offical site : http://www.sidus.net/movie/musa/index.htm

STORY

A.D. 1375 (457th year of the Koryo Dynasty and 8th of the Myung Dynasty). It was the first year of reign under King Young-woo, after the assassination of King Gong-min, who attempted to reform the Koryo Dynasty. To make matters worse, ambassadors from Myung are assassinated by the orders of the Koryo Dynasty. In order to explain the incident to Myung and announce King Young-woo’s new reign over Koryo, Koryo has to keep sending its ambassadors to Nanjing, the capital city of Myung. When Son Chun-yong and his company are walking along the Yangtze river after being exiled to Nanjing, they are attacked by the Hoe tribe at Wal A Chun in Sum Suh Sung. The Hoe tribe, a minority group from Sum Su Sung and Islamic in religion, forms guerilla troops and resists against its foes in hopes of building its own nation Through these attacks, the envoys from Myung are annihilated, leaving only 20 survivors from Koryo. The remaining people decide to return to Koryo, under the leadership of head officer Choi Jung. As they begin to cross the wastelands of Sum Su Sung…

REVIEW

None of the films released in 2001 has matched the hype and expectation of 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. In efforts to mend ties, Korea sent numerous envoys to China, but most were simply thrown in jail by the Ming. Musa is the story of a group of envoys sent to China who are arrested and then sent into exile. Off in the wilderness they manage to rescue a Ming princess, and they hope that if they can return her to the Ming safely, their honor and good relations between the two countries will be restored.

The film features both a well-known director in Kim Sung-soo (Beat) and a star cast: heartthrob Jung Woo-sung as a spear-wielding slave, Joo Jin-mo as the young general, Ahn Sung-ki as a lower-class fighter, and Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as the Ming princess. Zhang was reportedly cast before Crouching Tiger premiered at Cannes in 2000, a lucky break for the makers of the film. Although her role in Musa features none of the martial-arts stunts for which she has since become famous, her presence on the cast has raised the international profile of this film considerably.

Musa is darker in mood than most blockbusters, with a brutality that leaves little room for romanticism. The director has said that he tried to present his story in the most realistic way possible. This can be seen in the film’s impressive fight scenes, which leave the viewer feeling like an unlucky warrior caught amidst the battle. 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 has some flaws, due in part to its vast ambition. Weak storytelling at the beginning makes it difficult to follow the story or to feel much sympathy for the characters initially. The acting is mostly strong but uneven in parts. Fans of Zhang Ziyi, accustomed to seeing her pound her opponents into submission, may also feel disappointed with the passive character of the princess, although her performance fits in well with the themes of the film.

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. Adding to the cinematic thrill is the film’s epic score by Japanese composer Shiro Sagisu. Those looking for a bit of widescreen, gory spectacle this fall are advised not to miss this film. (Darcy Paquet)