Musa

None of the films released in 2001 matched the hype and expectation generated by MUSA, a period epic set in 14th-century China. The film's plot is based on real history: shortly after the Ming Dynasty seized power in China, a Ming envoy to Korea was murdered, leading to soured relations between the two countries. MUSA is the story of a group of Korean envoys sent to China who are arrested and then sent into exile. Off in the wilderness they rescue a Ming princess. They hope that if they return her to the Ming safely, their honour and good relations between the two countries will be restored. The film features both a well-known director in Kim Sung-soo and a star cast: heartthrob Chung Woo-sung as a spear-wielding slave, Joo Jin-mo as the young general, Ahn Sung-ki as a lower-class fighter, and Zhang Ziyi from CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON as the Ming princess. MUSA is darker in mood than most blockbusters, with a brutality that leaves little room for romanticism. This can be seen in the film's impressive fight scenes. Apart from the disorienting rush of noise and images, the violence is also startling: severed limbs and arrows shot through victim's necks drive home the cruelty of battle. The story itself is also somewhat unusual for big-budget films. The movie's characters are not your typical heroes: most have an ugly streak which flares up under the extreme situations they face. As the story progresses, power relations among the group are constantly in flux, as the young general and princess gradually start to lose influence among their followers. The film does have some flaws, due in part to its vast ambition. Undisputed, however, is the strength of MUSA's visuals. Shot in 2.35:1 Cinemascope, the film cuts between stunning landscapes and extreme closeups in a restless, uneven rhythm.