I do like a good historical epic and it's a truth that nobody makes them quite like they do in Asia. Over the past decade, the genre has flourished since the success of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, and while I don't like that particular film very much, I've absolutely adored some of the others that have followed. These titles include HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS and CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER. As a viewer, I'm always drawn slightly away from the wuxia genre (I'm no big fan of the wire work you see in these movies) in favour of the grittier, more realistic genre films like THE WARLORDS. MUSA is such a film, a Korean epic that focuses on realism and crucial believability throughout.
In essence it's a familiar story about a group of highly skilled and diverse warriors attempting to protect a princess while battling an evil general and his small army on their tale. Some say it's like Kurosawa, with the superficial similarities to SEVEN SAMURAI on show. I disagree. MUSA is a firmly modern, action-focused epic which is all about the battles and the swordplay, and anyone who thinks otherwise is mistaken. The good news is that these scenes are tremendous, veering on the right side in terms of the editing, which is fast but allows you to actually see what's going on. The battle choreography is stupendous and there's all manner of fighting involved. There's a particular emphasis on cool weaponry (high-powered bows, a massive spear) and also on the wounds inflicted by these cruel weapons. This ain't PG-fare; it's one of the bloodiest historical epics out there and I'm still trying to figure out how they achieved the brilliant arrow-in-the-neck special effects.
It's a rare film that succeeds through action alone, but there's far more to MUSA than just that. The simple journey storyline allows for plenty of character arcs and development, and it's refreshing to see a film where characters aren't as clear cut as you might expect. People make mistakes and people die because of those mistakes, but these flawed characters are all the more gripping because of that. My favourite is a case in point: Joo Jin-mo's general, who's a truly noble good guy despite the errors of judgement he sometimes makes. The rest of the cast don't disappoint either, and Zhang Ziyi is particularly good in a role that allows her to take a break from the martial arts for once.
There are three main backdrops to the unfolding story, and each of them seems fresh and unique. The first is a shifting desert landscape, the second an extensive woodland, and the third a ruined castle on the coast. There's a particular emphasis on the visual scenes and the costumes look stunning. Despite a long running time, this is engaging throughout, building up to a classic climax in which many of the good guys die bloodily and heroically. As a film, MUSA blows SEVEN SWORDS clean out of the water.
In essence it's a familiar story about a group of highly skilled and diverse warriors attempting to protect a princess while battling an evil general and his small army on their tale. Some say it's like Kurosawa, with the superficial similarities to SEVEN SAMURAI on show. I disagree. MUSA is a firmly modern, action-focused epic which is all about the battles and the swordplay, and anyone who thinks otherwise is mistaken. The good news is that these scenes are tremendous, veering on the right side in terms of the editing, which is fast but allows you to actually see what's going on. The battle choreography is stupendous and there's all manner of fighting involved. There's a particular emphasis on cool weaponry (high-powered bows, a massive spear) and also on the wounds inflicted by these cruel weapons. This ain't PG-fare; it's one of the bloodiest historical epics out there and I'm still trying to figure out how they achieved the brilliant arrow-in-the-neck special effects.
It's a rare film that succeeds through action alone, but there's far more to MUSA than just that. The simple journey storyline allows for plenty of character arcs and development, and it's refreshing to see a film where characters aren't as clear cut as you might expect. People make mistakes and people die because of those mistakes, but these flawed characters are all the more gripping because of that. My favourite is a case in point: Joo Jin-mo's general, who's a truly noble good guy despite the errors of judgement he sometimes makes. The rest of the cast don't disappoint either, and Zhang Ziyi is particularly good in a role that allows her to take a break from the martial arts for once.
There are three main backdrops to the unfolding story, and each of them seems fresh and unique. The first is a shifting desert landscape, the second an extensive woodland, and the third a ruined castle on the coast. There's a particular emphasis on the visual scenes and the costumes look stunning. Despite a long running time, this is engaging throughout, building up to a classic climax in which many of the good guys die bloodily and heroically. As a film, MUSA blows SEVEN SWORDS clean out of the water.