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The Warrior [2001]


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Epic Quest
Review date: 2008-06-26 Rating: 8 out of 10

In the late 14th century, when the Yuan Dynasty was fading and was quickly being replaced by the rising Ming Dynasty, there were plenty of intrigues afoot. One of which was a small envoy sent from Korea to present a gift of horses to Hongwu, the Ming emporer. No one knows what happened to the envoy as it was never seen or heard from again. This film is an imagining of what happened to them.

Enter Musa, a warrior. He is a slave who is set free when his owner (a member of the Korean peace delegation) dies. He helps the envoy battle through a fierce and inhospitable land as they struggle to make it back to their homeland. On the way they find Bu Yong, a princess of the Ming Dynasty, who was being held captive. They decide to try to curry favour with Hongwu by returning her back to the palace.

Musa (aka 'The Warrior') is a stunning piece of Korean cinema. It is beautiful and cinematic. The storyline is captivating, even if the characters are difficult to connect with in any real emotional way. The one thing that I found truly disappointing about this film is the complete under-utilisation of Ziyi Zhang (who starred in 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and 'House of Flying Daggers'). It is also very violent and bloody, so it's not for those who have squeamish stomachs. Nevertheless, I would still recommend watching this film if you ever get the chance.

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Reviews


Eye of an Eagle and Stealth of a Lion
Review date: 2008-02-02 Rating: 10 out of 10

The year is 1375 A.D. the Yuan and Ming dynasties are at war ... General Choi and his warriors arrive from Korea to help the Ming dynasties. They arrive in a city, are taken to a temple and ambushed. They are exiled to a desert where they are left to die ... The desert dunes contrast sharply with the authentic costumes of the soldiers ... The camera captures the naked beauty of the desert as the sun beats down on the weary and starving warriors ...

The warriors arrive at a camp on the side of a mountain where they are met with suspicion. They show their letter of passage. A Buddhist monk comes to their rescue and offers them food and drink. Their decision is to go to Xian Dao which is a 20 day journey and then return to Korea. On the long journey, an elderly Korean man when he is near death, releases his slave into freedom, telling everyone Yeosol is now a freeman. Mongolian soldiers attack the encampment and a bloody fight ensues ... While the Koreans were battle ready, amazingly, among them the former slave, Yeosol, proves himself to be an unusually skilled fighter. It is discovered the Mongolians of the Yuan dynasty have a royal prisoner, the Princess of the Ming dynasty. Undetected by her captors, she skillfully drops a handkerchief with a message written in blood which Yoso manages to retrieve. The Koreans see an opportunity to prove their worthiness to the Ming Dynasty. They create a distraction and capture the Princess. Yeosol demonstrates great heroism in his daring efforts to fight the Mongolians and save the Princess.

Primarily, the film is about how the Koryo (the group of Korean warriors) evade the Yuans or engage them in battle - all this on behalf of the royal prisoner whom they saved ... and among the Koryo, Yeosol proves to be a rare and most courageous fighter. There are realistic fight scenes which are well within the context of the film but may be too gruesome and gorry for some viewers. Yeosol, the freed slave proves invaluable to the Koreans. His fighting skills far exceed those of any other soldier among the Korean warriors. However, General Choi continues to view him as a slave by the Korean laws ... despite his Master having provided him freedom. The Koreans plan to get to a river which they will cross to get to Nanching. Unfortunately, the Mongolians thwart their efforts by killing nearly everyone in the villages which are located on the river. Surviving villagers join the Koreans as they march on thorugh forests to protect their lives from the invaders. They are awed by the fact they are protecting the Princess of the Ming dynsasty.

Sadly, the Mongolians continue to advance and battle with the diminishing group of survivors. The remaining villagers and Korean warriors make it to a river embankment where a Ming fortress becomes their shelter. Unfortunately, the Mongolians create a camp on a nearby hill top, planning an invasion. The courage of the villagers and Korean warriors in fighting the Mongolians is awe-inspiring ... It becomes a battle to the end.

