![]() The swordplay is sometimes fanciful and eye-catching, as when Hong-yi gets training from Seol-rang’s master (Lee Kyoung-young), but group combat sequences are downright sloppy. ![]() And for all the meticulous re-creations of period architecture, from Deok-ki’s magnificent estate to Seol-rang’s Arab-influenced salon, there’s too much dawdling on decorative details, especially scenes devoted to brewing and sipping tea.Īction setpieces, though exceedingly lavish, are a throwback to ’90s Hong Kong wire stunts. Even so, the exaggerated artifice of the seasonal tableaux of sunflower patches, dandelion fields, rainswept pavillions and snow-covered grounds situate them in a graphic dimension of their own, isolated from the main plot. There’s no question that the ravishing widescreen images by veteran lenser Kim Byung-seo (“Cold Eyes,” “Castaway on the Moon”) and the exquisite sets by production designer Han A-rum represent the pic’s biggest selling points. With her peachy complexion and pageboy looks, Kim has become the “it” girl of the Korean film industry since her bold performances in the Lolita drama “Eun-gyo” and mother-complex gangster pic “Coin Locker Girl.” Here, she again remains undaunted in the presence of superstars, demonstrating impressive range in action, light comedy and heavy melodrama. Deok-ki’s power struggle with Jon-bak, culminating in a grisly scene, is limned by Lee with cool, blood-curdling sadism. Lee, on the other hand, rises above the banality of the story to deliver a layered turn that makes Deok-ki’s love for Seol-rang feel genuine, despite his duplicitous behavior in all other respects. While it’s almost impossible for Jeon to disappoint in any film, her imitation of blindness is not convincing as she alternates between fumbling around helplessly and slicing her opponents like carrots. The budding attraction between Hong-yi and Yool would also have added some light-heartedness to the somber tone, but that, too, fizzles out after two mildly steamy scenes. Even a twist that should intensify the trio’s love-hate conflicts culminates in a ending so lurid and overblown it’s almost comical. However, able performances aside, the emotional turmoil of Deok-ki and Seol-rang meeting again, or Hong-yi’s faltering assumption of her avenging role, are lost in the overwrought structure of mulitiple flashbacks, replayed scenes and contrived coincidences. The three protags’ relationships - bound by strict martial-arts codes of honor and justice, yet thwarted by passion or ambition - are typical of the genre. Nevertheless, when he accidentally spots Hong-yi displaying the same sword techniques as Seol-rang at a public sparring contest against his protege Yool (Lee Jun-ho, from the boy band 2PM), he doesn’t hesitate to snuff out any threat to his status by whatever ruthless means necessary. Were it not for Seol-rang, the traitor would have finished off Poong-chun’s infant daughter, Hong-yi too, and the girl still bears the scar of a gash made by his sword.Įighteen years later, Deok-ki has risen in court to become the King’s most favored man yet he misses Seol-rang, whom he still loves. However, they were double-crossed by Seol-rang’s lover, Deok-ki (Lee), who killed his sworn brother Poong-chun (Bae Soo-bin) and his wife. During one uprising, the rebels captured Jon-bak (Kim Tae-woo), the son of an evil magistrate (Moon Sung-geun) and stormed the city gates. Seol-rang once belonged to a band of warriors dedicated to overthrowing the corrupt monarchy. Innocent teenager Hong-yi (Kim Go-eun) has been raised by her blind adopted mother Seol-rang (Jeon) with the sole mission of avenging her parents’ deaths. The yarn circles around three martial artists, each caught in his or her own anguished predicament.
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