Empress Chung

The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Chung lives in poverty with her blind father Sim Hak-gyu, struggling but maintaining filial devotion in their humble existence.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.

The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Sim Hak-gyu encounters a monk who promises to restore his sight if he offers 300 sacks of rice to Buddha, creating an impossible burden.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.

The First Threshold at 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Chung actively chooses to sell herself to sea merchants as a sacrifice to the Sea God in exchange for 300 sacks of rice for her father., moving from reaction to action.

At 47 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Chung is thrown into the sea as a sacrifice, seemingly meeting her death in the depths, marking the point of no return., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.

The Collapse moment at 70 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Chung learns her father, believing her dead, has descended into despair and his condition has worsened, making her sacrifice seem in vain., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.

The Second Threshold at 74 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The Dragon King or divine forces, moved by Chung's pure heart, grant her passage back to the mortal world with the means to save her father., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.