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The Great Battle

Name: The Great Battle
Director: Kim Kwang-sik
Released: 2018
Duration: 135 min

Representation Score

4.5/10

Fair

2018

Director

Kim Kwang-sik

Runtime

135 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Great Battle succeeds in disrupting the Western-centric monopoly on the heroic defense genre. By centering the Goguryeo Kingdom's resistance against the Tang Dynasty, it offers a robust depiction of East Asian sovereignty and regional ability to act. However, the film remains deeply rooted in traditional 7th-century social structures. This results in a lack of representation for LGBTQ+ identities and a heavy reliance on male-dominated military hierarchies for its primary character's ability to drive the story. Ultimately, the film functions as a traditional historical epic. It prioritizes national identity and martial values over the deconstruction of modern social hierarchies or identity politics.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Great Battle have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on military strategy and martial prowess. There is no visible presence of non-traditional gender identities or same-sex relationships within the plot.

How does The Great Battle portray gender?

Fair

Leadership is centered on General Yang Man-chu and a male-dominated military hierarchy. While the community's survival involves various social strata, tactical roles remain primarily male.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Great Battle?

Good

The story provides a vital departure from Western-centric epics by centering East Asian historical ability to act. It portrays a non-Western power resisting the expansionist Tang Dynasty.

How does The Great Battle represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative explores collective resistance against the encroaching Tang Empire. It frames the defense of Ansi as a struggle for survival against centralized imperial imposition.

Does The Great Battle include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence of physical or neurodivergent disabilities serving as central character arcs or plot devices.

Present on Screen

Provides a necessary counter-narrative to Eurocentric historical epics.
Offers a robust depiction of East Asian historical ability to act and sovereignty.
Explores themes of collective resistance against imperialist expansion.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional gender characters.
Relies on male-dominated hierarchies for tactical and narrative roles.
Does not engage with modern sociological critiques of historical structures.

Official Synopsis

Kingdom of Goguryeo, ancient Korea, 645. The ruthless Emperor Taizong of Tang invades the country and leads his armies towards the capital, achieving one victory after another, but on his way is the stronghold of Ansi, protected by General Yang Man-chu, who will do everything possible to stop the invasion, even if his troops are outnumbered by thousands of enemies.

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