Wei Te-Sheng had this movie planned way before his hit movie "Cape No.7" which was a big hit. And his efforts really shows in this movie, it's basically a high budget epic from taiwan that is most definitely worth watching. On the exterior it might seem like another historical movie about Japanese occupation and invasion and how they mistreated, enslaved and also raped the people on the land they invaded. While also taking away their tradition, culture, language and freedom. Thus making the people rise up and throw a rebellion and fight the Japanese for justice, pride and freedom. But this movie has a lot of interior elements as well. It really does a good job of now going down a narrow rebellion movie but brings out the scars, the harshness and manly pride. Some scenes are uncomfortable to see but it shows the brutality and the length the rebels are willing to go. The movie takes place in taiwan during the 1895 and 1945 on a land where two tribes use to fight each other. but what happens when a more menacing enemy comes to enslave all of them? This movie is simply very well crafted with good pacing and editing. Wei Te-Sheng seems like a talented director and I am grateful that his vision his got from a comic book came to life on the big screen. This feels kind of like a taiwanese version of the movie "300" except with more substance and emotion with scars going for it. Highly recommended to anyone that enjoys historical movies with some realistic guerrilla battle tactics.
8.2/10
8.2/10