to revolt and take over his position as king again. However, the attempt fails, and he is later murdered. 

Compared to films and series that featured the story of Danjong, such as “The King and Queen” and “The Face Reader,” there wasn’t much action; instead, the focus on the emotional line and storytelling created a heart-wrenching experience for the audience. 

Although the editing and computer-generated imagery of the tiger at the beginning of the movie were weak, the actors’ strong, emotionally appealing performance made up for them. Specifically, Park Ji-hoon conveyed emotions of loneliness, enduring pain and anger solely through his eyes, allowing the audience to understand his feelings and position. Additionally, beyond Yoo Hae-jin’s comical acting, he showcased a wide range of emotions when he ultimately had to kill Danjong himself. 

While several scenes were pretty graphic, such as the torture and death of Danjong’s loyal followers, most of the deaths were left indirect, leaving space for the audience to imagine, thus completing the tragedy by themselves. Despite leaving some gory scenes up to audience interpretation, the ultimate fact that Danjong dies made viewers more devastated, as it indicated that his fate was irreversible.

Currently, in South Korea, “The King’s Warden” has deservingly reached 9.7 million viewers and is highly likely to reach 10 million soon, according to The Chosun Daily article, as the well-produced film by a famous director continues its theatrical run along with the hype of the movie through social media. Globally, the film is receiving positive reactions among fans of Korean films, according to The Chosun Daily article, so this movie clearly did not disappoint. 

With a blend of humor and sorrow, the film leaves a bittersweet impact, making it a must-see.