The Age of Shadows

The Age of Shadows (lit. 'Emissary') is a 2016 South Korean period action thriller film directed by Kim Jee-woon and written by Lee Ji-min and Park Jong-dae. The film is set in Shanghai and Seoul in the 1920s and stars Song Kang-ho and Gong Yoo.^[3][4]

It was selected as the South Korean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.^[5][6] The film won the Best Picture award in the Action Features category at the 2016 Fantastic Fest held in Austin, Texas.^[7][8]

Plot

Kim Jang-ok and Joo Dong-sung, members of the Korean independence group Heroic Corps, visit the wealthy Kim Hwang-sub under the pretense of securing military funds, but it's a trap. Surrounded by Japanese forces, Kim Jang-ok fights valiantly in a gun battle but ultimately takes his own life when confronted by his former friend Lee Jung-chool, now working for the Japanese police. Lee, however, quietly releases Joo Dong-sung, arousing suspicion among fellow Heroic Corps members. Internal distrust peaks when Jo Hwe-ryung accuses Joo of being a traitor, but Kim Woo-jin intervenes and banishes Joo for his compromised identity.

Following the incident, Japanese authorities order Lee Jung-chool to investigate Kim Woo-jin. Despite recognizing each other's true identities, Lee and Kim feign friendship. Meanwhile, Lee is assigned a partner, Hashimoto, whose real task is to monitor Lee himself. As surveillance intensifies, Lee attempts to protect the Heroic Corps by delaying Hashimoto's actions, but the group narrowly escapes to Shanghai. In Shanghai, Heroic Corps leader Jung Chae-san and Kim Woo-jin recruit Lee to assist their cause. Lee ultimately agrees to help smuggle explosives back to Korea, shifting loyalties under increasing pressure.

Back in Korea, Lee warns Kim Woo-jin that a spy is among them. Kim devises a trap by feeding different rendezvous times to each member to expose the mole. When the leak confirms the spy's identity, it is revealed to be Jo Hwe-ryung. In a tense confrontation aboard a train, Kim executes him in the name of the Heroic Corps. As the group arrives in Keijō (Seoul), chaos erupts when police confront them. Yeon Gye-soon kills officers attempting to arrest her, triggering a shootout where most of the resistance members die or are captured. Kim escapes with help, managing to smuggle in the explosives.

Lee, under suspicion, is ordered to find Kim and tortures Gye-soon to maintain his cover. Eventually, Lee is tricked by Joo Dong-sung and leads authorities to Kim's hideout. Kim is captured after a desperate escape attempt. To avoid revealing secrets under torture, Kim bites off his own tongue. Lee is also arrested but feigns loyalty to the Japanese to receive a light sentence. During the trial, Lee tearfully insists he was never aligned with the resistance, honoring Kim's earlier request to act as a non-affiliate so their mission could continue.

After release, Lee learns of Gye-soon's death and receives word of a party hosted by Japanese collaborators. Remembering Kim's final wish that at least one person survive to complete their mission, Lee plants explosives at the event. Simultaneously, a Heroic Corps operative assassinates Joo Dong-sung. The bomb detonates, killing high-ranking officials including Higashi. Back in prison, a mute Kim Woo-jin hears of the mission's success and smiles in relief, his sacrifice having meaning. Lee later finds Kim Hwang-sub, whose betrayal led to Kim Jang-ok's death, and kills him to avenge his friend.

