War of the Arrows


War of the Arrows, alternately titled Arrow: The Ultimate Weapon, is a 2011 South Korean period action film starring Park Hae-il, Ryu Seung-ryong and Moon Chae-won. Set after the Second Manchu invasion of Korea, the film is about an archer who risks his life to save his sister from slavery under Qing-Prince Dorgon's rule.
Praised by critics for its fast pacing and combat sequences, the film drew an audience of 7.48 million, making it the highest grossing Korean film of 2011. It was also honored at the 48th Grand Bell Awards and the 32nd Blue Dragon Film Awards, including Best Actor for Park, Best Supporting Actor for Ryu, and Best New Actress for Moon. The film is also notable for the rare use of the Manchu language in some of its dialogue.

Plot

The film begins with two children Nam-yi and Ja-in being chased by King Injo's guards and saved by their father Choi Pyeong-ryung, an officer of King Gwanghae and a skilled archer. He sends his own children to find a place of refuge with his best friend Kim Mu-seon. As they escape crying, Ja-in begs her brother to go back to their father but their father is killed in front of Nam-yi. Nam-yi, though bitten by the guard dogs, kills them and escapes with Ja-in.
Nam-yi becomes the only family Ja-in has. 13 years later Nam-yi is now a skilled archer and hunter. He hunts with companions Gang-du, Gab-yong, and Seo-goon. He learns from Mu-seon's son Seo-goon that he and Ja-in plan to get married, with the approval of Mu-seon who is also Ja-in's godfather. He is very unhappy about this.
During the wedding, Nam-yi is up in the mountains hunting deer. He hears the rumble of the Manchu invading forces. When Nam-yi makes it back to the village, he finds his foster father slaughtered and his sister taken away. Nam-yi then sets out to find the Qing army and take out their army with his bow. He ambushes a scouting party, and the royal guard set out to find him.
Before being trapped in Manchuria, the prisoners rebel, with Nam-yi coming at the nick of time to save Seo-goon and free the rest of the prisoners. The Royal Guard again come to the field late, but see the distinctive red arrows. Nam-yi, Seo-goon, Gang-du, and Gab-yong, seek out the Manchu camp, finding it well guarded and Ja-in still alive. The great commander of the Qing army, Jyuushinta rides with the Palace guard. Nam-yi captures the Manchu prince, douses him with alcohol, and holds him hostage until sun rise until his sister and Seo-goon can escape, promising to meet them at a hut. He then sets the prince and his tent on fire, sowing chaos in the camp.
Jyuushinta arrives at the camp at daybreak, to find it disarray, with the prince dead.
Jyuushinta then sets out to find Nam-yi.
Gang-du and Gab-yong both sacrifice themselves biding Nam-yi time. At a gorge, Nam-yi leaps across and is pinned down by the Manchu before they decide to cross. As they cross, he is able to kill three of them, but refuses to kill Jyuushinta, though the opportunity presents itself. At the rendezvous hut, two Manchu ambush Seo-goon and Ji-an, but are killed.
On the other side of the gorge, Nam-yi runes to the top of a ridge and as he does so, gets shot in the arm. Though Nam-yi is shot in the arm, he is able to lure a tiger to attack the Manchu in a canyon, and allude again them while taking a few of their dropped arrows.
After escaping, he fashions a tongah arrow guide to shoot a short arrow and uses it to wound the last member of the group. He then uses a broadtip arrow to dispatch the soldier that attempts to pick him. Finally, predicting where Jyuushinta is placed, he bends the trajectory of his last arrow. Jyuushinta is saved by his mute serviceman.
Nam-yi rides away to find Ja-in as he assumes that Jyuushinta is dead. Meanwhile, Nam-yi finds Ja-in in a field. They are about to reunite when Ja-in sees Jyuushinta aiming at Nam-yi from a cliff. But before the arrow hits, Ja-in shoots the horse and Nam-yi falls. As Nam-yi and Jyuushinta face off, Ja-in runs in between them. Nam-yi's arrow barely touches Ja-in's dress, but Jyuushinta's finds its mark. It goes through Ja-in, and into Nam-yi's heart. Despite Ja-in's protests, Nam-yi pulls it out, and shoots Jyuushinta with it. Jyuushinta falls to the ground and dies. Nam-yi falls down as well but Ja-in catches him on her lap. Nam-yi says that they should go back to their old home in Hanyang before dying.
Ja-in lays Nam-yi into a boat and she and Seo-goon cross back over the river into their homeland.

Cast