That gloomy sentiment, beyond the plot, is also perfectly represented via cinematography and sound design, granting The Fortress the uniquely dark aesthetic of showing us history from the side of the losers.
20 Reviews
South korean (A+ Movie) My Ratings 8/10
THE-BEACON-OF-MOVIES-RAFA4 September 2021
Unexpected gem
Agent_Russ3 July 2019
This film recently came up on NowTV and thought would give it a try without knowing anything about it. Very glad that I did! If you think you would enjoy an insight into a brutal period of medieval history not well known in the west with a mix of realistic battle scenes and court intrigue (and you don't mind subtitles) then I could recommend this. Central to the story being the kings aides who have differing advice for the King on how to deal with the invading Chinese army against a backdrop of a society with very distinct rich and poor divide where honour is sacrosanct. The film captures well the bleak remote location of the fortress while the combat is refreshingly devoid of the extensive use of cgi.
Thoughtful and a more complex film
andygillespie12323 December 2019
THE FORTRESS
0U11 February 2020
Surprisingly good Korean history flic. Very good performance by the actors. No overacting. No trash. No cringe. Characters are well drawn. The script well written, featuring the predicament of the main protagonists. But note! if u want battle action, please opt for Lord of the rings or Avengers Endgame. Sry no offense. This is more a political movie!
The Futility of War
alisonc-119 July 2018
Josean (Korean) King Injo (Park Hae-il) is being attacked by the Qing, led by the Khan. He retreats to a mountain fortress in deep winter, and listens as Interior Minister Choi (Lee Byung-hun) argues with the Prime Minister (Sung Hyun-soo) about whether to negotiate or fight. Meanwhile, the fortress villagers and soldiers, including blacksmith- turned-recruit Nal-soe (Go Soo) and his brother are slowly starving and freezing to death, and it is turning out to be a long, long winter.... This film is based on Korean history in the 17th Century, when China ruled much of the peninsula and in turn was being menaced by the Qing, the forces of Genghis Khan's empire. Overall, "The Fortress" points out the futility of war and, a bit unexpectedly, also that life in the end will prevail (just not for everyone). The film is quite long at about 2 1/2 hours, but it's beautifully drawn and especially interesting to see in the middle of a very hot summer; all the scenes of snowstorms made me feel a tad chilly, even!
Grim
Leofwine_draca1 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A very different kind of historical war epic from South Korea. There's none of the flag-waving gung-ho heroism seen in the likes of ROARING CURRENTS to be found here; instead, THE FORTRESS is a dark and downbeat story of human failing and complicity in the face of overwhelming forces. It's a story of defeat and despair, a political tale showing how cowardice, disagreement and confusion can lead to one country's kingdom being subsumed by another's. Lee Byung-hun leads a good cast whose performances take place over their athletic abilities, although there's still plenty of scale and impressive battle scenes.
Slow but elaborate and gritty
rpurohit-3890812 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Medieval Japan tried to invade China by stepping through Korea- which failed due to the Chinese reinforcements and Korean resistance. After that period in a few years China had internal strife. This movie is about the Joseon King struggling to keep fealty to the old Chinese Ming dynasty while defending a hillside fortress in the dead of a long winter siege laid by a Qing invading force.
The acting is great and really comes through even for non-korean viewers. The set is elaborate and costumes are ornate. One of my favorite type of movies. Even though at times the build up is slow and grinding the restrained dynamism is very evocative.
The acting is great and really comes through even for non-korean viewers. The set is elaborate and costumes are ornate. One of my favorite type of movies. Even though at times the build up is slow and grinding the restrained dynamism is very evocative.
All Quiet on the Eastern Front
JamesHitchcock18 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
During the winter of 1636/7, Korea was invaded by the Manchu armies. The cause of the war was the refusal of King Injo of Korea to abandon his traditional alliance with the Ming dynasty whom the Manchus were trying to supplant as rulers of China. (They were to achieve this ambition in 1644). As the film opens Injo, facing defeat by the numerically superior Manchus, has taken refuge with his court and much of his army in the fortress of Namhansanseong.
The historical Injo appears to have shared some of the character flaws, such as hot-headedness and an unwillingness to take advice, which were to get his British contemporary Charles I into such trouble. (The two monarchs were to die in the same year, 1649, although unlike Charles Injo was not deposed and was not executed but died a natural death). Here, however, he is portrayed as a man torn by a terrible dilemma- either to submit to the Manchus, a prospect which he regards as both humiliating and dishonourable, or to continue to resist them, a course of action which will inevitably lead to further bloodshed and which may possibly lead to the destruction of his kingdom. His courtiers are divided into pro-war hawkish and pro-appeasement dovish factions, both of whom argue forcefully to persuade the King towards their viewpoint.
