# The Throne (film)

The Throne (Korean: 사도; RR: Sado) is a 2015 South Korean historical drama film directed by Lee Joon-ik, starring Song Kang-ho and Yoo Ah-in. Set during the reign of King Yeongjo, the film is about the life of Crown Prince Sado, the heir to the throne who was deemed unfit to rule and, at age 27, was condemned to death by his own father by being locked in a rice chest for eight days.
The Throne won three awards at the 35th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, including Best Film. It was also selected as the South Korean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.

## Plot

The film opens with the crown prince, Sado, carrying out a plot to kill his father, the king. However, the assassination - for untold reasons - does not take place.
The next day, Sado's mother goes to the king to encourage him not to punish Sado's son when he punishes Sado. The king summons Sado and tells him to kill himself. Fearing for their own lives, Sado's supporters rush in and save him from suicide. Instead the king orders Sado into a large rice box, which he then nails shut since no one else will do it for him.
The movie proceeds to flip back and forth chronologically between the rice box in the courtyard and the history of how it got there.
The king is presented as a doting father very concerned with the educational attainments of his young son. Sado is presented as winsome and diplomatic even at a very early age. However, he does not take well to the rote memorization he is expected to perform. He fails to properly acquire a passage written by his father, and we find him preferring to socialize and paint. When asked how often he likes to study, all are shocked with his very frank answer of "once or twice a year." The king perceives his son is being rebellious.
Meanwhile, three days in the box Sado begins to hallucinate. He imagines he is covered by centipedes and breaks out of the box, washing himself in the pond. He is returned to the box, which is then fortified.
In another flashback, the king describes familial relations among royalty being different from commoners. "In the palace, parents think of their children as enemies." Sado's father goes on to tell how his father had his wife poisoned, and he himself has been accused of killing his own brother to secure the throne. Here and at other places during the movie he claims he does not want to be the king.
The king proposes his son be made a substitute king, a method by which the crown prince may exercise the office of king under the ongoing tutelage of the elderly king. In his new role, Sado is assertive and just, but some factions that have enjoyed special privilege under the corrupt elder king take issue with his rulings. The elder king jumps to the conclusion that his son is capitalizing on schisms within the kingdom to weaken the elder king's powers. He directs his son to make fewer decisions and allow the nobles to lead. However, when his son defers to them, the king is alarmed at the decisions of his nobles and countermands Sado's rulings. Then Sado begins to consult his father to make wiser decisions, but the old man ridicules his son for being unable to govern independently. Nothing Sado does is pleasing to the king, who proceeds to humiliate his son. However, the Royal Queen Dowager is overjoyed at Sado's wisdom and acts as his protector.
When the king refuses to call for celebrations for the queen's 60th birthday, the tension comes to a head. He storms into her chambers and insists that she support him or approve his stepping down. Much to his shock, she approves, thereby making Sado king.
Curiously, Sado refuses to ascend the throne. After the elderly king's departure, Sado remains kneeling in the courtyard where his subjects fear he will die of exposure. The queen is forced to revoke her approval, and in humiliation, she stops eating, bringing her life to an end. At her funeral, the elder king blames Sado for her death. Sado snaps.
Sado becomes a religious zealot and an alcoholic. He digs an underground grave complex for himself and refuses to pay his respects to the new queen. In a rage, he kills one of the palace eunuchs. He throws a celebration for his mother for her 60th birthday at which his actions imply madness. Meanwhile, the elder king takes on Sado's son as his new protege, but has his own son framed for plotting a conspiracy against the crown.
The scene from the beginning is replayed with a few additions, the important one being why he did not kill his father. At the critical moment, he found his son with his grandfather and overheard his son tell his grandfather that Sado had a good heart. Sado did not go through with the assassination.
Sado dies on the seventh day of his imprisonment and is buried on the eighth, but his father has all memory of him erased. He directs his grandson never to even speak his name. However, after the death of the elder king, Sado's son goes out of his way to honour his father, thereby vindicating Sado.

