Memories of the Sword (2015)

This isn't really a wuxia movie or action movie. Though the action is done great, this movie is mostly a tragedy-revenge-romance that fits well with the setting chosen to portray the story. As someone who despise sappy romance drama, this one just hit the right notes.

I won't talk about the action and cinematography much, just say it was stunning. If China is best at portraying colours in their wuxia, S. Korea is great at using different seasons to depict it. This type of experience is what differentiate watching movies from watching dramas.

Acting: great on all fronts. I was initially no big fan of Lee Byung Hun but he really commands the scenes he's in, from the first time we meet him. First time seeing Jeon Do Yeon and she was great. Seeing Kim Go Eun again is a treat and she never disappoints. You don't feel that she's acting with other big stars she's just immersed into the role. The rest of the cast fit their roles as well.

The story itself is nothing new, starting with betrayal the revenge that follows. The extend to which the character was willing to go for revenge it insane. It's really hard to judge it.

What attracted me most and kept my attention is the complicated characters and the disturbing love story. Deok Ki is corrupted and disgusting in every way, yet his love is so real and pure. As illogical it is, I just totally bought it. Same goes for Sul Rang, that carried true hatred towards him, leading to an insane revenge plan, yet wishing she could forgive him. This is the type of intense crazy romance I totally enjoy watching. There's something so raw and desperate about it. Hong Yi went through many phases in the movie, but I just love her in the last fighting scene, cold yet emotionally intense! Her side love story however was a bore, with typical kdrama cliché that I totally could've done without. Still it didn't remove anything from my enjoyment, it just wasn't too logical. However I find the main leads' love story also illogical but I totally buy it and believe it.

After finishing the movie I read many comments complaining about the movie calling it a Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon copy. While I agree it alludes to it, the movie stands on its own telling its own story. Definitely worth a try.

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oooh this pissed me off

I normally try to find the good in most dramas and movies that I watch as I give ratings, because I know the actors and crew worked incredibly hard to create the story but this one was difficult.

What was the point of it all?

This drama takes you through the insufferable journey of two self-absorbed psychopaths-one who is filled with greed and a need for power to validate his past wrongdoings and the other who utilizes an innocent person to punish herself and the aforementioned greedy man. Lastly, the poor tool in their narcissism, masochism and self-hate: Hong Yi. A child brought into this world and manipulated her entire life to commit what can only be described as the worst sin.

This movie will keep you asking “why” and when you’re done watching it, you’re left with the same question, along with feelings of anger and pity for the girl.

When I first read the synopsis, I thought this was going to be an interesting albeit predictable revenge plot, where a child is raised by her master to avenge her parent’s death, but it turned into a perverted story of two ex-lovers trying to see who can cause the other the most pain using said child.

The mother is a psychopath. If she truly wanted to serve penance for her wrongdoings and she felt the only way to do so is through her life, she could have killed herself or asked anybody else in the world to do so. She could have killed her ex when she had a literal knife to his throat or before he grew in power. She could have served her penance by living a life devoid of “worldly pleasures” and becoming a nun or a devout teacher. I don’t know but she could have done anything other than what she did, and it would have made more sense. Her actions did not absolve her of past sins, it only created another and left a bigger sin on her child.

The ex should have died the day of the betrayal by those he betrayed his people for-it would have been the most fitting as it would have shown him that they would never see a low-born as one of their own and he would have suffered immediate justice for what he had done. What came after that day made absolutely no sense for a movie set in an era that values social standing above all else-especially considering he was a part of a nearly successful commoner rebellion.

I was not a fan of the ending (and not only because of how they died) but because they got to die in each other’s arms while leaving Hong Yi to face a life with the knowledge of what she had done. It was like Cersei and Jamie’s death scene in GOT-wholly unsatisfactory.

Do not watch this if you like dramas with likeable characters as there are only 2.5 likeable characters in the entire movie.

Don’t watch this if you like happy endings because although the girl is alive in the end, it is not a happy ending.

Don’t watch this if you like rational characters as the mother is definitely not.

Don’t watch this if you like good plots.

Watch this if you enjoy beautiful cinematography.

Watch this if you enjoy beautifully shot fight scenes as the final fight is wonderful to watch.

Watch this if you enjoy Kim Go Eun’s acting and works.

Watch this if you enjoy well done acting.

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