War of the Arrows

War of the Arrows (Korean: 최종병기 활; Hanja: 最終兵器 활; RR: Choejongbyeonggi Hwal), alternately titled Arrow: The Ultimate Weapon, is a 2011 South Korean period action film starring Park Hae-il, Ryu Seung-ryong and Moon Chae-won. Set after the Second Manchu invasion of Korea (Qing invasion), the film is about an archer who risks his life to save his sister from slavery under Qing-Prince Dorgon's rule.[3][4]

War of the Arrows
Theatrical poster
Hangul최종병기 활
Hanja最終兵器 활
Revised RomanizationChoejongbyeonggi Hwal
McCune–ReischauerChoechongp'yŏngki Hwal
Directed byKim Han-min
Produced byJang Won-seok
Kim Sung-hwan
Written byKim Han-min
StarringPark Hae-il
Moon Chae-won
Ryu Seung-ryong
Music byKim Tae-seong
CinematographyKim Tae-seong
Park Jong-chul
Edited byKim Chang-ju
Steve M. Choe
Heo Sun-mi
Distributed byLotte Entertainment
Release date
  • August 11, 2011 (2011-08-11)
Running time
122 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Manchu
Box officeUS$51.4 million[1]
US$79,578 (director's cut version)[2]

Praised by critics for its fast pacing and combat sequences, the film drew an audience of 7.48 million, making it the highest grossing Korean film of 2011.[5] It was also honored at the 48th Grand Bell Awards and the 32nd Blue Dragon Film Awards, including Best Actor for Park, Best Supporting Actor for Ryu, and Best New Actress for Moon.[6][7] The film is also notable for the rare use of the Manchu language in some of its dialogue.

Plot

The film begins with two children Nam-yi and Ja-in being chased by King Injo's guards and saved by their father Choi Pyeong-ryung, an officer of King Gwanghae and a skilled archer. He sends his own children to find a place of refuge with his best friend Kim Mu-seon. As they escape crying, Ja-in begs her brother to go back to their father but their father is killed in front of Nam-yi. Nam-yi, though bitten by the guard dogs, kills them and escapes with Ja-in.

Nam-yi becomes the only family Ja-in has. 13 years later Nam-yi (Park Hae-il) is now a skilled archer and hunter. He hunts with companions Gang-du, Gab-yong, and Seo-goon. He learns from Mu-seon's son Seo-goon (Kim Mu-yeol) that he and Ja-in (Moon Chae-won) plan to get married, with the approval of Mu-seon who is also Ja-in's godfather. He is very unhappy about this.

During the wedding, Nam-yi is up in the mountains hunting deer. He hears the rumble of the Manchu invading forces. When Nam-yi makes it back to the village, he finds his foster father slaughtered and his sister taken away. Nam-yi then sets out to find the Qing army and take out their army with his bow. He ambushes a scouting party, and the royal guard set out to find him.

Before being trapped in Manchuria, the prisoners rebel, with Nam-yi coming at the nick of time to save Seo-goon and free the rest of the prisoners. The Royal Guard again come to the field late, but see the distinctive red arrows. Nam-yi, Seo-goon, Gang-du, and Gab-yong, seek out the Manchu camp, finding it well guarded and Ja-in still alive. The great commander of the Qing army, Jyuushinta (Ryu Seung-ryong) rides with the Palace guard. Nam-yi captures the Manchu prince, douses him with alcohol, and holds him hostage until sun rise until his sister and Seo-goon can escape, promising to meet them at a hut. He then sets the prince and his tent on fire, sowing chaos in the camp.

Jyuushinta arrives at the camp at daybreak, to find it disarray, with the prince dead.

Jyuushinta then sets out to find Nam-yi.

Gang-du and Gab-yong both sacrifice themselves biding Nam-yi time. At a gorge, Nam-yi leaps across and is pinned down by the Manchu before they decide to cross. As they cross, he is able to kill three of them, but refuses to kill Jyuushinta, though the opportunity presents itself. At the rendezvous hut, two Manchu ambush Seo-goon and Ji-an, but are killed.

