how can you feel bad for someone who clearly groomed a 12 year old?
Use the brain I assume you have. In the scene at the beginning, in which they meet, the King is at most 14, the Chief maybe 8 or 9. Their age difference is five or six years. I understand you wanted to toss the word "grooming" around to make yourself sound current and intelligent. You achieved the opposite.
Grooming specifically refers to an adult male befriending and charming a minor boy in hopes of sex later. At the beginning of the movie, the chief is only around 13, a minor himself. And there was zero indication in the plot that the King ever used his power over the Chief to pressure him into sex.
MDL is dominated by young, neo-prudish women who think bad things that people do in real life should not be allowed on screen, in particular, sex and anything related to it. I haven't watched this film yet, but the dark plots that I love to experience are exactly the kind of thing they want to ban. Sounds like this film is dark.
The LGs (Little Girls) believe that audience members run out of the theater and repeat every bad act they saw in a film. So they want things censored to where everyone who does anything bad must be "punished" in the film, sufficient to their satisfaction that the audience will have learned the moral lesson the LGs think should be caught.
So, if a murderer gets away with the crime and escapes to Bermuda to live happily with lots of money, the LGs expect a wave of murders across the land, with everyone trying to fly out of the country at the same time. I exaggerate to make the point. They really do believe people are that dumb.
From the synopsis, this sounds like just the film for me.
I reacted intensely the first time I saw it. Sobbed like a child. Tonight was my fourth watch. With every go-round…
Wow, what a wonderful, thoughtful reply. I appreciate it. A Frozen Flower is definitely powerful. First time I saw it, I was new to Asian gay cinema, like BRAND NEW and had no idea what to expect. I watched in on my laptop with headphones in the living room of my brother's house while he watched car repair shows or something.
He looked over at me numerous times because I was reacting physically and audibly, in the form of jumps and gasps, and of course, sobbing for the entire last third of the movie. The library scene when the King discovers the lovers had me in a state of horror for probably ten minutes. And when the King ordered you-know-what done to the Chief, I nearly screamed.
On top of all that, I was kind of freaked out at how I was reacting to a movie made halfway around the world in Korea, with Korean dialogue. I knew almost nothing of Asian cinema at that time and was utterly amazed at the quality of every aspect of this flick. Now, three years later, I am completely immersed in Asian cinema in general, Asian gay cinema, and BLs. How I first reacted to the best of those was pretty intense also, so I learned to always have a roll of paper towels nearby when watching.
I was late to BL, so there were many dramas that had been completed, which gave me the ability to binge them. And wow, did I ever. :)
Back to AFF, I've thought a lot about what you've told me of your experience with the film and why you choose to not watch it again. I also have a few sad love stories in my past, but nothing that AFF brings to the surface for me. When I watch it, I am with them in Korea, back in time a century or two ago, and immersed in the characters and plot. I react to what is happening in their lives, not mine.
Of course, all of us come to films or dramas with a mind-set and world-view made up of what we've experienced to that point in our lives. I sometimes forget about that, and wonder why this or that commenter doesn't "get it" the way I do. Thanks for reminding med.
I noticed that I've watched AFF four times in three years, which means I watch it every nine months, the time of human gestation in the womb. Perhaps it takes nine months to gestate my emotional state to where I'm strong enough to go through AFF again. lol
In truth, I avoided watching again for nearly a year after the first time. I would scroll upon it on my plan-to-rewatch list and cringe, knowing I was not ready to go back to THAT. :)
By the way, I am also a Friend of Bill's. 23 years
Alternate title: "Portrait of a Female Sex Addict."
I don't see him that way because he was never obsessing to friends about how she didn't put out enough, and he never even thought about cheating on her.
She had no means of communicating with a man other than through her vagina. There was no indication whatsoever that he was withholding sex, and all of a sudden she's all "I feel like I'm begging for it all the time." Also, annoying things like blowing him on the bus and then acting put-out that he came in her mouth. Hello? All the hot sex was nice, and if simulated, very well-acted. One of the few movies you see that gives the male body as much screen time as the female. Kudos to the leads for establishing a rapport that allowed them to do all those scenes and make it feel real.
In a nutshell: They should have remained sex-friends only. I wouldn't call them "friends with benefits," because they had no friendship when they weren't f**king. Perhaps a case of people taking a relationship to a next level just because that's what they think they should do.
I actually liked the film more than I expected to at first.
I reacted intensely the first time I saw it. Sobbed like a child. Tonight was my fourth watch. With every go-round…
I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your first love. I can't imagine how painful that must have been.
You keep using the word "reminded." What I don't get is that you already KNOW how painful love and loss can be, so how can anything remind you of it; it's not as though you've forgotten.
