The Fortress

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Movie: The Fortress (English title)
Revised romanization: Namhansanseong
Hangul: 남한산성
Director: Hwang Dong-Hyuk
Writer: Kim Hoon (novel), Hwang Dong-Hyuk
Producer: Han Hong-Suk, Kim Ji-Yeon
Cinematographer: Kim Ji-Yong
Release Date: October 3, 2017
Runtime: 139 min.
Genre: Period-17th Century
Distributor: CJ Entertainment
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

In 1636, the Qing dynasty attacks Joseon. King Injo (Park Hae-Il) and his retainers, including Choi Myung-Kil (Lee Byung-Hun) & Kim Sang-Hun (Kim Yun-Seok), hide in the mountain fortress city of Namhansanseong. They are isolated from the outside. Meanwhile, Choi Myung-Kil insists that they enter into negotiations with the Qing dynasty, but Kim Sang-Hun proposes that they keep fighting.

Notes

Based on novel "Namhansanseong" by Kim Hoon (published April 14, 2007 by Hakgojae).
First script reading took place script reading took place November 11, 2016.
Filming began November 21, 2016 and finished April 25, 2017.
6 character posters for movie “Namhansanseong.”

Cast



Lee Byung-Hun	Kim Yun-Seok	Park Hae-Il	Ko Soo	Park Hee-Soon
Choi Myung-Kil	Kim Sang-Hun	King Injo	Seo Nal-Shwe	Lee Shi-Baek



Jo Woo-Jin	Song Young-Chang	David Lee	Heo Sung-Tae	Kim Pub-Lae
Jung Myung-Soo	Kim Ryu	Chil-Bok	Ingguldai	Khan

Jo A-In

Na-Ru

Additional Cast Members:

Jin Sun-Kyu - Chogwan Lee Doo-Gab
Yoo Soon-Woong - Dejehak (Minister of Education)
Park Ji-Il - Bujehak
Choi Jong-Ryul - eunuch
Moon Chang-Kil - old ferryman
Kim Joong-Ki - Chief Royal Secretary
Shin Ki-Joon - Crown Prince Sohyun
Yoon Se-Woong - gwanryangsa
Choi Hee-Do - Ho-Syan
Yoon Hae-Vin - Na-Ru's friend
Kwak Ja-Hyoung - big man
Park No-Shik - military 1
Yoo Dok-Hyun - military 2
Jang Tae-Min - military 4
Kang Hyun-Joong - military 5
Han Chang-Hyun - Geumgoon General
Do Yong-Gu - Supreme Commander
Sung Do-Hyun - Royal Forces Commander 1
Kwak Min-Ho - Royal Forces Commander 2
Ha Soo-Ho - Royal Forces Commander 3
Lee Sang-Hong - Qing dynasty commander
Kim Moon-Chan - chief gatekeeper
Song Wook-Kyung - government official
Song Hyung-Soo - messenger military officer
Yoon Byung-Hee - gunner 2
Hong Suk-Youn - old man 1
Kim Nan-Hee - woman servant 1
Jung Sun-Chul - person
Eom Ji-Man - horse piece soldier 1
Kim Na-In - wall soldier
Shin Hee-Chul - Joseon soldier
Kim Jin-Ok - kid's mother
Seo Byung-Chul - military officer
Ahn Hyeon-Jeong - crying woman
Jin Mo - Ingguldai's subordinate

Trailers

Awards

2018 (55th) Daejong Film Awards - October 22, 2018
- Best Music (Ryuichi Sakamoto)
- Best Lighting (Jo Kyu-Young)
- Best Cinematography (Kim Ji-Yong)
2018 (54th) BaekSang Arts Awards - May 3, 2018
- "Best Film"
2017 (38th) Blue Dragon Film Awards - November 25, 2017
- "Best Screenplay" (Hwang Dong-Hyuk)

Comments

Mitrag Nov 12 2021 7:30 pm This a great movie. Die for your pride and dignity or survive but be looked down at? That is the question.

Mohammed Albasher Dec 15 2020 2:18 pm I really loved it.This movie ticked all the boxes for me. Solid performances and poetical dialogues, great cinematography and VFX, beautiful BGM and Soundtrack. And most importantly (for me), emotional and psychological attachments were shown very clearly. And the ending was compelling and realistic.

tim Nov 06 2018 10:44 pm guys don't compare this film to historical event since the film based on a novel by Kim Hoon so it's assumed to be fictional, if the producer wants to do a truth story then he would use history text rather than a novel, thus I wouldn't judge the accuracy of it, also I would say 99% of the time that historical movies are never funny since these movies depicting war and conflict, so this is definitely not a holiday movie, it's not a boring film just not fit for a holiday screening, the acting is super, amazing cast and solid acting.

CrisClaflin Aug 14 2018 12:12 pm Wonderful movie, distressing story that holds you from start to finish. Cast more than handpicked, with refined dialogues!

Kiddo Jul 31 2018 11:01 am I watched the movie and I’m so disappointed. It is well known in the history that Gengis Khan from Mongolia used this battle strategy to defeat Chinese. Chinese were scared from Mongolians so they built the Great White wall. After releasind they couldn’t enter they blocked all the entrance from the outside to make them starve to death. Also l, their opponents stay in yurts which is sooooo Mongolian. I can’t believe how they just twisted the history. Now I’m wondering whether all the other history movies were true at all or just another twisted truth.

Icepax May 21 2018 11:55 am Veteran cast (Lee, Kim, Go), good historically-matched locations and costumes, well-choreographed battle sequences, haunting soundtrack (Sakamoto) - everything is good, and somewhat bearable, except for the screenplay's adaptation. Too many prolonged scenes of esoteric narratives (roughly two-thirds of the movie) that may be of more interest to Korean audiences than international audiences. Action sequences are disjointed and tied gingerly to the storyline - that jumps from one place to another in an attempt to patch everything together into a cohesive story - is rather daunting to watch. The English subtitles also fell short in many places (too much literal translations from Korean to English from translators who have poor grasp of the English language and its subtle nuances), so it's hard to visualise, much less understand, the overall story's narrative.

Hwang's attempt to achieve masterpiece status with The Fortress fell short of all expectation.

I give 5 out of 10 for this somewhat average direction for an expensively-invested film production.

PatrickStar Nov 02 2017 7:40 am Its not me who said that, that is from korean forum site. They said the film has a very different story with the real ones, so it make some confusing. Especially for young viewer.

Mimistar Oct 24 2017 1:11 pm Based on the novel "Namhansanseong" by Kim Hoon, PatrickStar, what accuracy do you want ? Is a fiction based on a real event. If you want accuracy, read South Korea's history, don't go for that at a cinema.

PatrickStar Oct 12 2017 9:44 am I haven't watched this film yet, but this film such a big failure on korean box office, beaten by The Outlaws in only one week screening, and still 3.4 million admissions after 10 days screening (i expected 5 or 6 millions). My prediction: 1. This film will only mark about 4 millions admissions. 2. Koreans say this film too boring for holiday (chuseok) screening, and The Outlaws was is very interesting movie. 3. There is some doubt about the historical accuration of this film.

PatrickStar Sep 28 2017 5:37 am One of best cast ever, good director, the trailer looks very interesting. If this movie distributed to my country, no doubt i'll watch it. I hope this film will be the next hit of this year

Keyza June Sep 05 2017 4:21 pm This will be dragged up as the best cinema of the year. So many great casts in one-take!

Anna Aug 11 2017 1:09 am Omo!! Love the cast! They are all the face of every Korean dramas success! Wow so excited for this.

zan Jan 29 2017 8:36 am The best cast ever

The Fortress

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Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

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