Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Murphy Howard I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Derek Childs (totalovrdose) The Sword With No Name is both a historic reenactment, and a romantic narrative, regarding a dark time in Korea's past, the love story being the driving force that makes this feature so enjoyable. Despite sporting costumes that are as attractive as they are vividly colorful, several of the small settings, alongside the depiction of events, where obviously significantly more people would be attending (as an example, during ceremonies and upon the battlefield), suggest the budget of the film, which is heightened by the use of computer generated effects for at least half of the fight scenes. In so doing, although entertaining, the addendum these are not executed with wires or other like real-world mechanics, forbids these particular encounters from being realistic. The soundtrack during these moments however, is quite immersive, though it is the score accompanying the film's emotional segments that strongly deserves kudos.The occasionally humorous, and more light-hearted moments, do not take away from the seriousness of the feature, instead strengthening the relationship between the two lead characters, though at the same time, there are certain exchanges that seem to contain little pertinence. During one scene, the Queen is presented with the skin of a tiger, however, never does this make a reappearance, despite the suggested importance conveyed during an exchange of dialogue.Moving on, Cho Seung-Woo is especially enjoyable in his portrayal of Mu-Myeong, the mysterious, expertly trained fighter, who develops an infatuation for the Queen. His unwavering dedication, and willingness to sacrifice his own existence is well articulated, his feelings being realistically portrayed, furthering the believability of his character. The magnificently beautiful Soo-Ae as Queen Myeongsong exhibits intellect, compassion and professionalism in her role, heightening the courage and confidence she reveals in the depiction of this historic figure. Due to my lacking knowledge on the historical period, I may question the Queen's willingness to spend time with (no offense intended) a lowly commoner like Myeong, though the feelings she demonstrates for his character appear very legitimate, which ultimately build upon her character's ability to proudly serve.This however is potentially hindered by the intensity of the sex scene. It is by no means explicit, though the screams of raucous passion, the fierceness of the bodily thrusts, and the vision of intertwined limbs, has a way of stealing the focus of the film. Despite serving a purpose, which is well executed (though at the same time highly exaggerated), the belief viewers may have held prior to the scene might be diminished, or perhaps compromised, and I personally found myself questioning the necessity of such a scene.Moving on, the King's father, the influential Dae Won Kun (Cheon Ho-Jin) largely appears indecisive and spontaneous over the course of the feature, this especially due to the lack of exploration or presence his character receives in contrast with the two leads, an argument that can be potentially made about other characters. Noe Jeon (Choi Jae-Woong) as the expert swordsman, exhibits multiple agendas that audiences may have difficulty placing, while King Gojong (Kim Young-Min) appears as a jealous coward on more than one occasion, with potentially nefarious motives up his sleeve, the few scenes he is given being barely enough to reveal him as a leader. Such characters needed extra screen time in order to make their personalities and intentions more comprehensible. Similar remarks can be made about the interpretation regarding the invading Japanese, who are presented as arrogant, selfish and violent offenders, the solely Korean perspective prohibiting viewers from accurately gauging a complete awareness of their intentions. This lacking information is furthered by the addendum that several sub-plots are unresolved by the conclusion, though those familiar with the period may be privy to such knowledge.Despite the occasional lack of context, and a couple, potentially unnecessary moments, The Sword With No Name tells a very well developed story of unrequited love that may be quite relatable to viewers who have experienced similar emotional strife. The acting by the leads is one of the feature's most powerful qualities, further strengthening the film's most dramatic moments, while keeping us vested until the final poignant sequence.

