“The Great Battle” Theatrical Poster
Director: Kim Kwang-Sik
Cast: Jo In-sung, Nam Joo-Hyuk, Park Sung-Woong, Bae Sung-Woo, Um Tae-Goo, Seol Hyun, Park Byung-Eun, Oh Dae-Hwan, Jung Eun-Chae, Sung Dong-Il, Jang Gwang, Stephanie Lee, Yeo Hoi-Hyeon, Jung In-Gyeom
Running Time: 135 min.
By Pau Bramhall
The Korean historical blockbuster became particularly heavy handed under the years Park Geun-hye was president, with her policies and influence on the film industry resulting in a number of jingoistic productions which rivalled some of Mainland China’s most bombastically patriotic efforts. The likes of The Admiral: Roaring Currents, Northern Limit Line, and Ode to My Father all ensured the audience walk away knowing how self-sacrificing and tenacious their Korean heroes are, even if being imbued with that knowledge felt like being constantly hit over the head with it for 2+ hours. When Geun-hye was impeached in 2017 and Moon Jae-in took over as president, a politician keen to bridge ties between the North and South, the historical epic largely dropped out of favour from Korean multiplexes, and was replaced by the theme of North and South collaborating (see the likes of Confidential Assignment and Steel Rain).
The Great Battle felt like somewhat of an anomaly then when it was released in 2018, being the true story of how a few thousand soldiers defended the strategically important Ansi Fortress from hundreds of thousands of the invading Tang Army, keen to make the Goguryeo Dynasty a part of the Tang Dynasty. The parallels with The Admiral: Roaring Currents are blatant, with the only difference on paper being that this particular battle will take place on land rather than sea. Thankfully, on paper are where the Continue reading
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