During the Korean Unusual wave, the country has advance out with accurate phenomenal dramas, dread, and a few swordplay epics. Two of the more successful films of Korean epics are the terrific Period adventure film “Musa the Warrior” and the Wuxia Fantasy Myth “Bichunmoo”. There have also been other attempts to construct a Wuxia memoir and most of them are either a hit or a miss. “Shadowless Sword” (aka. Muyeong Geom, retitled “Story of Shadowless Sword”) is from Kim Yung-jun, the same director of “Bichunmoo”. This film fares a lot better when in regards to screenplay and action sequences compared to Kim`s first Wuxia film. The direction is mighty more coherent and solid this time. Action Junkies will certainly be entertained with this film, even though it was released 3 years ago in 2005 (despite Unique Line has invested in this film, it is now only getting a U.S. release? ), the film detached stands as one of the most bewitching Wuxia epics I’ve seen from South Korea.
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10th century Korea, the Balhae Dynasty have all but fallen due to an invasion. Resistance fighters are hard pressed to score a original leader when all members of the Royal family have perished achieve one; Prince Jeong Hyeon (Seo Jin Lee) . To avoid attention, a lone female warrior named Soha (Yoon So-yi, ARAHAN) is dispatched to collect the Prince. Unbeknownst to her, the self-exiled Prince has become a dealer of dilapidated goods and have no intensions of returning to royalty. To effect matters more complicated, the Killer Blade Army led by Gun Hwa-Pyeong (Hyeong Jun-Shin) with his second in command; heavenly Mae (Ki-Yong Lee) is also on the slump of the Prince to destroy him. Soha must convince the wayward prince unprejudiced how primary he is to her country’s fate, awaken his fighting skills and protect him from the Killer Blade army.
While “Bichunmoo” had a more intricate storyline, its script was almost impossible to follow. Kim Yung-jun’s second film has a larger budget and his directorial skills seems to have been honed. “Shadowless Sword” (I engage to call it by its fresh title) has a simple storyline and is very predictable. No surprises can be had with this film, the film is actually a sail film; the two leads are being pursued all over while fighting their plot wait on to Balhae. The usual formulas are omnipresent, Soha and Prince Jeong salvage each other; they bond and learn to care for each other with the usual twists in their past relationship. Its predictability may be somewhat disappointing if one is expecting a more complex script. However, the two leads are well-developed and the film’s scamper and style is mesmerizing enough that the film is never lifeless and tiring,.
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The film’s main intention and its greatest strength will have to its nicely executed swordplay and fight sequences. There are lots of nifty forest battles and a nicely shot underwater fight (although this may require a suspension of disbelief) . The encounters between women-warriors Soha and Mae are truly curious and quite titillating. Their fights are beautifully shot, well-choreographed and intense. It was no accident that So-yi Yoon was cast as our female heroine after her performance in the action-fantasy “Arahan”. The actress is charismatic, agile and once again proves that she is pleasant in the film’s physical aspects. Lee Ki-Yong also proves a valid rival, she is in every blueprint Soha’s equal in martial arts skills. The film has a lot of fights and frosty poses; even shurikens are thrown, high-flying Martial Arts are the film’s style of fighting and rivals those seen in some of the best Chinese Wuxia epics. I’ve noticed that Korean filmmakers have started to evolve their beget ’stylized’ blood splattering effects, this time with a lot of “explosive” attitude.
While Yoon So-yi and Lee Ki-yong does undoubtedly rob the exhibit, the main villain, played by Hyeong Jun Shin (Bichunmoo) is an almost identical twin to the villain in “Gingko Bed”. I’m not determined, the actor does a decent job with his character overall, but something about the `eye-liner’ honest turns me off. Gun Hwa-Pyeong is more than a one-dimensional villain, his goals and motives are actually one that can generate sympathy but I vow there are men who can pull off `mascara’ and there are those who can’t. Seo jin Lee does hold the movie piquant, his character’s devices to avoid his would-be protector and his assailants manages to add more depth to the film’s simple place. Also, Prince Jeong’s change in attitude and his past does give some added `meat’ to its site. The most underused character is Mae, her character has a lot of potential but she seemed underdeveloped. The woman is steady to Kun but their relationship does leave the reasons to mere assumptions by the audience.
The film also has cleverly paced bits of satire in the first half as our two leads encounter a gang led by a character who looks like the Korean knock-off of “Captain Jack Sparrow” that made me crack up. The interlude where Soha and Prince Jeong encounter a band of bandits who examine like `tribute’ characters to “House of Flying Daggers” is a nice touch. The film is focused in its direction and the area designs are also quite agreeable. The costumes are define enough to map attention and yet, they don`t explore too superficial.
