Woonerism
Never ceases to amaze me how a movie can move an audience in polar opposite ways. It's probably the expectations - so if you go in to have some escapist fun, action and swordplay, you won't be disappointed.So, why will I be happy to rewatch this grossly underrated movie that's avoided me for the first four years of its life tsk tsk: a simple story combining the Seven Samurai and Silas Marner (kinda), intoxicating mix of humor, gorgeous grotesqueness and visual splendour . . . and a love story that did not force itself on the surreal action thread.One of the hallmarks of a good film has to be how much love a writer director puts into the details and in this, it is clear Lee Sngmoo has nurtured this baby for a while: superb production, lovely setups and payoffs.Oh, make my decade and give us a sequel already!Amazing for a first time director. Bravo! Bravo!
basil-grimes
First of all, because the movie is well below the level of drama Jang Dong-gun is capable of expressing. Although the story is gripping, the moral conflict resolved by the main character is very interestingly expressed, the movie is (in my opinion) more of a commercial one than a film reflecting an idea or sending a message.The second reason (and the minus in stars) is represented by the relatively useless comedy accents. Why ? Well, because a movie with so much bloodshed can never be a family movie.Well, the 8 stars are indeed deserved. I regard the film as being a necessary bridge between western and eastern movie industries.On the other hand, the story, although not very deep, being constructed around the idea of honor vs/and humanity, is easy to follow in a good sense.But let's face it. If you truly enjoy the idea of East meeting West, watch Red Sun. Watching Charles Bronson and Toshiro Mifune in the same moving picture is a precious treat.
Miss Naughtia
I haven't heard anything about this movie prior to watching it. I saw Mr. Rush on the casting list and decided that I wanted to see it. I found this movie to be very interesting and different.I am a sucker for beautiful visual effects, therefore I found this movie to be worthy of a high rating. Everything seemed very different because of the combination of various genres (western, action, martial arts, comedy & romance). I have also got a new found respect for Kate Bosworth because she pulled the part of so beautifully. This is a major accomplishment for director Sngmoo Lee, as this is his first movie ever.But my all time favorite thing about this movie was the adorable little baby. I loved her cute facial expressions.
filmAficionadaJeong
Compared to my recent watch (at theaters) "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows", or "Cowboys & Aliens", which martial arts are boring, but I was satisfied with this film, with my view, as a female Kung-Fu lover. (I have watched many Hong Kong movies)The first swordplay is stylish, in front of the black-and-white ink paintings like an ancient Asian world. Lynne and Yang, the swordplay under the stars are like dancing, and romantic! Like Ninja, using sands of the desert is fine, it's on the land, by contrast, there is the viewpoint from the top of the Ferris wheel. Even the tears of the clown were unique when East meets West.Use of music is fine, too. For example, one of the climax of swordplay, the music is with Korean traditional Samulnori, especially with the sound of strong, and gradually high-paced Korean traditional bell. The mixture of the traditional western movie storyline and Asian sounds was fresh. East meets West succeeded, and really fun for me, not from eyes but also from ears.If you are not an Asian, you may not distinguish Ninja movement from the Phantom Soldiers' one. The Phantom Soldiers are the staffs of Am-heng-o-sa, the Korean traditional hero. When three Phantom Soldiers wrap up Colonel's soldiers and use their knives, it is exactly the action of Phantom Soldiers'. It really entertained me. Mostly, the film goes on as an action entertainment, however I found the word "the desert is a man, flower is a woman" brings me some poetic heart. In fact, the film has several scenes of flowers and petals over the desert. The baby princess April, and Lynne stand for flowers, and a life. If the baby was a boy..., Yang might not bring up the baby, but kill him. Also, the music, Maria Callas's aria in the Wild West is also a flower in the desert. Many symbolic flowers and desert in the film, woman and man, a life and swordplay/war... and which lead to...the oriental philosophy, Yin and Yang. In the eastern Asia, the world is believed, consists of Yin and Yang, and a man belongs to Yang, a woman belongs to Yin. Ancient oriental view of the world, philosophy was expressed symbolically, and which also entertained me.Many of characters are funny, not only speech or words, but also just a movement, like of three young guys. But, the funniest thing is the job of the warrior Yang. It's laundry. Because, the most usual, and the first job for Koreans who came to the U.S. is laundry!
