Movielogr
The Battleship Island (2017)
Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan
Twitter Facebook Google+Overview
During the Japanese colonial era, roughly 400 Korean people, who were forced onto Battleship Island ‘Hashima Island’ to mine for coal, attempt to escape.
Rated PG-13 | Length 132 minutes
Actors
Hwang Jung-min | So Ji-sub | Song Joong-ki | Lee Jung-hyun | Kim Soo-an | Lee Kyung-young | Kim In-woo | Kim Jung-hui | Kim Min-jae | Shin Seung-hwan | Kim Yae-eun | Jo Kyung-Hyun | Kim Gyu-baek | Yoon Dae-Yul | Lee Jung-eun | Kwon Han-sol | Park Sung-il | Um Zi-sung | Shin Hyun-Tak | Yoon Kyung-ho | Kim Bo-yoon | Ham Sung-min | Hwang Byeong-guk | Lee Yu-mi | Park Kyung-man | Na Do-yul | Bae Je-gi
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/06/2017 | Movie Screen | Digital | Theater | 8 stars |
| (Average) 8 stars |
Viewing Notes
Intense and brutal as hell. Pretty much what the trailers and history suggest; this was not a pleasant time for the Koreans forced to work in the mines or the comfort stations at Battleship Island towards the end of WWII. How they crafted a story from real life events works within this framing to depict the horrors of what life was like for these people. That is really the takeaway here; this island has a bloody history that the Japanese don’t promote for a reason.
The final sequence may be the best of the year. When the Ennio Morricone’s The Ecstasy of Gold starts playing I first thought it was a weird choice. But that with the visuals brought tears to my eyes.
There are scenes in this movie that had me cringing and turning away from the screen. With a packed theater of Koreans I’m curious what they think.
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