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The Fortress

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The Fortress

Released Oct 6, 2017

2h 20m

History

Drama

War

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63%

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8 Reviews

73%

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50+ Ratings

In 1636, King Injo hides in the mountains to avoid being part of the Qing dynasty.

Justin Lowe

The Hollywood Reporter

Hwang competently orchestrates the film's disparate political and strategic developments, but there's little sense of stylistic inspiration or narrative innovation - it's all pretty conventional.

Dec 8, 2017

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Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

... a film that will probably mean most to viewers from Korea, where it was made - though you don't need to know much about the historical background to gather roughly what the story is meant to suggest about the present.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 8, 2017

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Joe Leydon

Variety

"The Fortress" clocks in at 139 minutes, but feels much, much longer.

Oct 20, 2017

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

The Fortress, for all of its military trappings, is not an action movie. Viewers seeking a political drama mixed with a history lesson will find this much more to their taste.

Rated: 7/10

Sep 6, 2021

Full Review

William Schwartz

HanCinema

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.

Nov 3, 2019

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David Noh

Film Journal International

The recreation of a historic moment in Korea's constantly embattled past becomes a rather enervating epic in the too diaogue-driven hands of director Hwang Dong-hyuk.

Oct 20, 2017

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Mark B

A great film that explores the dilemmas a leader faces when confronted with an invading army. Knowledge of Korean history is not required as many of the concepts transcend cultures, but it definitely made me interested to find out more about the background.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/15/25

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Caley M

It depicts the various stresses and dilemmas on all of the people facing an invasion force. Almost skipped due to low critic %. I guess some people only want to see boobs and explosions for 2 hours straight.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/24

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JeeHwan L

Korean audiences needs to know background of American history for watching Star Wars and world war 2 movies. Why American reviewers talk "It is bad movie" with out background. It's disgusting. This movie show amazing detail about Korean history.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/07/23

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J K

It is easy to miss most of the themes and important ideas in the movie for non-Korean viewers. Joseon, ancient Korea were friendly with the former Chinese nation before Qing came to power. Qing wanted Joseon to become its new ally or subject but Joseon did not believe it was honorable as it would betray their old relationship. Qing's Khan invades Joseon. Many civilians suffer especially the lower class people. The politicians and the king however are indifferent to their struggles. They are more concerned with their positions as ministers, their own self righteousness, being honorable etc. The director wants to show the value of the lives of then time citizens of Joseon. There is little chance Joseon's army can win against the vastly superior Qing military. But the incompetent king and his cabinet squabble over ideals and honors instead of being realistic while the people suffer and die. This is the predominant issue all throughout the Joseon dynasty that spans over 500 years. The little people suffering from wars, famine, and general corruption. The kings and government thinking only of themselves and devaluing the lives of regular peoples.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/05/23

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s f

Really incredible movie. Its a slow burn so it takes the right mood to enjoy and its a rewarding experience.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Wow. A movie of epic caliber.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Hwang Dong-hyuk

Director

Lee Byung-hun

Choi Myeong-gil

Kim Yoon-seok

Kim Sang-hun

Go Soo

Seo Nalsoe

Jo Woo-jin

Jeong Myeongsu

Park Hae-il

King In-Jo

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Synopsis

In 1636, King Injo hides in the mountains to avoid being part of the Qing dynasty.

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Screenwriter: Hwang Dong-hyuk, Song Hae-sung
Distributor: CJ Entertainment
Production Co: Siren Pictures
Genre: History, Drama, War
Original Language: Korean
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 6, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $138.5K
Runtime: 2h 20m

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