Film Review: "The Fortress" ("남한산성") (2017).

"A nation trapped in the longest winter". This is The Fortress (남한산성). This South Korean historical drama film written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk and based on the novel Namhansanseong by Kim Hoon. In 1636, King Injo and his retainers seek refuge in a fortress as Qing dynasty forces from China invade Korea. The situation grows desperate as the king's advisers debate what course to take, while his people suffer and die in the fortress.

In the Winter of 1636, the Qing invasion of Joseon occurred when the newly-established Qing dynasty invaded the Joseon dynasty, establishing the former's status as the hegemon in the Imperial Chinese Tributary System and formally severing Joseon's relationship with the Ming dynasty. In 1627, the invasion was preceded by the Later Jin invasion of Joseon. It resulted in a complete Qing victory over Joseon. After the War, Joseon became a subordinate of the Qing empire and was forced to cut ties with the declining Ming dynasty. Several members of the Joseon royal family were taken hostages and killed as Joseon recognized the Qing dynasty as their new overlord.

Twenty-five kilometres southeast of Seoul, South Korea lies the historical mountain fortress city, Namhansanseong. It sits approximately four hundred and eighty meters above sea level and is aligned with the ridges of the mountain for maximum defensibility. The fortress, stretching twelve kilometres in length, protects a vast area used as an emergency capital city during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea (1392–1910). The design is based on fortress architecture of East Asia, embodying aspects of four historical cultural styles: the Joseon of Korea, the Azuchi-Momoyama Period of Japan, and Ming and Qing China. During the 16th to 18th centuries, a period of continuous warfare, it was extensively developed. The technical development of weaponry and armaments during this period, which saw the use of gunpowder imported from Europe, also greatly influenced the architecture and layout of the fortress. Namhansanseong portrays how the various theories of defense mechanisms in Korea were put to form by combining the everyday living environment with defense objectives. The fortress indicates how Buddhism played an influential role in protecting the state, and it became a symbol of sovereignty in Korea. It stands on the Namhansan (South Han Mountain), containing fortifications that date back to the 17th century and a number of temples.

By late November 2016, Lee Byung-hun, Kim Yoon-seok, Park Hae-il, Go Soo, Park Hee-soon and Heo Sung-tae were cast in a film adaptation of Kim Hoon's novel with Hwang Dong-hyuk as director and writer. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in late April 2017.

The film stars Lee Byung-hun, Kim Yoon-seok, Park Hae-il, Go Soo, Park Hee-soon and Heo Sung-tae. The film is filled exceptional performances from the impeccable cast.

The film is a visually impressive and very entertaining action film, that fans of Korean historical blockbusters are bound to love. Despite its lack of subtlety and the sense that it needed to spend a little longer in post-production, this is a thriller in the truest sense.

Simon says The Fortress (남한산성) receives: