I am pretty sure in South Korea this movie will score higher than I rated it. When it's in your own language it's always easier to follow. And Korean is not a great language to listen to when you're not understanding it. It's sounds like they are always angry when they speak. The movie is nicely shot though. But the major problem I had with it was that it was too long and it took a really long time to become interesting. You could easily cut out the first hour of the movie where nothing major happens. I started getting bored actually. But the second part of the movie is way better, I would say from about where they are in the train. If the whole movie would be at that level of intensity I would have scored it higher. Most of the actors were good, some a bit lesser. All in all it's worth a watch. From the Asian movies I watched the Koreans are for sure the best ones.

Movie: The Age of Shadows (15)Rating: 4.5/5Director Kim Jee-woon is a my favourite South Korean film director. He knows the perfect way to create entertaining as well as social relevant films. Gong Yoo and Song Kang-ho aren't merely actors: they are the masters of the performances they deliver and when these three men come together with one film THE AGE OF SHADOWS: then there's seriously nothing except "excellent" that can describe the overall film, also because apart from the acting & direction, other departments too are handled extremely well. The film is a must watch for anyone, especially South Korean audiences. They loved it and thus it became a Box Office success. But it's a film much more than just an entertainer. Unpredictable and well-detailed, the film's screenplay is quite excellent, and the execution is top notch. Don't ask about Kim's direction: it's excellent as usual. Same for Gong Yoo and Song Kang-ho: you'll be able to relate to them and feel what they go through, thanks to the natural performances of these two men. The reason what keeps you glued to the screens is the presence of mind- boggling thrills, breathtaking action sequences, splendid cinematography and a top notch execution along with delightfully awesome visuals supported by powerful emotions. Seeing Lee Byung-hun in this film was an absolute pleasure. He plays his part perfectly. The humour in the film is quite decent and is placed accordingly. The editing, however needed to be tighter as it could've been trimmed to some extent. The film being a little slow might not engage everyone at once. But when it does, it does it seriously and successfully.Having said that, I'll have no doubt I calling the film "Kim's masterpiece", since he lives up to the expectations one can have from him after he has delivered films which've changed the way world looked at South Korean Cinema. This film only adds up to the praise for the South Korean Cinema, and presents a lot of things we'll like to take back home with us.

Mil Jeong (밀정 ~ The Age of Shadows). Viewed at 2016 Venice FilmFestival. Tremendous Korean epochal drama about life and resistance under the oppressive Japanese occupation in the early decades of the century. Director Kim Jaewoon really knows how to set up drama and suspense mixed with blazing action. There was so much in this film that I felt like I was watching a Beethoven symphony. Dark Sepia toned photography used to good effect enhances period feel. Musical soundtrack employs jazz and adrenaline tensor stretches and the final shootout in the train station is orchestrated deftly to Ravel's Bolero.139' running time is long and winds up with several anticlimactic codas but never lets you out if its grip. For Koreans this is clearly a film with heavy patriotic messages. The final theme is "Don't let your failures stop you -- build on them and rise to the next level" -- until victory is achieved. I would love to see this film with a Korean audience and would expect to see people on their feet cheering at the end... A young Italian I met afterwards said he loved it even though he knows nothing of the history involved. I could easily see why -- in a way this is something like a Kimchee spaghetti western and charismatic actor Kang-ho Song, 49, has got to be the Korean equivalent of John Wayne, or at least, Robert Mitchum.

Based on the real story that happened during the time that Japan ruled the Korea, The Age of Shadow is very successful history-based movie. It is a fine mixture of Korean characteristics and Western characteristics. Until these days, many Korean movies have sought for ways to put Korean-exclusive stories into the frame of Western film-making. The result has been somewhat successful but also somewhat disappointing. It fulfilled Korean people's wishes to watch Hollywood-ish Korean movies. However, it couldn't convince foreign people of the reason to watch Korean movies instead of Hollywood movies. I mean, no matter how hard Korean movies try, the budget is lower than Hollywood, and spectacles are also lesser.However, this movie, The Age of Shadow, is different. This one is unique. I'm not going to praise action scenes, or comedy scenes because they were not that outstanding. What I want to praise is atmosphere in this movie that keeps suspense alive throughout the whole running time. Well, for better understanding I could use Quentin Tarantino as an example. Even though he is famous for violence in his movie, many people who watch his movies for the first time find them very non-blockbuster like but still quite amusing. The Age of Shadow is quite similar. This movie's acting, dialogue and visuals give this movie a special atmosphere that keep audiences' focus. I'm not saying that this movie is Tarantino-like though. Kim Jee-Woon and Tarantino are similar in a way that they use special atmosphere throughout the movie but their atmospheres are different. Kim Jee-Woon has the ability to form a Korean-exclusive atmosphere that is based on Korean culture. I'm not sure how to name it but it is something that can move Korean people's heart without stating it in a specific way. And I believe this movie will be quite amusing and also exotic experience for you if you are not Korean. This movie is not like other Korean movies, but also the most Korean-like movie. I recommend it.