F. Y. This movie is so bad that I couldn't finish it. Believe me; I tried, suffering through an hour and 30 minutes of it. And even though there were only about 20 minutes of torture left, I just couldn't do that to myself. So this review isn't for the ending of the movie, which may have been the sweet ending to the very-sour beginning. I will never know.As another reviewer mentioned, the editing of this film isn't very good. It terribly disrupts the flow of the story lines. Because of this, I simply couldn't "fall" into the plot and follow our protagonists along their journey.When editing fails, the chemistry between the actors must pick up in order to make up for the audience investment. But don't expect that here. There was no chemistry between our star-crossed lovers, the Queen and the Bounty Hunter, making their romance unbelievable. And when that force of attraction isn't there to push the story along, the whole movie falls apart.That isn't to discredit the acting. I thought the actress who played the Queen did a good job emoting depths of feelings, while the actor who played the Bounty Hunter was decent in his own right. Perhaps one should blame the casting director for putting two actors who didn't possess the magnetic pull towards each other into these roles.As for the fight scenes? Less than mediocre. I always enjoy action, especially well-choreographed fight scenes. The ones in this film are far less than impressive. "Hit me here. Hit me there. I'll tumble here. And... we're done." I've been on a binge of South Korean movies lately, and I have been impressed by the acting, story lines, directing and editing for the most part. But The Sword with No Name is a stinker.

kira-lee I've been watching more of the films out of South Korea lately, and have largely been impressed by the skill -- in acting, directing, and special effects -- that is apparent in many of the titles. This one is certainly no exception.Having said that, I can't really speak to the historical accuracy of it. The central female character, the Queen, definitely existed and the film does seem to follow the rough details of how she influenced Korean history, but my impression is that some finer details may have been sacrificed in order to produce a more compelling film.The filmography is beautiful, a blend of beautiful nature shots that make you feel like you're in the Korean countryside, quiet court scenes and almost Matrix-esque swordfight scenes that still flow together seamlessly.The only difficulties I had with this movie were that, as with most subtitled films, sometimes it's difficult to follow exactly who the various characters are and the subtler nuances of what they are saying.Overall a very well-done film that is well worth the 2 hours spent watching it.

BronzeKeilani26 Director Kim Yong-gyoon's tale played out as a fascinating driven journey blending swordplay, high romance, and politics with nice action sequences and mind-boggling scenery! An excellent biopic of the beautiful & strong-willed 15 yr old consort of King Kojong from the Yi period, played by the Korea's enchanting Jae-woong Choi. It revolves around a 15 yr old girl named Ja-young, who later is crowned Queen Myeongseong, considered a national heroine in South Korea today, and her bodyguard, Moo-myoung. Moo-myoung starts off as a Joseon dynasty headhunter who tracks down fugitives and lives off their rewards. One day, he encounters a beautiful noble girl, Ja-young, and falls in love with her. A few years later, Ja-young enters the royal palace as the next queen of Joseon, Empress Myeongseong. Lovesick Moo-myoung becomes the personal guard to the Empress in order to be closer to her.Empress Myeongseong (19 October 1851 – 8 October 1895), is arguably one of the most controversial figures of the entire Joseon Dynasty back in the Yi period. Her parents passed away when she was 9, leaving her a poor orphan who had to live with the Mins of Yju, the place of her birth. She was made the royal consort in 1866 at the urging of Lady Min, consort of Hungsn Taewngun and mother of her future husband, King Kojong. At barely 16, she married the 15 yr old boy king at the Joseon Dynasty. She's portrayed as pure, innocent (but not naïve), devoted, and defiant. This movie is about her rise to power and bloody assassination (at the hands of the Japanese), which all seems to fall in line w/ historians. After Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, she advocated stronger ties between Korea and Russia in an attempt to block Japanese influence in Korea, which was represented by the Daewongun, her father-in-law. She is an assertive and ambitious woman, unlike other queens that came before her, and later becomes quite interested in politics and the western world via a French friend (Sophie Broustal); the arrival of electricity in the country; and international power politics. Miura Gorō, the Japanese Minister to Korea at the time and a retired army lieutenant-general, backed the faction headed by her father-in-law, whom he considered to be more sympathetic to Japanese interests. She tries to modernize the dynasty by allying with foreign nations but becomes turmoiled into a political power struggle. Moo-myoung must fend off devastating threats from her father-in-law and the foreign army(Japanese) in order to protect Ja-young from harm.A powerful & moving biopic. The Koreans have in recent years produced some pretty decent swordplay movies Bichunmoo, The Restless, The Duelist and Shadowless Sword being some of the more memorable movies. 9 out of 10 from me!