Genre
Feature Film

Synopsis
When Minister Shim refuses to aid in a plan to overthrow the king, evil Minister Yi Reonee order that his household be ruined. Left blinded and with his infant daughter Chung, Shim resides quietly in the country, with his true name and title unknown. Chung will do anything to return her father’s sight to him, including sacrificing herself to the tyrannical sea monster, Indangsoo. However, Chung’s bravery and pure heart and her father’s loyalty earn them more than they hope for.

Key Themes

Sacrifice
Bravery
Honour
Love
Justice

Main Characters

Chung – the beautiful and devoted daughter of Sir Shim. Chung loves her father and will do anything to get his eyesight back – including sacrificing herself to the giant and terrible sea monster…

Shim Hakku – a loyal servant of the king who refuses to aid in a mutiny. With his house burnt and family murdered, Shim is left blind and with his only daughter, Chung.

Danchu – Chung’s loyal dog who guides Shim through his journeys.

Gahi – Chung’s talkative, well-meaning and distracted duck, who is more times troublesome than helpful.

Teobong – Chung’s continually tired but faithful turtle, who makes his heroic move when Chung sacrifices herself.

Indangsoo – the sea monster which torments the not only sailors but creatures of the sea kingdom, as well.

Minister Yi Reonee – the evil minister who plans to overthrow the king and orders the destruction of Shim’s household.

The Prince – the prince of the kingdom and future emperor who is looking for a perfect bride.

Questions/Discussion Before the Film

• What does the title show about the film? What type of a person do you think Chung might be? Why might she be called “Empress”? Do you think this title shows something about her internal or external qualities? Or both? Why?
• The majority of the film takes place in a quiet little village where Shim and Chung fled after the attack. Chung has always grown up there, but Shim moved from working in the palace, to a tiny village. What might that change be like? Why do you think he chose to live in that village?
• Many savage and violent things take place in Empress Chung, as do many beautiful and miraculous things. Do you think the savage things could take place without the miraculous, or the miraculous without the savage? Are they necessary for one another?

Things to Think About When Watching the Film

• Several different types of music were used. There was tense music, and carefree music; there were plaintive, melancholic songs and a near symphony under the sea. What mood did it create? Did it remind you of something? Did you notice certain points when the music played? Did it enhance your feeling or closeness to the character?

• There were a wide range of characters in Empress Chung: it was easy to sympathise with Chung and her father, easy to hate Minister Yi Reonee and easy to laugh at Paengduk and his mother! However, most of the characters didn’t change throughout the film. Did you find their static quality unrealistic and boring? Or did you find it made them stronger characters that were true to their natures and beliefs?

• There are several interesting effects used in the animation, some of the most striking being the technique of blurring and hallucination as Shim is loosing his eyesight, as well as painful fragmentation when he regains it. We also are let into Danchu’s world when we briefly see through his vision as he views Chung for the first time in the palace. Why do you think they used these effects? Did you feel it disrupted the story line or gave you better insight into the character? Or both? Can you think of any other effects? List three characters you wish you had better insight into, explain why and at which points in the film you would have liked to “see through their eyes”,

• At the end the King tells Shim it was his loyalty and Chung’s devotion that made it possible for Chung to marry the Prince, but inbetween Shim’s loyal departure from the palace and the royal marriage fourteen years later, there was much hardship. Must it have been that way? Do you think you would have enjoyed the film as much if the ending were sweet without a bitter beginning? Explain why or why not.

Questions/Discussion After Screening

• What were the main themes of the film? Use examples from the film to demonstrate at least three major themes. Did you find any of these themes particularly important to you personally? Why or why not.

• What do you think the most important scene of the film was? What made it so powerful? Describe why you think it was important as well as what techniques were used to create and emphasize its importance: narrative, action, music, sound, lighting, camera work, framing and editing should be considered.

• If you had to eliminate one scene from the film, which would it be? Why would you choose that scene? What do you think would be lost from or change in the film by eliminating that theme?

• What scene was your particular favourite? Briefly describe what you thought the funniest, scariest and saddest scenes in the film were, and what made them this way.

• If you were to recommend Empress Chung to a friend, why would you recommend it and what would you tell them?

Exercises/Activities

• Write a review of the film, 300-400 words long.

• Create a storyboard to the next scene after the film ended. What happened to the characters? Pick at least three characters and describe what happens to them afterward.

• Write a letter from the point of view of one character to that of another.

• Think of another film (or book) with similar themes and compare how the two films examined the issue and dealt with the issue. Were they similar or did they treat the issue very differently? Which film did you think better represented the theme/issue?

• Write about the film as if it were an event in a newspaper, a fairy tale or myth, or a personal diary of events that had happened to you!

• Draw a map of what you think the location might have looked like.

• Make a character sketch explaining how their appearance represents their character.

• Create a scene broken down into a sequence of six (6) pictures.