The Admiral: Roaring Currents

In 1597 Admiral Yi Sun-sin fought the Japanese navy's three hundred and thirty-three ships with the thirteen vessels he had left, in the Myeongnyang Strait, and won. Kim Han-min's film covers that single battle, and more than half its running time is the sea fight itself. Choi Min-sik's Yi Sun-sin is not fitted into a heroic mould. The first half is built on the commander being unable to convince his own men: soldiers desert, ships are burned, the despair is shown plainly. The victory is presented as the result of managing fear rather than of military genius. Its reception in Korea was extraordinary. It sold seventeen million six hundred thousand tickets, close to a third of a country of fifty million, took a hundred and twenty-seven million dollars, and became the most-watched film in the nation's history, passing Avatar's record. It also broke the opening day and opening weekend records. Who it is for: viewers who like large-scale historical battle and Korean cinema. Who it is not for: anyone seeking character depth or historical nuance, since the second hour is almost entirely combat.