The intersecting story line of three groups of warriors, the Ming, the Yuan, and the Koryo (Korean warriors) who fight to save the royal captor sounds like a simple story ... but it is not. There are complex subplots which are subtley revealed as the story unfolds before the viewer's eyes. There are hidden nuances and underlying depths - revealed by the camera. The camera captures short views of faces showing emotional depth and meaning, especially between Yeosol, the former slave and Princess, Bu-Yong. The camera hones in on fight scenes between individuals in a manner which makes the viewer feel as if they were actually there. The amazing capability of the Koreans to capture the Ming Princess and protect her is worth viewing. They march through unknown territory against a menacing enemy. The battle for life is revealed in unimaginable ways. The loyalty of the villagers and the dedication and perseverance of the Korean warriors ... is very inspiring. One learns so much about the human spirit and courage in a film like this. One also learns how hierarchy and politics affect the soldier and common man alike. At one point, the Princess was willing to give herself up to the enemy, the Mongolians, when she recognized how many lives were sacrificed on her behalf. She saw how many had died so she may be protected and live. It is quite a revelelation to discover how she was captured in the first place by the Yuans, the Mongolians. This is superbly filmed war epic which depicts extraordinairy cultural reality. It is most highly recommended. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

Not a martial arts film,and all the better for it
Review date: 2007-06-12 Rating: 8 out of 10

Anyone expecting and wanting more Wu Xhia, in the vein of 'Hero' or 'Crouching Tiger' should look elsewhere, because while this has fighting and blood by the bucketful, it is not that sort of film at all,and distributors have done it no favours by trying to promote it on that basis.
In some ways it's more akin to a Sergio Leone Western made by Kurosawa, with its largely desert setting - by the time we reach the Clay Fort at the end it feels like the Alamo....although is technically Ming China.
Unlike more overtly genre pictures from Hong Kong, this Korean film actually has some great (if understated) acting, and a script that includes complex and sophisticated characters; there are no crude heroes and villains but a gradual development of the protagonists' motivation and character flaws.
Great photography, good script, but perhaps a bit long - but overall, well worth seeing

Not very good actually
Review date: 2007-02-16 Rating: 4 out of 10

Given the reviews already written I was expecting a breathtaking film. Actually what I got was rubbish. The opening 30 mins is fine because you at least have to give a film a chance to capture your imagination.

Unfortunately, this film gets worse and worse. As has been described a band of Korean warriors stumble across a Ming Princess. Anyway, they decide to try and return her to the Ming court to win favour. To cut a long story short they end up in a ruined castle where they are besieged by a horde of Mongol warriors whom seem to amount to 20 one minute then 2000 the next. Given that they all seem to live in two Mongol tents on the crest of a hill it's a wonder where they all come from at times.

Although the action scenes are quite dramatic and well choreographed, the logic behind the battles is appalling. One minute we see an archer firing off an amazing shot to take an enemy rider and the next moment he stands idly on the parapet watching his mates get killed about 50 yards away.

In the end the film becomes hilariously absurd. If you're expecting a film like the far superior Hero, you will be horribly disappointed. AVOID like a well aimed arrow!

So much honour
Review date: 2007-01-14 Rating: 8 out of 10

The film follows a Korean peace delegation sent to make peace with the Ming dynasty. Unfortunately their plans are thwarted and they find themselves trudging across the desert desperate to make it home to Korea. They are led by the General who is a handsome young man who has a point to prove but in so doing gradually loses the respect of the men he is supposed to lead.

Amongst the group is a young slave who has a great sense of honour and is also a master with a spear. When they come across a group of Mongol warriors who have taken hostage the princess of the Ming dynasty, the Korean warriors steal her away in the belief that they will win favour with Ming. Both the General and the slave boy develop a thing for the princess who is played by Ziyi Zhang (is she the only Chinese actress in the world? She's in every Asian film!)

The Korean warriors go on the run from the Mongol warriors who want the princess back. Each of the main character's has to battle to discover the true sense of honour. The princess blames herself for causing so much trouble, the General wants to be the best warrior he can be and the slave wants to be free and find honour by doing the right thing. Unfortunately there is no love scene and there are only meangingful glances and unspoken words. The film leaves you feeling that everything was futile but then maybe that's the point. Once again a brilliant Asian film, although with the likes of 'Hero', 'House of Flying Daggers' and others, this is likely to be overlooked.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Sung-Ki Ahn
Joo Jin-mo
Jung Woo-Sung
Ziyi Zhang

Creators:
Jung Woo-Sung (Primary Contributor)
Joo Jin-mo (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Contender Entertainment Group
Manufacturer: Contender Entertainment Group
EAN: 5030305511555
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2006-09-25
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Running time: 127 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2001
Language: English (Original Language)

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