Although this is a South Korean film and made on an epic scale, it is not a heroic, patriotic drama. The Manchu invasion ended in what the Koreans perceived to be a national humiliation, so it is not the stuff out of which patriotic dramas can easily be fashioned. It is, instead, in many ways an anti-war epic. Although there are lavishly staged battle scenes, most of the action takes place within the besieged fortress itself. The emphasis is less on the actual fighting than on the suffering caused by war, both the mental suffering of those burdened with the agonising responsibilities of command and the physical suffering of the men who do the actual fighting. Even when they are not engaged in actual combat with the enemy, these men still suffer, both from the extreme cold and from hunger. In one scene the soldiers are forced to feed their straw jackets, their only defence against the cold, to their horses. In the next scene we see the horses being slaughtered to feed the men.
Historically, the entire war took place in winter- it was over within a few weeks- and director Hwang Dong-hyuk makes good use of the wintry Korean landscapes, investing the film with a sombre beauty and using them to symbolise the suffering caused by war. There are excellent acting performances from Park Hae-il as the King, Lee Byung-hun and Kim Yoon-seok as the leaders of and spokesmen for the two rival ideological factions and Go Soo as Seo Nal-soi, a humble blacksmith who undertakes a dangerous mission to try and summon reinforcements to relieve the beleaguered fortress. This film, starring no internationally-known actors and dealing with a historical episode little-known outside Korea, is unlikely to be widely seen in Britain or elsewhere in the West, but it should be. In the masterly way in which Hwang deals with the miseries of war it is an "All Quiet on the Western Front" for our times. Together with the recent "The Handmaiden" it has persuaded me that the once-neglected South Korean cinema is now capable of producing films of the highest class. 9/10.
The historical Injo appears to have shared some of the character flaws, such as hot-headedness and an unwillingness to take advice, which were to get his British contemporary Charles I into such trouble. (The two monarchs were to die in the same year, 1649, although unlike Charles Injo was not deposed and was not executed but died a natural death). Here, however, he is portrayed as a man torn by a terrible dilemma- either to submit to the Manchus, a prospect which he regards as both humiliating and dishonourable, or to continue to resist them, a course of action which will inevitably lead to further bloodshed and which may possibly lead to the destruction of his kingdom. His courtiers are divided into pro-war hawkish and pro-appeasement dovish factions, both of whom argue forcefully to persuade the King towards their viewpoint.
Although this is a South Korean film and made on an epic scale, it is not a heroic, patriotic drama. The Manchu invasion ended in what the Koreans perceived to be a national humiliation, so it is not the stuff out of which patriotic dramas can easily be fashioned. It is, instead, in many ways an anti-war epic. Although there are lavishly staged battle scenes, most of the action takes place within the besieged fortress itself. The emphasis is less on the actual fighting than on the suffering caused by war, both the mental suffering of those burdened with the agonising responsibilities of command and the physical suffering of the men who do the actual fighting. Even when they are not engaged in actual combat with the enemy, these men still suffer, both from the extreme cold and from hunger. In one scene the soldiers are forced to feed their straw jackets, their only defence against the cold, to their horses. In the next scene we see the horses being slaughtered to feed the men.
Historically, the entire war took place in winter- it was over within a few weeks- and director Hwang Dong-hyuk makes good use of the wintry Korean landscapes, investing the film with a sombre beauty and using them to symbolise the suffering caused by war. There are excellent acting performances from Park Hae-il as the King, Lee Byung-hun and Kim Yoon-seok as the leaders of and spokesmen for the two rival ideological factions and Go Soo as Seo Nal-soi, a humble blacksmith who undertakes a dangerous mission to try and summon reinforcements to relieve the beleaguered fortress. This film, starring no internationally-known actors and dealing with a historical episode little-known outside Korea, is unlikely to be widely seen in Britain or elsewhere in the West, but it should be. In the masterly way in which Hwang deals with the miseries of war it is an "All Quiet on the Western Front" for our times. Together with the recent "The Handmaiden" it has persuaded me that the once-neglected South Korean cinema is now capable of producing films of the highest class. 9/10.
Even in China, there is no courage
yoggwork18 February 2019
Even in China, there is no courage to reflect on the destruction of Han civilization in the three hundred years since the founding of slaves, sigh. Scholars mislead the country, but that's all. Ming also died in Donglin, a group of scholar who could only fight for the party, and Yuan Chonghuan, a kind of scholar who could only earn money.
great historical movie on a not so well know part of history
yzabcd27 July 2020
The Fortress is a good historical war movie. The portrayal of the 2 sides seems historically accurate. It paid attention to details. A huge feat this movie accomplished is that the Qing side speaks Manchu instead of Korean or Chinese, as Manchu is an almost extinct language today. This fact alone bring immersion into the world of 1600s.
