The Fortress (movie)

There are action movies and action movies with some deep themes. The Fortress is one of these. It doesn’t receive very positive reviews, but that may be the result of expectations about the pacing. It moves slowly, and the nature of the issues is only slowly revealed. But in my view, there are great character arcs for the main characters that are well-fulfilled at the end. The story is complex, though the basic situation is straightforward. The king of Korea (Jouen) is trapped by the invading Chinese, and we see the evolution of his dilemmas as the story progresses. Given the situation he and his court are in and the threat they face from the very powerful Chinese army, we experience firsthand through the main characters how they react and adapt to their perilous situation. Hence, the characterisation is expertly done.

You will not be surprised to discover that the movie is based on a book by Kim Hoon, as this helps to explain the deep character development. And it is this that allows a slow-burn movie that lasts 2 hours and 20 minutes to be so gripping. I only intended to dip into the movie to see whether it was worth watching, and I was soon hooked and had to watch the whole thing there and then.

There is a great initial hook scene at the start that interstingly resonates strongly later on. Hence, while it hardly advances the plot at this point, it has significance later. This is good storytelling. Equally, the storylines of the various characters interweave in ways that drive their character development and the storyline. This deepens one’s emotional engagement with the plot.

One thing I thought very helpful in bringing out character was subtle repetition. This could be as simple as the various court scenes and the blacksmith at his forge. They act to give emphasis to what the viewer understands about the particular individual.

There are various themes that, to some extent, are linked to the different characters: the futility of war, that actions have consequences, people behave in character, friendships have limits, politics is a dirty business, honour cannot be compromised—or needs to be. And probably others.

For the writer, if one doesn’t wish to read the original book in Korean, there is a lot to learn from watching the movie with one’s writer’s hat on.

Go for it.