Message from yreynoso

[Anonymous]

I recognize that the Asian films can be pretty intense in content and complexity; which makes them more attractive and avoidable to view. While exploring a list of potential independent Asian films, I found “The Throne”, a Korean film about the turbulent drama within the family of King Yeangjo. The Throne, although it has been remade a few times, this version it has remarkable performances which drives viewers into cathartic moments where one cannot but empathize with the Prince Sado after his father, King Yeongjo does the unimaginable in order to preserve ‘the throne’. King Yeongjo faces various ideological and political clashes with his 27-year-old son Sado which he is not willing to tolerate and after a heated confrontation, King Yeongjo ordered his soldiers to lock his son inside a large wooden rice chest, where he is deprived from food, water, and place on the court yard under the intense summer heat. In spite of the multiple requests that the Lady Queen Yi to her husband, their son perished after eight agonizing days.
The quality of dramatic performance and the sophistication of the customs proper of the 18th century drew me into the story immediately. In the beginning I was thinking that this story was going to be too complex for my students in the 9th grade to understand, but as I became more and more invested into the film, I found out that this film was great for my students. One because the plot is layered in various family conflicts where the students should practice their inferential thinking, and two, students will be able to discuss with their partners about the similarities and differences we live in modern societies and how authorities deal with social-political issues, as well as how the average person deal with family conflicts.
I will show the film per episodes, and will discuss the plot and will make predictions on potential outcomes to political and social situations presented. This would give enough material to engage in intellectual conversations that will stimulate higher thinking while improve their oral language skills and enrich their awareness about non-western cultures. Finally, they could evidence their thinking by brainstorming using thinking maps, and poster boards describing the sequence of events in a timeline chart, thus they can make predictions and find possible or alternate solutions to conflicts of that historical time
edited by yreynoso on 8/29/2016