The movie, while showing a major historical event, and portraying from the Korean perspective, attempts to take no side emotionally from the 2 warring parties. There's no demonizing of the Qing forces or glorifying of the Korean resistance. This brings more universality in the story line.
Great movie for history buffs.
Thank You Korean Filmmakers for Using Manchu Language
sunzhao19929 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
As a Manchurian, I appreciate Korean filmmakers for using the forgotten Manchu language in this great film. In the history of Manchuria, its most frequently mentioned neighbors are Japan, Russia and China. Japan even once established a Manchu nation. But unlike Korea, Japan has never made a film with using Manchu language. After so many years, we finally realize who our real friend is. God bless Korea, a nation and neighbor worth respecting.
Overlong and repetitive...
paulclaassen28 November 2018
An all-star cast in an undeniably great production. Sadly, though, I found the film overlong, slow moving and very repetitive in dialogue and actions. I mean, there must have been about twenty scenes or so of them meeting in the Royal chamber. How many times did they utter the words "he must be beheaded", "send the crown prince", etc.? This was a matter of deja vu, deja vu... The film became tedious having to watch the same over and over again.
Considering what I've already seen in Korean cinema, I can't say the battle scenes were all that spectacular. They were indeed very good, but not impressive. I also didn't understand the significance of the little girl. What was her purpose in the film? She honestly didn't play a mention-able role.
Although hailed by critics, this multi award winning film is forgettable (for me, at least). Next!
Considering what I've already seen in Korean cinema, I can't say the battle scenes were all that spectacular. They were indeed very good, but not impressive. I also didn't understand the significance of the little girl. What was her purpose in the film? She honestly didn't play a mention-able role.
Although hailed by critics, this multi award winning film is forgettable (for me, at least). Next!
Last Stand medieval story in Korea
joebloggscity4 June 2019
Inevitably, with Game of Thrones having ended, many people will be looking elsewhere for a dose of historical politics & war, but few if any will match up.
The Fortress will be an interesting one for anyone interested who falls into that area, but it's a true story, telling of The Last Stand by a King holed up in a mountain fortress in what is now Korea, in a futile bid.
There's no fantasy here, just the political realpolitik and the bloodshed, but it's more measured.
This is quite refreshening turn when it comes to large scale historical military movies, as it's about survival and not victory. The competing advisors are judging weather war or conciliation with the far greater powerful Qing dynasty is the best course of action.
The settings are beautiful as is the choreography, and it also helps that the viewpoints of the foot soldiers is taken as seriously as that of those at the top.
It's a long movie and it's fascinating to watch, not all medieval movies have to be European! The Far East has done many good films in this way too which can be recommended.
Back to this one, it's far better than you expect. It's the story & acting that will capture you, and as you watch the advisors & king mentally battle to just keep their heads afloat in a merciless environment you will have your heart wrenched.
Very good watch, give it a chance.
The Fortress will be an interesting one for anyone interested who falls into that area, but it's a true story, telling of The Last Stand by a King holed up in a mountain fortress in what is now Korea, in a futile bid.
There's no fantasy here, just the political realpolitik and the bloodshed, but it's more measured.
This is quite refreshening turn when it comes to large scale historical military movies, as it's about survival and not victory. The competing advisors are judging weather war or conciliation with the far greater powerful Qing dynasty is the best course of action.
The settings are beautiful as is the choreography, and it also helps that the viewpoints of the foot soldiers is taken as seriously as that of those at the top.
It's a long movie and it's fascinating to watch, not all medieval movies have to be European! The Far East has done many good films in this way too which can be recommended.
Back to this one, it's far better than you expect. It's the story & acting that will capture you, and as you watch the advisors & king mentally battle to just keep their heads afloat in a merciless environment you will have your heart wrenched.
Very good watch, give it a chance.
Great history lesson
elveradell23 November 2021
Very solid movie. Engaging the entire time.
Jwick9916 May 2022
I'm completely ignorant to the history of the time frame this movie takes place in, so I'm reviewing this as simply a movie rather than a true historical piece.
My favorite thing about this movie is the dialogue. For being over two hours long and not feeling bored the entire time is truly a testament to how well acted and directed this film is. You don't need a background in Korean history to understand what is going on in the film as everything is explained very well. Every scene is engaging because you can feel the sense of urgency of their situation, and as the plot develops new problems arise, and it was interesting seeing everyone's debate on what course of action should be taken.
Overall I highly recommend this film if you are interested in period pieces, or if you are a fan of great films in general.
