A handful of Netflix shows and movies become massive global hits every month. With even more projects have managed to fly beneath the radar, fans often overlook for shows like Song of the Bandits (2023).
It's been a few years since Song of the Bandits premiered, but it's a wonderful western miniseries that was shot and produced in South Korea. It received great acclaim from critics as an action-packed affair that brims with filmmaking brilliance around every corner of production.
Far from the first time Netflix produced a western show—others include Godless (2017) and the last two Longmire (2012-2017) seasons—this series does stand out for being set in Korea, a country that isn't typically associated with their work in this particular genre. While it may not be set on the American frontier, Song of the Bandits qualifies as a western for multifarious reasons, and it deserves more love in the genre's grand scheme.
What is Song of the Bandits?
After the Korean Empire government's had been dismantled in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War, many residents relocated to a Chinese town called Gando, which is situated on the Tumen River's northern bank. It's here that a righteous army is formed to establish Korean independence, and they're led in Song of the Bandits by Lieutenant Lee Yoon, who's played by Kim Nam-gil to a captivating extent.
An endearing but troubled character, he's a former Japanese soldier who initially sets his sights on Gando to locate a man from his past, and along the way, Yoon encounters an assassin who was hired to hunt him down. That's the first of many antagonistic parties, who Lee Yoon is forced to face throughout his treacherous journey.
Bandits come into play, as the series title suggests, along with members of the Korean Independence Army and even some Japanese troops. Lots of characters to keep up with, but they each play a significant part in a plot that's perfectly paced, with well-established dynamics creating a chemistry on multiple fronts.
Respective actors also perform to valiant extents, none more so than the show's fearless lead. Given a masterclass performance, Kim Nam-gil brings an emotional resonance through nuanced expressions, conveying information without even uttering a word, sending shock waves through a scene with a simple blink of his eyes. His performance is one of the many highlights the series has to offer, with Song of the Bandits being worth a watch for Nam-gil's efforts alone.
Why you need to watch A Song of Bandits
Topics of class and race and religion swell to the surface of well-written, introspective dialogue, which is delivered by a fascinating roster of original characters. This story may be rooted in history, but the plot is entirely fictional. Masterful dialogue highlights its quality in many respects, but for what it’s worth, Song of the Bandits is packed with action, as well.
Focusing on violence makes for indelible set pieces replete with high-stakes intensity, but also shows the rough-and-tough nature of this particular period in time. Moments of nonviolent tension are achieved through distorted elements of sound design and slow-motion camera shots that position the viewer in a state of psychological unease.
Scored by Kim Jang-woo and shot by Han Jung-hoon, the western miniseries Song of the Bandits featured world-class technique around every corner of its concentrated production. Western fans will resonate with Kim’s score from the pilot’s opening scene, and the gorgeous sets in Song of the Bandits will create a wonderful Wild West atmosphere, as if a tumbleweed could roll through the background of any given shot.
This is also achieved through an emphasis on gunplay, and a series of plot points that add nuances to the motif of good versus evil, heroes versus villains. Insurgents versus bandits, who fight for the betterment of others and themselves, respectively. Lead character Lee Yoon assembles a team of specialists, and thrilling plot points play out until the final frame of the ninth and final episode.
While some fans took issue with a posited anticlimax within the season finale, the plot to that point surely kept them on tenterhooks thanks to witty dialogue, brilliant performances, unexpected twists, and rip-roaring set pieces. Action scenes are brimming with aestheticized violence and unique tactics of filmmaking, while intense moments also play out consistently with dialogue.
Humorous, poignant, thrilling, and romantic, it runs the perfect gamut of emotion while maintaining a strict adherence to storytelling structure, resulting in an all-time great of the genre despite its lack of name value. Critics were high on its quality, with such names as Joel Keller and Carmen Chin giving rave reviews for their respective outlets, Decider and NME. Their praise was well warranted, but in the end, critical acclaim couldn’t save Song of the Bandits from coming up short in name value.
It’s in reality among the highest-quality products that Netflix has ever produced, be it a TV show in question or even a motion picture. All that said, it’s been three years since Song of the Bandits released, which means that there’s still time aplenty for this unsung western miniseries to finally gain some steam. Here’s hoping it accrues a devout cult following at some point down the line.