A film like “Shadowless Sword” will either shine or fail with its promise of pure action entertainment and on this promise it didn`t falter. The film is loaded with highly stylized martial arts that would definitely more than earn up for its faults. The movements are proper and splendid enough while maintaining its hard-hitting intensity. Many would compare it to “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” which would be unfair (personally, I wasn’t really that impressed with that movie) . It`s a different film entirely and “Shadowless Sword” does stand on its enjoy. If you want a lot of nicely shot stylized martial arts then this film will not disappoint.
“SHADOWLESS SWORD” is a mammoth entry to Korea’s foray into Wuxia/Swordplay adventure. The film is definitely intriguing and palatable from beginning to waste. The director’s slash clocks in at 2 hours, and the direction is to be commended that it feels like it was a mere 90 minutes. Its abundance in action sequences, bits of humor, eye-candy wirework, the film goes at a slide that exudes pure entertainment that I forgave the perfunctory romance and almost too melodramatic ending.
I’ve said before in my previous review and I’ll say it again: “It’s the Best South Korean Wuxia Swordplay Fantasy Adventure I’ve seen thus far!”…and I’ve seen them all.
Highly Recommended! [4 Stars]
“The Myth of the Shadowless Sword” would be considered among the greatest wuxia epics of our time but for one limited detail: the world has already experienced the unspeakable brilliance of films like Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. And create no mistake, this film is Korea’s attempt to duplicate the success of these recent classics both artistically and financially. The result is an almost-great film steeped in female empowerment, classic martial-arts philosophy, and Korean history that only missed classic situation by a decade or so.
First off, let me say that the leading ladies of “Shadowless” are improbable. Yun So-i is luminous as Soha, a female warrior tasked with bringing an exiled prince encourage home after an organization known as The Killer Blade Army murders the entirety of the royal family, leaving him as the only successor to the throne. Soha and the prince, Jeong-Heyon (played by Lee Seo-jin) who is also quite the fighter, are tracked and ambushed by the Killer Blades led by a seriously vamped-out lady killer. The confrontations between the opposing sword-wielding visions of beauty provide some seriously consuming duels that are on par with the best of the genre.
The heart of the narrative largely focuses on the classical myth/philosophy of Asian swordplay that each blade has within it an faulty spirit that gathers strength as it drinks human blood. This spirit is said to be able to envelope and occupy it’s user once it gathers enough strength through death and suffering. This is a fabulous metaphor for the accomplish taking a life has on a person’s being. What better diagram to destroy one’s gain soul than by slaughtering so many as to becomes altogether indifferent to suffering? This is the essence of scandalous. Soho’s philosophy -bequeathed to her at a young age by a passing hero- is that if the sword is taken up only to protect that which is precious and not to do afflict that the shade within will come by no power from the act of killing. Thus, a profitable warrior has a shadowless sword.
The coolest thing about “Shadowless” is arguably the costumes. Every scene features some of the most visually arresting outfits and uniforms I’ve ever seen in this kind of film. Sizable thumbs up on that. The movie itself looks fabulous and very polished, though many of the scenes feel like retreads of previous wuxia films. There is an challenging underwater battle that could have been bright if not for the ridiculous search for of dozens of ninjas sailing over the river throwing hundreds of shurikens into the water for several minutes on ruin. How many of those things do they preserve on them at one time anyways? There are some other over-the-top moments that may accomplish one judge of Fist of the North Star and the delayed explosions that resulted from the combat in that classic anime cheesefest. But timed detonations somehow develop even less sense when they are inflicted by a sword. What, chopping a guy’s head off or bisecting him at the waist or even vertically isn’t reliable enough anymore? These are a few of the problems that hold “The Memoir of the Shadowless Sword” out of the same league as the current works of art it emulates. The adore narrative is unconvincing after having seen the wonderful beauty of House of Flying Daggers, and the fights -while highly entertaining- are simply not as satisfactory as those in “Crouching Tiger”.
In spite of it’s few flaws, I would qualify “The Memoir of the Shadowless Sword” as a must-see for fans of martial-arts or Asian cinema in general. This one won’t relish the crossover appeal of the movies I name-checked earlier, but it should thoroughly satisfy fans of the wuxia genre. Not perfect, but ample of being mentioned in the same breath as some of the greats.
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