My favorite thing about this movie is the dialogue. For being over two hours long and not feeling bored the entire time is truly a testament to how well acted and directed this film is. You don't need a background in Korean history to understand what is going on in the film as everything is explained very well. Every scene is engaging because you can feel the sense of urgency of their situation, and as the plot develops new problems arise, and it was interesting seeing everyone's debate on what course of action should be taken.
Overall I highly recommend this film if you are interested in period pieces, or if you are a fan of great films in general.
Nice battle scenes but overal disappointing.
deloudelouvain31 December 2020
There are a lot of positive and negative things to write about The Fortress. Let's start with the positive. The cinematography was great, clear well shot images of good quality. Credits to Dong-hyuk Hwang for that. The battle scenes were quite impressive and made this movie watchable. The negative things are the repetitive scenes during a movie that just feels too long. The acting is like most of the time with Asian movie not great, too much overacting, yelling when it's not necessary and so on. From the Asian movies the Korean ones are the best but this one is disappointing compared to what I've seen before. The story is worth telling but due to the repetitive submissive scenes it all felt dragged out. There's only a certain amount of bowing and asking for decapitation a man can endure in a movie and here we reached a world record. On a side note, if those are the real hats they were wearing at that time they just won the award for most unfunctional silly hats.
Very Good
jimturpin-2602920 April 2022
I don't care about the technical aspects or if it's historically correct, I just thoroughly enjoyed watching this imo well made Korean movie, It goes straight into the keep folder for me to watch again some time in the future.
AN EXCELLENT FILM! TRULY SOMETHING OLD DONE IN A NEW WAY!!
GilVillahermosa12 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I LOVE watching PERIOD PIECES.
And I LOVE watching FOREIGN MOVIES.
The South Koreans have been making some excellent films and I enjoy watching them.
This is an EXCELLENT FILM!
The WORLD is new to most viewers - the 17th Century Korean peninsula and Josean Kingdom loyal to one Empire but under attack from another.
The STORY is an old one - a king and his army retreat to a mountain fortress awaiting the arrival of reinforcements to defeat an attacking army. The soldiers of the fortress fight off several attacks and the king hatches a plan to save the day. But the plan hinges on a lowly blacksmith getting a message to his approaching army coordinating an attack.
The CHARACTERS are a combination of something new and something old: A King, his loyal (and not so loyal minsters), his army commanders, and his people on one side and a cruel Emperor and his army on the other.
There is plenty of COMPLEXITY and CONFLICT - even in the King's court as his court is divided between fighting the Barbarians (and facing sure annihilation) or bowing down to them in servitude.
There is also plenty of action as the two sides clash on the battlefield repeatedly.
But the outcome is now what the viewer expects. However, we are left in no doubt as to whether it was the right or wrong outcome when we see a little Korean girl, at the heart of the story, at the end of the story enjoying her own happing ending.
THIS MOVIE IS TRULY SOMETHING OLD DONE IN A NEW WAY!!
And I LOVE watching FOREIGN MOVIES.
The South Koreans have been making some excellent films and I enjoy watching them.
This is an EXCELLENT FILM!
The WORLD is new to most viewers - the 17th Century Korean peninsula and Josean Kingdom loyal to one Empire but under attack from another.
The STORY is an old one - a king and his army retreat to a mountain fortress awaiting the arrival of reinforcements to defeat an attacking army. The soldiers of the fortress fight off several attacks and the king hatches a plan to save the day. But the plan hinges on a lowly blacksmith getting a message to his approaching army coordinating an attack.
The CHARACTERS are a combination of something new and something old: A King, his loyal (and not so loyal minsters), his army commanders, and his people on one side and a cruel Emperor and his army on the other.
There is plenty of COMPLEXITY and CONFLICT - even in the King's court as his court is divided between fighting the Barbarians (and facing sure annihilation) or bowing down to them in servitude.
There is also plenty of action as the two sides clash on the battlefield repeatedly.
But the outcome is now what the viewer expects. However, we are left in no doubt as to whether it was the right or wrong outcome when we see a little Korean girl, at the heart of the story, at the end of the story enjoying her own happing ending.
THIS MOVIE IS TRULY SOMETHING OLD DONE IN A NEW WAY!!
Great movie about war
pushanbanerjee2 August 2022
What a great movie. While it feels like an action packed movie, it's really not. And that's great. What this movie is all about is a fantastic review on war itself, and the stupid reasons we fight. The acting is superb and the settings make for an anti climax ro the drama unfolding. Go watch this Korean masterpiece.
Decent Enough
abdulkadirmaster29 April 2021
This is not a war movie. There are hardly 2 short fight sequences in the movie. The movie takes place mostly in the king's court where most of the time the ministers are arguing on the situation they are in. The acting is good. Don't expect it as an epic war movie but a war drama and you might not be disappointed.
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