## Cast

* Song Kang-ho as King Yeongjo
* Yoo Ah-in as Crown Prince Sado
* Moon Geun-young as Lady Hyegyeong
** Shin Soo-yeon as young Lady Hyegyeong
* Jeon Hye-jin as Consort Yeong
* Kim Hae-sook as Queen Inwon
* Park Won-sang as Hong Bong-han
* Lee Dae-yeon as Kim Sang-ro
* Kang Seong-hae as Kim Han-gu
* Choi Deok-moon as Hong In-han
* Jung Suk-yong as Eunuch Hong
* Choi Min-chul as Chae Je-gong
* Jin Ji-hee as Princess Hwawan
* Park Myeong-shin as Queen Jeongseong
* Seo Yea-ji as Queen Jeongsun
* Park So-dam as Lady Moon
* Son Deok-gi as Hong Nak-in
* Cha Soon-bae as Park Nae-gwan
* So Ji-sub as King Jeongjo (cameo)

## Production

Filming began on 8 July 2014. The Throne was Moon Geun-young's first film in 8 years.

## Reception
### Box office

The Throne opened in South Korea on 16 September 2015. By October 25, it has grossed ₩48.7 billion (US$42.9 million) from 6.23 million admissions.

### Awards and nominations

| Award | Year | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result |
| 35th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | 2015 | Best Film | The Throne | Won |
| 35th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | 2015 | Best Director | Lee Joon-ik | Nominated |
| 35th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | 2015 | Best Actor | Song Kang-ho | Nominated |
| 35th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | 2015 | Best Actor | Yoo Ah-in | Nominated |
| 35th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | 2015 | Best Cinematography | Kim Tae-gyeong | Nominated |
| 35th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | 2015 | Best Screenplay | Cho Chul-hyun, Oh Seung-hyeon, Lee Song-won | Won |
| 35th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | 2015 | Best Music | Bang Jun-seok | Won |
| 35th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | 2015 | Top 10 Films of the Year | The Throne | Won |
| 15th Korea World Youth Film Festival | 2015 | Most Favorite Actor | Yoo Ah-in | Won |
| 52nd Grand Bell Awards | 2015 | Best Film | The Throne | Nominated |
| 52nd Grand Bell Awards | 2015 | Best Director | Lee Joon-ik | Nominated |
| 52nd Grand Bell Awards | 2015 | Best Actor | Yoo Ah-in | Nominated |
| 52nd Grand Bell Awards | 2015 | Best Supporting Actress | Kim Hae-sook | Won |
| 52nd Grand Bell Awards | 2015 | Best Art Direction | Kang Seung-yong | Nominated |
| 52nd Grand Bell Awards | 2015 | Best Costume Design | Shim Hyun-sub | Nominated |
| 52nd Grand Bell Awards | 2015 | Best Music | Bang Jun-seok | Nominated |
| 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2015 | Best Film | The Throne | Nominated |
| 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2015 | Best Director | Lee Joon-ik | Nominated |
| 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2015 | Best Leading Actor | Song Kang-ho | Nominated |
| 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2015 | Best Leading Actor | Yoo Ah-in | Won |
| 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2015 | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Won |
| 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2015 | Best Screenplay | Cho Chul-hyun, Oh Seung-hyeon, Lee Song-won | Nominated |
| 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2015 | Best Cinematography and Lighting | Kim Tae-gyeong, Hong Seung-cheol | Won |
| 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2015 | Best Editing | Kim Sang-bum, Kim Jae-bum | Nominated |
| 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2015 | Best Art Direction | Kang Seung-yong | Nominated |
| 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2015 | Best Music | Bang Jun-seok | Won |
| 19th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | 2015 | Grand Prix | The Throne | Won |
| 19th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | 2015 | Best Music | Bang Jun-seok | Won |
| 5th SACF Artists of the Year Awards | 2015 | Artistic Impression in Motion Pictures Award | Yoo Ah-in | Won |
