Yoo Ah-in is extraordinary!!! A Masterpiece film!!!
I honestly don’t know what words could do justice to The Throne.❤️
The music is magnificent, the production is beautiful, and the direction, cinematography, makeup and writing are all outstanding. Every element works together perfectly to create something powerful, beautiful and deeply moving.
But above all, the male ledin actor, Yoo Ah-in is a legend of acting!
I cannot imagine a better actor for the role of Crown Prince Sado. What he does here is incredibly difficult. He doesn’t simply portray madness or emotional breakdown through dramatic outbursts. You can see his character’s psychological state changing in his eyes, his breathing, his posture, the way he moves and speaks, even in the moments when he barely does anything at all.
He doesn’t just play a man who is losing himself. He shows the process of a person gradually losing himself. And that requires extraordinary control. If he had gone too far, the character could have become exaggerated or theatrical. If he had held back too much, the tragedy would have lost its power. Instead, Yoo Ah-in finds that incredibly difficult balance and lets the transformation unfold through his entire face and body.
This is also what makes the film itself so powerful.
The Throne is not simply interested in portraying Sado as a historical “monster” or in focusing on his terrible actions. Instead, it is much more interested in how he came to become this person. It shows the path that leads to his destruction and invites us to look at the human being behind the historical figure.
The film explores what can happen when a person desperately needs love, acceptance and understanding but instead encounters rejection, fear, impossible expectations and harshness.
There is something deeply tragic in the relationship between father and son: Sado needs a father, while Yeongjo continually sees the Crown Prince. Perhaps kings, cannot always be the fathers, their children need...
And this is where the film becomes much more than a historical story. It speaks about human behaviour, parenthood, love, rejection and the devastating consequences of cruelty. Bad parenting and harshness can destroy people and spread nothing but toxicity and sorrow.
What I especially appreciate is that the film does not need to explain all of this to us. It tells us through the performances, the direction, the images, the music and the relationship between these characters. It simply lets us watch the tragedy unfold.
Song Kang-ho is also outstanding as King Yeongjo, and the performances of the two together are phenomenal!
Beautifully directed, beautifully shot and exceptionally performed, The Throne left me completely overwhelmed!
Yoo Ah-in is extraordinary! The film is extraordinary
10+/10 — A MASTERPIECE!!!! 👏🏻❤️
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