Born in 1969, Won Shin Hyun worked as a stuntman before becoming a director with "The Wig" in 2005; Since then he has shown his great talent in action films perhaps also thanks to his previous experience. "The Suspect" awarded him at the box office.
Born in 1969, Won Shin Hyun was a stuntman before becoming a director with "The Wig" (2005). Since then he has shown his great talent in action movies, perhaps thanks to his previous experience. "The Suspect" awarded him at the box office.
Critique
One of the biggest topos present in Korean cinematic storytelling in recent years is certainly the struggle for independence from the Japanese people, the topic has been dissected for years in different ways but almost never is what happened outside Korea told. The Battle: Roar to Victory chronicles one of the bloodiest battles of the conflict between the Japanese military and the Korean people outside the border of the Peninsula. The ruthlessness of the Japanese military is told harshly, so much so that it is somewhat disturbing, and perhaps, even at times excessively colorful, but unfortunately this description is much closer to reality than how we are used to seeing war in American movies. Just as the cruelty of the Japanese military is well told, in the same way, the unpreparedness of the independent forces is represented. Also in this case the traits of the characters are well described, taking into account that the rebels did not belong to a military group, but had on their side the knowledge of the places and extremely capable leaders. The film, directed by a former stuntman, is perhaps not a fully successful film in its mise-en-scène, but it tells the battle without rhetoric and without falling into the abstract tale of patriotism, addressing the theme of the sacrifice that each character makes, in the name of something greater. Once you have robbed a man of everything, it is no longer in your power.
