The Showdown (2011)

The story of the whole world in one little film

What a pity that this film has not been acclaimed enough. It is in fact quite good.

On the surface, it is the story of two officers and a common soldier who barely manage to escape a slaughter of a battle and find shelter from a blizzard in an abandoned inn. There, they have to survive the cruel conditions, the Manchus and, above all, each other.

This simple plot is used to show us a couple of things about the human condition: will a common goal (survive and return to Joseon) and a common enemy on their tracks be enough for those three to overcome deep grudges and bad blood caused by class differences and injustice, both actual and perceived?
The derelict inn, itself the theatre of a previous violent act, becomes a petri dish where we can isolate and observe humanity struggling to cope in an extreme, inhospitable situation while handling its own boiling emotions.

And it is shown masterfully. The current story is bleak, dark, violent and bloody, almost cartoonishly so. The three characters' backstory is shown in short flashbacks full of intense colour, almost garish in comparison. The music and sound design in general enhances the experience beautifully.

I saw no flaws. This is one well-done film.

Just don't expect a nice, uplifting or sombre costume epic with heroism. It is grim, dirty and violent.

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