This film recently came up on NowTV and thought would give it a try without knowing anything about it. Very glad that I did! If you think you would enjoy an insight into a brutal period of medieval history not well known in the west with a mix of realistic battle scenes and court intrigue (and you don't mind subtitles) then I could recommend this. Central to the story being the kings aides who have differing advice for the King on how to deal with the invading Chinese army against a backdrop of a society with very distinct rich and poor divide where honour is sacrosanct. The film captures well the bleak remote location of the fortress while the combat is refreshingly devoid of the extensive use of cgi.

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.

A very different kind of historical war epic from South Korea. There's none of the flag-waving gung-ho heroism seen in the likes of ROARING CURRENTS to be found here; instead, THE FORTRESS is a dark and downbeat story of human failing and complicity in the face of overwhelming forces. It's a story of defeat and despair, a political tale showing how cowardice, disagreement and confusion can lead to one country's kingdom being subsumed by another's. Lee Byung-hun leads a good cast whose performances take place over their athletic abilities, although there's still plenty of scale and impressive battle scenes.