The Throne

This review may contain spoilers!

Probably one of the worst Korean films that I've seen this year. I would give The Throne a 4/10.

The beginning and the ending of this film are extremely powerful, you're moved by the music and visuals as well as the performances that really make these bold ways to start and end. I think it was in these scenes that you see the director's very clear vision of how he wished to portray his film. The score is exceptionally of the era, and the song that plays at the start as well as throughout the film is just such a powerful part of what makes this film interesting. I also have to say that I loved the cinematography in this film, the director really used the frame and how he filled it.

Kang-ho Song, who played King Yeongjo, was quite an intimidating role; you really felt the turmoil within him as he tried to keep the peace within his land and family as he saw fit. Hae-suk Kim, who played Queen Inwon, was a really fierce role; she just rallied against many members of the cast so well that it was disappointing to see her die.

However the best performance came from Ah In Yoo, who played Crown Prince Sado. Yoo has impressed me this year with his wild and erratic performances and Sado does not disappoint. You see him go from being quite a clever and restrained character to one that seems half mad and unpredictable. It's his scenes of grief that really stand out and you feel for him heavily when he breaks down.

The film has a really cloudy sense of direction when it comes to it's narrative, the story doesn't seem to have a message and the plot's flashback/present day narrative is more confusing than anything else. Ultimately the pacing really drags out as you're fed constant pointless scenes to what is ultimately an overstretched plot. The editing is another downside of the film with some exceptionally simple fades and cuts dotted throughout the film.

Geun-young Moon, who played Lady Hyegyeong, had very little screen presence in this film; at the end of the day her role had no impact upon the story as a whole.