The film I am reviewing is "The Concubine" which is set in the Joseon Dynasty. The first thing that caught my attention was the detail in the character's wardrobes. As a second grade teacher, I don't think any of the movies are that appropriate for 7 year olds. I really liked the movie and how it shows the culture and customs of Koreans back then. Something in particular was how they mourned the king, along with the scene that showcased their food as well as all the clothing thorughout the movie. Even the scene where the king was sleeping with a virgin was interesting, although I would never show that to any grade level.
I also liked how the movie depicted how they did not trust each other and even worked against each other to maintain their own power. One thing that I remember was how the mother of the step son refered to Hwa-yeon as a "mere deputy-minister girl." It was also interesting to see how from the beginning of the movie you how the social status of people affects their lives. That if they went against the court, they would have to run for their lives or else they would face a terrible punishment. It really did a good job at depicting tensions between the king and aristocracy, local corruption, and the rigidity of the social status system.
One of social studiies units is "Families Now and Long Ago." Another unit we see in reading is "What Can DIfferent Cultures Teach Us?" I feel by showing certain scenes of this movie, we can have great discussions as to how families change throughout time and how learning about different cultures can teach us about different point of views.
Overall, I would recommend this movie to others.
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