"When the winter is over, the dandelions will bloom."

This is my personal favorite Korean film and I consider this to be one of the best films I’ve seen from any country. I admit it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s long and it’s not some Hollywood-esque war movie full of action and heroics. It’s a rather quiet and understated look at people in a dire situation being forced to choose between honor and pragmatism and come to terms with the fact that they’ve lost the war (I don’t consider this a spoiler, because the Korean audience would know this from the outset). It’s about the responsibility of leaders and the suffering of soldiers. Though rather bleak, it’s not depressing or entirely without hope.

Hwang Dong Hyuk, who both wrote and a directed this film, has constructed a powerful and compelling work. There were scenes, images, and lines that lingered with me long after the credits rolled.

It’s quite dialogue-heavy for a war movie, as this story is really centered around ministers’ debates before the king, while the soldiers endure the cold, at the mercy of the king’s final decision. This may sound boring, but there is real tension and emotion in these scenes, especially as they build towards the climax. This is a film that takes its time, rather than moving rapidly from one action sequence to the next. Its depiction of enduring through a long siege in the dead of winter often pauses on the mundane; the king getting dressed, soldiers trudging through the snow. But these details are important to the storytelling and are part of the reason the audience at times feels that they are living this experience as well.

The acting is excellent. Park Hae Il plays a conflicted king, backed into a corner where he has no good options, while Lee Byung Hun and Kim Yoon Seok offer moving performances as ideologically opposed ministers. You can truly feel the weight of their characters’ beliefs and concerns for their country. There is more depth of emotion in these portrayals than you might initially expect from these rather stoic old men.

The soundtrack, composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto, is frequently more atmospheric than melodic. Silence, punctuated by eire, icy winds, often envelops life at the fortress. In these parts, instrumentation is used sparingly. During the battle sequences the music becomes heavy, tense, and dissonant. In the moments the soundtrack does turn towards melody, it is gorgeous and poignant, though still has a slowness and vastness suited to the gravity of the events and setting. The cinematography by Kim Ji Yong is also perfectly suited to evoking the starkness of the situation. Somber silhouettes, snowy landscapes, and bleak colors dominate this film. These images are offset by warm-toned, fire-lit shots that offer contrast, so that when the warmth is absent, you feel the coldness even more.

Though the action scenes are well-executed, if you go into this film expecting glory and epic battles, you’re sure to be disappointed. This is a film that explores contrasting ideologies, the king’s responsibility to his people, and how the decisions of leaders impact those below them. If you’re seeking an antidote to overly-glorified all-action-no-substance portrayals of war, this realistic and contemplative film is likely what you’re looking for.

Content warning: This film is a bit gory at points (though I am someone who is pretty sensitive to those things). However, these scenes are used somewhat sparingly, and the violence is not gratuitous, rather it is used to depict the harsh reality of war.