Film: The Warrior
Release date: 25th September 2006
Certificate: 18
Running time: 127 mins
Director: Kim Sung-Su
Starring: Jung Woo-Sung, Joo Jin-mo, Sung-Ki Ahn, Ziyi Zhang
Genre: Action
Studio: Contender
Format: DVD
Country: South Korea/China
Following the significant success with Western audiences enjoyed by the likes of Crouch Tiger Hidden Dragon and Hero, the bar for Eastern period epics has been raised, but increased expectancy tends to lead to disappointment, as is the case with the much-hyped Musa (retitled The Warrior).
In 1375, the recently formed Ming Dynasty drove the Yuan Dynasty north of the Great Wall in China. Korea was eager to align itself with this new Chinese government, and in the first year of King Woo’s Dynasty, Coryo (an ancient kingdom of Korea) sent a number of envoys – one of which was trapped, arrested and exiled to the desert without water.
Ambushed here by a Yuan troop of Mongols and with their head diplomatic killed, the group’s General, undemocratically assumes control, seeing the opportunity to free and return the captured Ming princess as a chance to win favour with the Chinese, and return home with pride intact.
But his decision only increases the danger for his delegation of diplomats and soldiers, who must run for their lives as the Yuan army closes in…
The major issue with this film is its titling. “The Warrior” of the title and cover, giving the impression of a Conan-like central character, is essentially tagged on – used when they need to make swift work of enemies, or surprise viewers with an impressive decapitation (in one scene, the slave, and initial mute, shows his mastery of a spear by swiftly dealing with an innocent, if annoying bystander who dared to vocalise his disgust at finding the rotting, dead body of his master – taking a stranger’s life is nothing, but he cares enough about the man who enslaved him to carry his dead body across the desert to ensure a proper burial).
By all accounts, there are several decent fight sequences (the way his clothes flail as he battles numerous foes is stylish – even if it’s nonsensical he can take out a group of highly skilled fighters in one scene, and then be captured with relatively ease in the next – but Jung Woo-sung doesn’t have the charisma in the leading role, and the opportunities to develop his character (a threatened love triangle between the General, the princess, and himself never materialises) or test his loyalties (at one stage he is taken by the Yuan army but when offered the chance to switch allegiance he quickly leaves to rejoin the Koreans, despite his continued mistreatment) are never explored – in fact, the film would have been more coherent without his inclusion.
The real star here is Jin-mo Ju, who plays General Choi Jung – resolute, he shows no compassion for the men he leads – we later learn this is because he’s concerned he won’t live up to his father’s reputation – willing to kill anyone that falls asleep, and unwilling to release the slave whose interjections assist his cause. You never once doubt his character’s lack of humanity – though the lack of softening during the film makes his sudden and dramatic change of stance before the end implausible.
With Ziyi Zhang playing her usual and perfected spoilt and petulant princess character – she insists on being carried even when the Yuan army are closing in and she knows they are moving too slow – and two male leads (although there’s another, just to convolute matters further) you have little understanding or empathy for, in many ways you are left rooting for the Mongols on their tails. Although set-up as the enemies of the story, they at least show capability of compassion by stopping to hold a memorial for the passing of a companion (even if they will torch a village), where the General shows no remorse in sending people under his control to their demise, and unmoved by the passing of his comrades.
The production is somewhat dated. Whether it be down to budget constraints or an intention to give an old-time quality, the film is grainy and washed out, the action scenes unspectacular – little blood or detail for the most part, bar a surprise spear though the neck or a lost limb – and some potentially explosive set pieces (including one where our Warrior battles enemies on horseback from a moving carriage) are spoiled by unstable camera work, which misses most of the contact.
It’s certainly fast-paced and unrelenting, so the two hours pass quickly enough, and with a quality of yore it’s somewhat charming, but given the story’s potential, and what we’ve been treated to with films of this ilk, it does fall short.
An enjoyable romp, if never threatening to reach the epic heights we’ve become accustomed, or able to fully affect viewers with its human drama aspects. DH
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