Production

On August 3, 2015, it was announced that Warner Bros. would finance and distribute its first ever Korean-language 1930s set drama Secret Agent, and the $8.62 million budgeted film would also be produced by Grimm Pictures.^[9] The project and script was developed by Lee Ji-min and Park Jong-dae, which Kim Jee-woon would direct and the cast would be Song Kang-ho and Gong Yoo.^[9] A trailer was released on July 14, 2016, revealing the new title as The Age of Shadows.^[10]

Reception

Box office

The film topped the South Korean box office for three consecutive weeks.^{[11][unreliable source?]}

Critical response

The film has received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 100%, based on 49 reviews with an average rating of 7.3/10.^[12] On Metacritic, it holds a weighted average score of 78/100, based on 14 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[13]

The Film Stage gave the film a positive review, writes "In short, mainstream audiences should get a kick out of this polished, often exciting patriotist drama. But those looking for a deeper, mightier resonance would be well advised to keep their expectations in check."^[14] The Hollywood Reporter describes the film as "a patriotic costumer" and says, "Several impressive action scenes sustain the tension and electrify this overlong, often hard-to-follow story".^[15] Variety wrote, "Cult director Kim Jee-woon delivers the goods with an ultra-stylish cloak-and-dagger actioner".^[16] Screendaily noted that, "Local audiences should respond well to the stirring patriotic sentiment on display here".^[17]

Accolades

See also

• Assassination, a 2015 South Korean film with similar topic and background
• List of submissions to the 89th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of South Korean submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

References

1. ^ "The Age of Shadows". Box Office Mojo. Archived 19 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
2. ^ "The Age of Shadows". The Numbers. Archived 11 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
3. ^ Park Jin-hai (8 August 2016). "Movie sheds light on Japanese occupation". The Korea Times. Archived 5 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
4. ^ "AGE OF SHADOWS, CITY OF MADNESS, HANDMAIDEN Selected for Toronto" Archived 23 June 2021 at the Wayback Machine' koreanfilm.or.kr
5. ^ "S. Korean film "The Age of Shadows" submitted to Oscars". Yonhap News Agency. 30 August 2016. Archived 13 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
6. ^ Kil, Sonia (30 August 2016). "Warner Bros.' 'Age of Shadows' Picked as Korea's Oscar Contender". Variety. Archived 6 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
7. ^ "Report From Fantastic Fest Day Eight - And The 2016 Fantastic Fest Awards!" Archived 29 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. fantasticfest.com
8. ^ "The Age of Shadows' selected as 2017 Oscars contender" Archived 22 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine. koreanherald.com
9. ^ Kil, Sonia (August 3, 2015). "Warner Bros. Sets Kim Jee-woon's 'Secret Agent' as Debut Korean Production (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com. Archived 6 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
10. ^ "ko:[밀정] 1차 예고편 공개 The Age of Shadows (2016) teaser trailer (ENG SUB)". youtube.com. Archived 19 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
11. ^ "Gong Yoo And Song Kang Ho's "Age Of Shadows" Defends No. 1 At Box Office" Archived 29 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine. soompi.com
12. ^ "The Age of Shadows (Mil-jeong) (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived 30 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
13. ^ "The Age of Shadows Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived 21 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
14. ^ Su, Zhuo-Ning (9 September 2016). "The Age of Shadows Venice 2016 Review". The Film Stage. Archived 23 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
15. ^ Young, Deborah (4 September 2016). "'The Age of Shadows' ('Miljeong'): Venice Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived 12 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
16. ^ Weissberg, Jay (2 September 2016). "Film Review: 'The Age of Shadows'". Variety. Archived 4 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
17. ^ Halligan, Fionnuala. "'Age of Shadows': Venice Review". Screendaily. Archived 30 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
18. ^ "Winners Of The 53rd Grand Bell Awards Revealed" Archived 29 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine. soompi.com
19. ^ "11th Asian Film Awards – Nominees 2017" Archived 30 June 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Asianfilmfestivals.com Retrieved 2 March 2017
20. ^ "ko:공유·박보검·남궁민·한석규…백상예술대상 男TV연기상 4파전". Star.mk.co. April 7, 2017. Archived 29 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
21. ^ "'Guardian,' 'The Handmaiden' win big at Baeksang Awards". The Korea Herald. 4 May 2017. Archived 1 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 May 2017.

External links

• The Age of Shadows at IMDb