Musa - The Warrior

Colour, 35mm
Korea, 2001, 154 min
Section: Another View

About the film

The year is 1375. The Ming Dynasty has taken control of most of China, and has forced the former ruler of the Yuan Dynasty north, out of China, across the Wall. Thus, war continues in the border regions and a Korean delegation sent to the new Chinese rulers gets mixed up in it all. The Ming consider the peace-loving delegates as enemies, and after luring them into a trap, they abandon the Koreans to their fate deep in the desert among Yuan troops. After the first bloody battle, Korean general Choi-jung decides to accomplish the impossible by taking what’s left of the delegation back home. The situation suddenly changes when they come across a Ming princess: Choi-jung falls immediately in love and rescues her from the hands of the Yuan. During the battle a freed slave named Yeo-sol unexpectedly distinguishes himself as a master of the lance. The two men become rivals in love and together they protect the princess even though this delays their return to Korea. After many other engagements against a cruel enemy they reach an abandoned fortress on the banks of the Yellow River. The decisive battle is approaching…. The film is served well by its dynamic battle scenes, which come on at a quick pace and are filmed with unprecedented brilliance. The lightening fast action and camera movements seem to have grown naturally out of the environment, whether capturing the photogenic desert and the treacherous shadow-filled forest.

About the director

Kim Sung-su (b. 1961, Seoul) studied English and literature at Seojong University, and went on to earn his Master´s degree in film arts from Dongkuk graduate school. He made the short film Scream City (1993) before moving on to his feature debut, Runaway (1996). Other films include: Beat (1997), Our Sunny Days (1999) and The Warrior (2001).