NORYANG: DEADLY SEA Review: Kim Han-Min’s Gallant High-Seas Epic Gets A Brutal, Emotional Close
Noryang: Deadly Sea arrives on Digital, Blu-Ray and DVD on May 14 from Well Go USA.
Writer/director Kim Han-min’s affinity for history has paid off greatly over the last decade. He’s reached box office and critical acclaim focused on the exploits of 16th century naval legend, Admiral Yi Sun-shin, with a trilogy of films beginning with 2014’s The Admiral: Roaring Currents.
Actor Choi Min-sik starred in the role set near the tail end of the seven year Imjin War. Going forward, Kim would continue with a prequel setting in Hansan: Rising Dragon, starring Park Hae-il in 2022. The presumed finale now arrives in the form of Noryang: Deadly Sea, with none other than Kim Yoon-seok shepherding the finale chapter of Kim’s trilogy.
This branch of the historical epic begins with the death of Japanese feudal lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The loss is major bookmark in the seven years Japan has spent in trying – and failing – to beat feared Admiral Yi and the Joseon military, so much so that now they’re trying to leave. The only thing that stands in their way is Yi’s blockade, as he plots to finish off the Japanese once and for all.
In an effort to do so, Yi and his men form a joint brigade with the Ming Dystanty, led by Governor Chen Lin (Jung Jae-young), and vice commander Deng Zilong (Huh Joon-ho). The Japanese are fully aware of this commander Yoshinaga (Lee Moo-saeng) send one of their own to appeal to the governor for aid, only to be turned down.
Ultimately, push comes to duplicitous shove when Japanese army leader Konishi Yukinaga (Lee Moo-saeng) tries to bribe Chen. Their campaign extends further to commander Yoshihiro (Baek Yoon-sik) when Yoshinaga’s subordinate makes his plea.
What follows is an unraveling tale of political upheaval amid military tactitianing, as Yi strategizes what looks to be his last great stand in the Noryang strait. It matters though, at least for Chen, that this move comes in the wake of the murder of the Admiral’s son, raising a far deeper issue on matters of vengeance, or something far more grave.
Kim’s penultimate Noryang: Deadly Sea performs at about the same pace and tone as the previous two films. It moves fast at times between strategy and politicking throughout all the drama, and per usual, the performances are what make the journey worth following along.
The film definitely takes a more ominous tone at times as the story is seen through a pensive Admiral Yi, still grieving for his son while suffering an ailment to his health. He’s as pensive as ever, which is also a testament to his resolve when he’s cogent and aware, especially during war room meetings and on the oceanic battlefield.
The film also introduces audiences to Yi’s wife, Lady Bang (Moon Jeong-hee), who appears in only a few more scenes than their other on-screen son, Yi Hoe (Ahn Bo-hyun), who also serves under Yi. Key supporting cast also has Kim Seong-gyu, reprising his role from Hansan as Jun-sa, a former Wae soldier who defects to serve under Yi as a spy.
The screenplay is written aptly in that between dialogue exchanges between the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean characters, Kim and his writing team still manage to leave a little bit of nuance in between in certain key moments. Some of those addendums can be spotted between Yi and Chen, in the course of their chemistry as abject rivals mitigating an alliance, one tested by factors ranging from political skullduggery to personal motivations.
The battle of the Noryang strait is also recorded to have the biggest bodycount of the Imjin War. Thus, Kim manages to capture as much of that brutality as possible this time around, between ship scrimmages, sword battles, and snipers alike. The cinematography gets an extra step up at times as well, including one moment that follows a Wae soldier who treads though Joseon soldiers as he huffs it toward Yi, only to be slain.
Kim’s trilogy reaches its climactic finale that assures, in part, an epic finish that doesn’t make itself too obvious. The sequencing of this is played out masterfully as Yi briefly adjourns into a moment of introspection. It’s one of a rare vulnerability that Yi observes while in battle, and it proves crucially as a defining segue as Yi picks up a mallet to signal his army and allies therein, even as the battle hits its fever pitch with hundreds more Wae ships sitting in the distance.
Word is that even after directing a whole trilogy, Kim is still itching to tell more stories based on the exploits of naval Admiral Yi Sun-shin. If Kim manages and finds a way to do this, it’ll be a welcome feat for anyone who’s followed Kim’s Admiral Yi films up to this point. Otherwise, Noryang: Deadly Sea offers plenty for audiences to take away, with a propulsive high-seas epic that rightly bookends Kim’s storied saga of the famed Admiral.
The Well Go USA Blu-Ray and DVD release of Noryang: Deadly Sea also comes with a trailer, chapter selections, and a five-minute featurette highlighting the characters’ histories.
Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!