| The Korea Film Actors Association Awards | 2015 | Top Star Award | Yoo Ah-in | Won |
| The Korea Film Actors Association Awards | 2015 | Best Director Award | Lee Joon-ik | Won |
| Cine 21 Movie Awards | 2015 | Best Actor | Yoo Ah-in | Won |
| Cine 21 Movie Awards | 2015 | Best Screenplay | Cho Chul-hyun, Oh Seung-hyeon, Lee Song-won | Won |
| 2nd Korean Film Producers Association Awards | 2015 | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Won |
| 2nd Korean Film Producers Association Awards | 2015 | Best Screenplay | Cho Chul-hyun, Oh Seung-hyeon, Lee Song-won | Won |
| 2nd Korean Film Producers Association Awards | 2015 | Best Sound | Choi Tae-young | Won |
| 7th KOFRA Film Awards | 2016 | Best Film | The Throne | Won |
| 7th KOFRA Film Awards | 2016 | Best Actor | Yoo Ah-in | Won |
| 7th KOFRA Film Awards | 2016 | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Won |
| Asian Film Critics Association Awards | 2016 | Best Picture | The Throne | Nominated |
| Asian Film Critics Association Awards | 2016 | Best Director | Lee Joon-ik | Nominated |
| Asian Film Critics Association Awards | 2016 | Best Actor | Song Kang-ho | Nominated |
| Asian Film Critics Association Awards | 2016 | Best Actor | Yoo Ah-in | Nominated |
| Asian Film Critics Association Awards | 2016 | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Nominated |
| Asian Film Critics Association Awards | 2016 | Best Screenplay | Cho Chul-hyun, Oh Seung-hyeon, Lee Song-won | Nominated |
| Asian Film Critics Association Awards | 2016 | Best Original Score | Bang Jun-seok | Nominated |
| 20th Satellite Awards | 2016 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Throne | Nominated |
| 20th Satellite Awards | 2016 | Best Costume Design | Shim Hyun-seob | Nominated |
| 11th Max Movie Awards | 2016 | Best Film | The Throne | Nominated |
| 11th Max Movie Awards | 2016 | Best Director | Lee Joon-ik | Nominated |
| 11th Max Movie Awards | 2016 | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Nominated |
| 11th Max Movie Awards | 2016 | Best Poster | The Throne | Nominated |
| 11th Max Movie Awards | 2016 | Best Trailer | The Throne | Nominated |
| 10th Asian Film Awards | 2016 | Best Original Music | Bang Jun-seok | Nominated |
| 10th Asian Film Awards | 2016 | Best Costume Design | Shim Hyun-seob | Won |
| 10th Asian Film Awards | 2016 | Next Generation Award | Yoo Ah-in | Won |
| 21st Chunsa Film Art Awards | 2016 | Best Director | Lee Joon-ik | Nominated |
| 21st Chunsa Film Art Awards | 2016 | Best Actor | Yoo Ah-in | Won |
| 21st Chunsa Film Art Awards | 2016 | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Nominated |
| 21st Chunsa Film Art Awards | 2016 | Best Screenplay | Cho Chul-hyun, Oh Seung-hyeon, Lee Song-won | Won |
| 21st Chunsa Film Art Awards | 2016 | Special Sharing Award | Lee Joon-ik | Won |
| 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | 2016 | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Lee Joon-ik | Won |
| 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | 2016 | Best Actor | Song Kang-ho | Nominated |
| 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | 2016 | Best Actor | Yoo Ah-in | Nominated |
| 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | 2016 | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Nominated |
| 25th Buil Film Awards | 2016 | Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Hye-jin | Nominated |
| 25th Buil Film Awards | 2016 | Best Art Direction | Kang Seung-yong | Nominated |
| 25th Buil Film Awards | 2016 | Best Music | Bang Joon-seok | Nominated |
| 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 2016 | Best Director | Lee Joon-ik | Nominated |
| 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 2016 | Best Actor | Song Kang-ho | Nominated |
| 4th Asian Film Festival Barcelona | 2016 | Best Film | The Throne | Won |
| 47th International Film Festival of India | 2016 | Best Film | The Throne | Nominated |
| 47th International Film Festival of India | 2016 | Special Jury Award | The Throne | Won |