Movie That Depicts The Joseon Dynasty’s Prince Who Died In A Rice Chest

< 사도 The Throne >

The movie depicts the tragic death of Prince Sado. He died at the age of 27 in a rice chest by order of King Yeongjo, Sado’s father.

King Yeongjo

• King Yeongjo is the 21st king and has the longest reign (52 years) among the 27 kings of Joseon Dynasty.
• He’s known to have perfectionist tendencies with strict and sensitive personality.
• Prince Sado was born when he was 42.
• He had high expectations on Prince Sado.
• He had 6 wives, 2 sons, and 7 daughters in his life.

Prince Sado

• Prince Sado showed anxiety symptoms from the age of 13.
• He was afraid of his father, King Seongjo.
• Becoming an adult, he suffered from a mental illness.
• He’s known to kill about 100 innocent people.
• Instead of Prince Sado, his son, Jeongjo, became the 22nd king of Joseon Dynasty.

Time Period

1392 ~ 1910 : Joseon Dynasty Era

1694 ~ 1776 : King Yeongjo

1735 ~ 1762 : Prince Sado

“Why Did Prince Sado Die Trapped In The Rice Chest?”

This movie tries to answer the question.
It pays close attention to the relationship between King Jeongjo and Price Sado and unfolds the eight days of Prince Sado being trapped inside the rice chest. 

The subject matter of Prince Sado was already so familiar to Koreans that people were half concerned and half excited about how the director would illustrate the story. With the actors’ impressive performances, the film was well-received by the critics and the audience.

• Director: Lee Joon-ik
• Release year: 2015
• Genre: Historical, Drama
• Running Time: 125 min
• Starring: Song Kang-ho, Yoo Ah-in, Moon Geun-young, and more