There are thousands of romantic, tragic movies out there. But it's THIS one you avoid, and it sounds as if it has more to do with the fact that you watched it WITH your beloved, then enjoyed engaging in discussion with him for an extended period about this film. Thus, watching AFF again would cause you to re-experience all of the above, except that he's not here to watch or discuss it with you. Seems like that's the pain you're avoiding, not anything in the movie itself. And there is nothing wrong with that.
Hell, I watched this film alone the first time and was devastated, a sobbing, gasping wreck. It affected me as no other film has done. It took me 18 months to work up the courage to experience it again. And I have nothing external to the film to cause me additional pain, as you do. I have now watched it four times, the last just a few days ago. I cried, but not anything like the first time, and with each watch I discover new aspects of the characters and plot that are fascinating. It's also worth a watch just for the beauty of the sets, locations, cinematography, and costumes.
So, I totally get it. AFF brings a lot of painful memories to the surface for you, so you choose to not put yourself through that. Got it.
May the joy of your memories one day be greater than the pain of your loss.
Well, it's boring but it is not a "pedophile's dream." Perhaps you should educate yourself as to the definition of "pedophile" before you start throwing around the term as if you know what it means.
Shim Ji Ho looks great naked, but I'm checking out after 40 minutes. This film doesn't know what it wants to be, a comedy, a drama, a dramedy? What it mostly is is boring. The FL is annoying af. No wonder she's banging teenagers; she acts like one herself, and not in a good way.
I hunted this down after Shim Ji Ho kept catching my eye during the four times I've watched "A Frozen Flower," in which he has a supporting role. I find him talented and appealing. I'm surprised he doesn't have any more films on his bio after AFF.
Why don't you tell the rest of the commenters what your issues with sex are? Softcore p***, my ass. There was…
They committed suicide because of hateful prudes like you who made their lives a hell on earth via the Internet. Why is sex "gratuitous" just because it's hot? The hot sex here told us much better than words could have how into each other the characters were. You'd best stick to Disney and Christian Broadcasting shows.
I reacted intensely the first time I saw it. Sobbed like a child. Tonight was my fourth watch. With every go-round…
Your movie/series-watching must be extremely limited, then. If you already believe that love sucks most of the time, and I don't agree with that, then why would a movie that portrays what you already know upset you?
Regarding AFF, I believe the King loved Hong right up until the end. Despite everything, including the horror he had done to Hong, he loved him. So is that unconditional love? In a twisted way, it is. Although one can certainly argue that actions speak louder than words, and the king did a lot of things that don't indicate "love" in the typical sense. But his feelings are still there, though overcome by feelings of betrayal, sadness, heartbreak, rage, and everything else, as a result of which he did the god-awful things he did.
But that's the beauty of movies like this. They deal with the real, actual world, where love, nor anything else, is black and white, but infinite shades of gray. Maybe I'm a masochist but I enjoy powerful films that take me on frightening rides with the characters through the universe of GRAY where their emotions and actions can't be summed up in one, blanket statement.
Do you like films that don't confront you with the bad behavior of otherwise good people?
No, it is not a BL. It is a Chinese-censored, twisted bromance where the leads gaze at each other meaningfully a lot, but no romance, no kissing, no anything of a gay or BL nature. Pure gay-bait.
One of the best movies I've ever seen. Joo Jin Mo's eyes were so powerful I was actually terrified at times. Really,…
That's why JJM is #1 on my best feature film actors list, and A Frozen Flower is about #4 on my best gay-themed feature films list. Tonight, I watched this film for the fourth time. And it blew me away all over again. I love noticing details and nuance I missed before.
so many specuations whom Hong Lim loves more: the King or the Queen. My pers[pective is that HL loves the Queen…
Lord, you're dense. "...he is having extramarital affair with a woman, he will be branded as a jerk and immoral,..." Ummm...kings at that time, gay or straight, had many concubines, who they plowed regularly. Many of them had a king's babies. Like I said above, you're an ignorant bigot. Try educating yourself.
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1 
Grooming specifically refers to an adult male befriending and charming a minor boy in hopes of sex later. At the beginning of the movie, the chief is only around 13, a minor himself. And there was zero indication in the plot that the King ever used his power over the Chief to pressure him into sex.
The LGs (Little Girls) believe that audience members run out of the theater and repeat every bad act they saw in a film. So they want things censored to where everyone who does anything bad must be "punished" in the film, sufficient to their satisfaction that the audience will have learned the moral lesson the LGs think should be caught.
So, if a murderer gets away with the crime and escapes to Bermuda to live happily with lots of money, the LGs expect a wave of murders across the land, with everyone trying to fly out of the country at the same time. I exaggerate to make the point. They really do believe people are that dumb.
From the synopsis, this sounds like just the film for me.
He looked over at me numerous times because I was reacting physically and audibly, in the form of jumps and gasps, and of course, sobbing for the entire last third of the movie. The library scene when the King discovers the lovers had me in a state of horror for probably ten minutes. And when the King ordered you-know-what done to the Chief, I nearly screamed.
