This is director Kim Jee-woon’s western film, which is the 21st century adaptation of the Manchuria western films featured in Korea’s film history during the 1960s. Since the beginning of its production, the film received attention for its interpretation of the forgotten genre and for its enormous production costs. Set in Manchuria in the 1930s, three men unfold their actions, each of their styles naturally projecting their unique characters. Bounty hunter Park Do-won, gives body to a stylish justiceoriented guy using the long-barreled rifle. Bandit leader Park Chang-ee is the typical bad guy figure using the knife. Robbing the train all by himself, the strange guy Yoon Tae-gu is a character possessing skills in adapting himself to any situation. The three characters go after the Japanese army’s map, each with different purposes. Director Kim Jee-woon is more interested in taking in the elements of the genre rather than the structure of the drama. He has endlessly pursued change from comedy films to thrillers, to noire films and even an unreleased SF film, and now this western film. Rather than newly interpreting these genre films, he approaches them by endowing modern sophistication, which can also be vividly seen in this film. (LEE Sang-yong)