Battlefield Heroes (film)
Encyclopedia
Battlefield Heroes is a 2011 South Korean action comedy directed by Lee Joon-ik. The film is a sequel to the 2003 film Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield and stars Jeong Jin-yeong
, Lee Mun-shik, Ryu Seung-ryong. The film is set in 668 and chronicles the war between the southern Korean state of Shilla against the larger northern Korean state of Goguryeo
. The film's box office returns were lower than expected in South Korea, which prompted Lee Joon-ik to announce his retirement shortly after the film's release. The film has been shown at the New York Asian Film Festival
and Fantasia Festival
.
) is the king of the small southern Korean state of Shilla and makes a deal with China's Tang dynasty
officials to have a combined strike against the larger northern Korean state of Goguryeo
. The conditions of the agreement involve Shilla being given back the Korean state of Baekje
. The combined troops march to Pyongyang Castle, where Goguryeo's Yeon Gaesomun (Lee Weon-jong) dies and hands over command of the army to his second son Yeon Nam-geon (Ryu Seung-ryong). This action upsets his first son, Yeon Nam-saeng (Yun Je-mun) who is not as war-hungry as Nam-geon.
The Goguryeo soldiers defending the castle succeed in fighting off the Allied Army's first assault by catapulting honey and bees onto the Shilla soldiers. Meanwhile, the Shilla grand general Kim Yu-shin (Jeong Jin-yeong
) holds back sending his main force to join the advance Allied Army, preferring to deal directly with Yeon Gaesomun's sons than the Chinese. Yeon Nam-saeng is expelled from the castle by his elder brother. The Chinese commander Yi launches a full-scale attack on the castle but is beaten back by the Goguryeo secret weapon. An allied soldier, Thingamajig (Lee Mun-shik) from Baekje, is captured. Thingamajig, who has suffered under Chinese rule, broadcasts a demoralizing message to the Allied Army. Thingamajig is rewarded by being allowed to marry the brave Goguryeo female warrior, Gap-sun (Seon Woo-seon), against her will.
account, stating "I’m quitting directing because the audience [for Battlefield Heroes] was just 1.7 million, far fewer than the 2.5 million we had expected."
The film was shown at film festivals, including the New York Asian Film Festival
in July 2011. It had its Canadian premiere on July 31, 2011 at the Fantasia Festival
.
wrote a generally favorable review of Battlefield Heroes, stating that the film "is a handsome, sweeping period picture, a robust, earthy comedy in which the humor, though sometimes labored, results in an amiable if lengthy entertainment". Film Business Asia gave the film an eight out of ten rating stating that director had the director had grown "in leaps and bounds as a technically confident film-maker" since the film King and the Clown. The review went on to state that an international audience would benefit "by an introductory caption explaining the story set-up in simple terms, as well as some slight trimming throughout".
Jeong Jin-yeong
Jeong Jin-yeong , is a South Korean actor best-known for his role in the hugely successful The King and the Clown.-Filmography:*Green Fish...
, Lee Mun-shik, Ryu Seung-ryong. The film is set in 668 and chronicles the war between the southern Korean state of Shilla against the larger northern Korean state of Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
. The film's box office returns were lower than expected in South Korea, which prompted Lee Joon-ik to announce his retirement shortly after the film's release. The film has been shown at the New York Asian Film Festival
New York Asian Film Festival
The New York Asian Film Festival was first held in 2002, growing out of the previous year's New York Korean Film Festival...
and Fantasia Festival
Fantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
.
Plot
In Korea, AD 668. Kim Beob-min (Hwang Jeong-minHwang Jeong-min
- Career :Hwang Jung-min first began his acting career in theater, as a musical actor in Line 1 . He then starred in various musicals and plays in Daehangno such as Jesus Christ Superstar and Cats....
) is the king of the small southern Korean state of Shilla and makes a deal with China's Tang dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
officials to have a combined strike against the larger northern Korean state of Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
. The conditions of the agreement involve Shilla being given back the Korean state of Baekje
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
. The combined troops march to Pyongyang Castle, where Goguryeo's Yeon Gaesomun (Lee Weon-jong) dies and hands over command of the army to his second son Yeon Nam-geon (Ryu Seung-ryong). This action upsets his first son, Yeon Nam-saeng (Yun Je-mun) who is not as war-hungry as Nam-geon.
The Goguryeo soldiers defending the castle succeed in fighting off the Allied Army's first assault by catapulting honey and bees onto the Shilla soldiers. Meanwhile, the Shilla grand general Kim Yu-shin (Jeong Jin-yeong
Jeong Jin-yeong
Jeong Jin-yeong , is a South Korean actor best-known for his role in the hugely successful The King and the Clown.-Filmography:*Green Fish...
) holds back sending his main force to join the advance Allied Army, preferring to deal directly with Yeon Gaesomun's sons than the Chinese. Yeon Nam-saeng is expelled from the castle by his elder brother. The Chinese commander Yi launches a full-scale attack on the castle but is beaten back by the Goguryeo secret weapon. An allied soldier, Thingamajig (Lee Mun-shik) from Baekje, is captured. Thingamajig, who has suffered under Chinese rule, broadcasts a demoralizing message to the Allied Army. Thingamajig is rewarded by being allowed to marry the brave Goguryeo female warrior, Gap-sun (Seon Woo-seon), against her will.
Production
Battlefield Heroes is a sequel to Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield set eight years after the first film. The film was inspired by the political situation in Korea in 1995. Lee Joon-ik stated he wanted that both Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield and Battlefield Heroes show how influenced Korea was by the countries around it (specifically China, Japan and the United States) which caused a lot of internal conflicts within Korea.Release
Battlefield Heroes was released in South Korea on January 27, 2011. The box office returns in Korea were not strong which lead to Lee Joon-ik announcing his retirement from directing shortly after. Lee announced his retirement through his TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account, stating "I’m quitting directing because the audience [for Battlefield Heroes] was just 1.7 million, far fewer than the 2.5 million we had expected."
The film was shown at film festivals, including the New York Asian Film Festival
New York Asian Film Festival
The New York Asian Film Festival was first held in 2002, growing out of the previous year's New York Korean Film Festival...
in July 2011. It had its Canadian premiere on July 31, 2011 at the Fantasia Festival
Fantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
.
Reviews
The Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote a generally favorable review of Battlefield Heroes, stating that the film "is a handsome, sweeping period picture, a robust, earthy comedy in which the humor, though sometimes labored, results in an amiable if lengthy entertainment". Film Business Asia gave the film an eight out of ten rating stating that director had the director had grown "in leaps and bounds as a technically confident film-maker" since the film King and the Clown. The review went on to state that an international audience would benefit "by an introductory caption explaining the story set-up in simple terms, as well as some slight trimming throughout".