On the other side of the gorge, Nam-yi runes to the top of a ridge and as he does so, gets shot in the arm. Though Nam-yi is shot in the arm, he is able to lure a tiger to attack the Manchu in a canyon, and allude again them while taking a few of their dropped arrows.

After escaping, he fashions a tongah arrow guide to shoot a short arrow and uses it to wound the last member of the group. He then uses a broadtip arrow to dispatch the soldier that attempts to pick him. Finally, predicting where Jyuushinta is placed, he bends the trajectory of his last arrow. Jyuushinta is saved by his mute serviceman.

Nam-yi rides away to find Ja-in as he assumes that Jyuushinta is dead. Meanwhile, Nam-yi finds Ja-in in a field. They are about to reunite when Ja-in sees Jyuushinta aiming at Nam-yi from a cliff. But before the arrow hits, Ja-in shoots the horse and Nam-yi falls. As Nam-yi and Jyuushinta face off, Ja-in runs in between them. Nam-yi's arrow barely touches Ja-in's dress, but Jyuushinta's finds its mark. It goes through Ja-in, and into Nam-yi's heart. Despite Ja-in's protests, Nam-yi pulls it out, and shoots Jyuushinta with it. Jyuushinta falls to the ground and dies. Nam-yi falls down as well but Ja-in catches him on her lap. Nam-yi says that they should go back to their old home in Hanyang before dying.

Ja-in lays Nam-yi into a boat and she and Seo-goon cross back over the river into their homeland.

Cast

English dubbed cast

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Recipient Result
2011
48th Grand Bell Awards
 Best Film War of the Arrows Nominated
Best Actor Park Hae-il Won
Best New Actress Moon Chae-won Won
Best Cinematography Kim Tae-seong, Park Jong-chul Nominated
Best Art Direction Jang Chun-seop Nominated
Best Costume Design Kwon Yu-jin Nominated
Best Visual Effects Han Young-woo Won
Best Sound Effects Choi Tae-young Won
31st Korean Association of Film Critics Awards
 Best Cinematography Kim Tae-seong, Park Jong-chul Won
Best Visual Effects Han Young-woo Won
32nd Blue Dragon Film Awards
 Best Film War of the Arrows Nominated
Best Director Kim Han-min Nominated
Best Actor Park Hae-il Won
Best Supporting Actor Ryu Seung-ryong Won
Best New Actress Moon Chae-won Won
Best Cinematography Kim Tae-seong Nominated
Best Art Direction Jang Chun-seop Nominated
Best Lighting Kim Gyeong-seok Nominated
Best Music Kim Tae-seong Nominated
Technical Award Oh Se-young Won
Audience Choice Award for Most Popular Film War of the Arrows Won
19th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards
 Grand Prize ("Daesang") for Film Park Hae-il Won
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Film Ryu Seung-ryong Won
Excellence Award, Actress in a Film Moon Chae-won Won
2012
6th Asian Film Awards
 Best Actor Park Hae-il Nominated
People's Choice Award for Favorite Actor Park Hae-il Nominated
48th Baeksang Arts Awards
 Best Actor Park Hae-il Nominated
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References
  1. "War of the Arrows (2011)". www.koreanfilm.or.kr.
  2. "War of the Arrows (Director's Cut) (2011)". www.koreanfilm.or.kr.
  3. Kwaak, Je-yup (24 June 2011). "Arrow aims ultimate summer success". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  4. Lee, Hyo-won (4 August 2011). "Arrow aims for new horizons". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  5. Paquet, Darcy (8 January 2012). "South Korean box office in 2011". Korean Cinema Today. Retrieved 2013-02-04.
  6. Lee, Claire (18 October 2011). "Kim Ha-neul, Park Hae-il get top honors at Daejong Film Awards". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  7. Lee, Claire (27 November 2011). "The Unjust best picture at Blue Dragon Awards". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
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