On top of all that, I was kind of freaked out at how I was reacting to a movie made halfway around the world in Korea, with Korean dialogue. I knew almost nothing of Asian cinema at that time and was utterly amazed at the quality of every aspect of this flick. Now, three years later, I am completely immersed in Asian cinema in general, Asian gay cinema, and BLs. How I first reacted to the best of those was pretty intense also, so I learned to always have a roll of paper towels nearby when watching.
I was late to BL, so there were many dramas that had been completed, which gave me the ability to binge them. And wow, did I ever. :)
Back to AFF, I've thought a lot about what you've told me of your experience with the film and why you choose to not watch it again. I also have a few sad love stories in my past, but nothing that AFF brings to the surface for me. When I watch it, I am with them in Korea, back in time a century or two ago, and immersed in the characters and plot. I react to what is happening in their lives, not mine.
Of course, all of us come to films or dramas with a mind-set and world-view made up of what we've experienced to that point in our lives. I sometimes forget about that, and wonder why this or that commenter doesn't "get it" the way I do. Thanks for reminding med.
I noticed that I've watched AFF four times in three years, which means I watch it every nine months, the time of human gestation in the womb. Perhaps it takes nine months to gestate my emotional state to where I'm strong enough to go through AFF again. lol
In truth, I avoided watching again for nearly a year after the first time. I would scroll upon it on my plan-to-rewatch list and cringe, knowing I was not ready to go back to THAT. :)
By the way, I am also a Friend of Bill's. 23 years
I don't see him that way because he was never obsessing to friends about how she didn't put out enough, and he never even thought about cheating on her.
She had no means of communicating with a man other than through her vagina.
There was no indication whatsoever that he was withholding sex, and all of a sudden she's all "I feel like I'm begging for it all the time."
Also, annoying things like blowing him on the bus and then acting put-out that he came in her mouth. Hello?
All the hot sex was nice, and if simulated, very well-acted.
One of the few movies you see that gives the male body as much screen time as the female.
Kudos to the leads for establishing a rapport that allowed them to do all those scenes and make it feel real.
In a nutshell: They should have remained sex-friends only. I wouldn't call them "friends with benefits," because they had no friendship when they weren't f**king. Perhaps a case of people taking a relationship to a next level just because that's what they think they should do.
I actually liked the film more than I expected to at first.
8/10
Also, I had no idea they had breast implants in ancient Korea.
You keep using the word "reminded." What I don't get is that you already KNOW how painful love and loss can be, so how can anything remind you of it; it's not as though you've forgotten.
There are thousands of romantic, tragic movies out there. But it's THIS one you avoid, and it sounds as if it has more to do with the fact that you watched it WITH your beloved, then enjoyed engaging in discussion with him for an extended period about this film. Thus, watching AFF again would cause you to re-experience all of the above, except that he's not here to watch or discuss it with you. Seems like that's the pain you're avoiding, not anything in the movie itself. And there is nothing wrong with that.
Hell, I watched this film alone the first time and was devastated, a sobbing, gasping wreck. It affected me as no other film has done. It took me 18 months to work up the courage to experience it again. And I have nothing external to the film to cause me additional pain, as you do. I have now watched it four times, the last just a few days ago. I cried, but not anything like the first time, and with each watch I discover new aspects of the characters and plot that are fascinating. It's also worth a watch just for the beauty of the sets, locations, cinematography, and costumes.
So, I totally get it. AFF brings a lot of painful memories to the surface for you, so you choose to not put yourself through that. Got it.
May the joy of your memories one day be greater than the pain of your loss.
I hunted this down after Shim Ji Ho kept catching my eye during the four times I've watched "A Frozen Flower," in which he has a supporting role. I find him talented and appealing. I'm surprised he doesn't have any more films on his bio after AFF.
This movie is a disaster.
If you already believe that love sucks most of the time, and I don't agree with that, then why would a movie that portrays what you already know upset you?
Regarding AFF, I believe the King loved Hong right up until the end. Despite everything, including the horror he had done to Hong, he loved him. So is that unconditional love? In a twisted way, it is. Although one can certainly argue that actions speak louder than words, and the king did a lot of things that don't indicate "love" in the typical sense. But his feelings are still there, though overcome by feelings of betrayal, sadness, heartbreak, rage, and everything else, as a result of which he did the god-awful things he did.
But that's the beauty of movies like this. They deal with the real, actual world, where love, nor anything else, is black and white, but infinite shades of gray. Maybe I'm a masochist but I enjoy powerful films that take me on frightening rides with the characters through the universe of GRAY where their emotions and actions can't be summed up in one, blanket statement.
Do you like films that don't confront you with the bad behavior of otherwise good people?