Korean period drama THE FORTRESS to be released on Amazon, Google Play and iTunes on May 1, 2008

International Poster Courtesy CJ Entertainment

The Fortress / Namhansanseong

Directed by HWANG Dong-hyuk

Starring LEE Byung-hun

South Korea, 2017, 140 minutes

CJ Entertainment will be releasing The Fortress, a period drama featuring popular South Korean actor, LEE Byung-hun, best known for Magnificent Seven and Terminator Genisys on Amazon, Google Play, and iTunes on May 1, 2018. This title played in 18 cities across the U.S. and Canada last Fall. It was the main feature of Korean Film Days at the Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles, and also opened at the London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF) in London last year. The cost is $14.99 to purchase High Definition (HD), $9.99 to purchase Standard Definition (SD), $4.99 to rent High Definition (HD), and $3.99 to rent Standard Definition (SD).

The Fortress is set in 1636, when the Chinese Qing Dynasty has invaded Korea with 150,000 troops. The Korean court flees the capital to take shelter in the Namhan Fortress, located in treacherous mountains outside the city. The Qing army, led by General Yong Gol Dae, quickly surrounds the fortress, leaving the king and the court stranded in a prolonged standoff. For a truce, the Qing general makes a humiliating proposal that they send the Crown Prince out as hostage. Unable to move forward or fight the enemy they are outnumbered by, the people of the fortress start dying from cold and hunger. The king now faces an impossible choice between protecting his people and standing up to those looking to destroy them.

This film is directed by esteemed director HWANG Dong-hyuk (Miss Granny, Silenced, My Father). His 2014 hit Korean comedy, Miss Granny (Chinese version) reached $55M in the box office and has been remade for Japan, Vietnam, and several other countries. It was remade in English with Tyler Perry’s 34th Street Films and in Spanish with Eugenio Derbez’s 3pas Studios.

HWANG’s new period drama also stars KIM Yoon-seok (Will You Be There?, The Priests, Haemoo), PARK Hae-il (The Last Princess, Eungyo, War of the Arrows) and GO Soo (The Royal Tailor, Way Back Home, The Front Line).

South Korean hit MASQUERADE available on Blu-ray tomorrow

CJ Entertainment

presents

Masquerade / Gwanghae, Wangyidoen namja

Directed by CHOO Chang-min

South Korea, 2012, 131 minutes

Masquerade is a marvelous period film set during the rule of Gwanghae, one of the Joseon Dynasty kings. CJ Entertainment released a single disc DVD version in June of 2013. A Blu-ray edition will become available tomorrow, Tuesday, February 11th. So this seemed like an ideal opportunity to review the film and compare the DVD and Blu-ray versions.

The story is one of assumed identity. In this it is related to such literary works as Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper (1881) and Anthony Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) and to Akira Kurosawa's film Kagemusha (1980).

LEE Byung-hun as King Gwanghae. (Or is it as Ha-seon?)

King Gwanghae (LEE Byung-hun) knows that there are powerful ministers in his court who are plotting against him. Fearful of assassination, he commands Chief Secretary Heo Gyun (RYU Seung-Ryong) to locate an identical double who can pretend to be the king certain evenings. One is found in the person of Ha-seon (LEE again), a commoner and jester who is given to performing lewd impersonations of the real king.

However, Ha-seon's role is expanded to one of actually pretending to be the king when Gwanghae falls into a mysterious coma and is secreted away in the hopes that he will eventually recover. Ha-seon, who can impersonate the king's voice and manner of speaking, is coached in his "royal" duties by Ho Gyun and by Chief Eunuch Jo (JANG Gwang), the only two people who know of the switch.

Although instructed to "stick to the script" and to stay away from the queen, Ha-seon cannot resist his natural impulses to do good. This behavior threatens to undo the precarious scheme and to reveal that Ha-seon is an impersonator.

HAN Hyu-jo as the Queen

Masquerade was one of South Korea's most successful films in 2012; its box office attendance that year was over 10 million, second only to The Thieves. Besides wins and nominations at other ceremonies and festivals, it was a huge winner at the 2012 Grand Bell awards, South Korea's equivalent of the Oscars. Among its wins there were those for best picture, director, actor (LEE Byung-hun), supporting actor (RYU Seung-Ryong), screenplay, cinematography, lighting, and editing.

While everything about the film is outstanding, it wouldn't be nearly as great as it is were it not for the performances of LEE Byung-hun as the king and as the jester. In addition to the Grand Bell Award for best actor, he received several other wins and nominations in that category elsewhere, most deservedly so.

Both the DVD and the Blu-ray disc offer the original Korean soundtrack with English subtitles and an English dubbed soundtrack. The inclusion of the latter seems clearly intended to broaden the potential audience to include those who are "subtitle-aversive." Personally I rarely enjoy dubbing of an Asian film, basically because of the disconnect from hearing what almost always is a Caucasian voice coming out of an Asian's mouth. (Can't good Asian voice actors be found for such work?) Others, to be sure, may feel differently about English dubbed soundtracks.

Ha-seon is assisted with the royal clothing by Chief Eunuch Jo

The Blu-ray disc comes with no extras whatsoever. I found this quite surprising since the DVD included featurettes on "Lighting and Cinematography" and on "Production Design" as well as some deleted scenes. On the other hand, while the video transfer on the DVD is quite good, that of the Blu-ray is absolutely spectacular. The reds and golds are just brilliant. If you're only going to buy one version, I'd say go with the Blu-ray disc.

ACF Rating: 4 out of 4 stars; highest recommendation. This is a film that deserves a place in your collection, whether it's the DVD or the Blu-ray version, or both.