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The Battleship Island
군함도
2017 132 min South Korea PG-13 18+
★7.1
Drama, War
Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
Trailers
EN
EN
Teaser
Description
During the Japanese colonial era, roughly 400 Korean people, who were forced onto Battleship Island 'Hashima Island' to mine for coal, attempt to escape.
Budget:
$21M
US Gross:
$1.1M
Worldwide:
$46.18M
Starring
Hwang Jung-min
Actor
So Ji-seob
Actor
Song Joong-ki
Actor
Awards
11 wins & 10 nominations total
Key opinion
The Battleship Island is a large-scale war drama that succeeds as a visual and emotional spectacle, highlighted by strong performances from its ensemble cast. While praised for its historical resonance and production values, the film is occasionally criticized for its long runtime and a tendency to simplify complex historical events into a standard blockbuster format.
| Acting | The ensemble cast, particularly the child actors, delivers compelling and technically precise performances throughout the film. | |
| Production | The film utilizes high production values and impressive visual effects to create an immersive, epic-scale depiction of colonial-era misery. | |
| Theme | The narrative effectively portrays deep national trauma and historical grievances, resonating strongly with audiences through its themes of forced labor and resilience. | |
| Runtime | Opinions on the runtime are divided, as some viewers appreciate the depth allowed by the scale while others feel the excessive length detracts from the viewing experience. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is viewed as a straightforward, accessible blockbuster script, though some find its lack of narrative twists and exaggerated historical depictions to be a point of contention. |