Korean historical drama centers on a love that can never be
EPIC ROMANCE: THE SWORD WITH NO NAME (Kim Yong-gyun, 2009)
Tribeca Cinemas
54 Varick St. at Laight St.
Tuesday, June 19, free, 7:00
212-759-9550
www.koreanculture.org
www.tribecacinemas.com
Operatic in its emotional scale and shameless melodrama, Kim Yong-gyun’s The Sword with No Name is a sweeping romantic epic set in late-nineteenth-century Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. King Gojong (Kim Yeong-min) is taking a new queen, Min Ja-young (Soo Ae), soon to be known as Empress Myeong-seong. Before arriving at the palace, Min meets Moo-myoung (Cho Seung-woo), a local villager who takes her to visit the sea and then saves her from a vicious attack. Although theirs is a love that can never be, Moo-myoung earns a position as a low-level guard at the palace, determined to protect Min no matter what. The queen is interested in leading the nation out of its isolationism, becoming intrigued with European culture. However, as she sidles up with Russia, Japan starts feeling threatened, and the king’s father, Daewongun (Jeon Ho-jin), who is against change and modernization, challenges his son’s authority. As battles rage, loyalty is betrayed, jealousy reigns, and secret plots abound, the queen’s life is threatened, and it’s up to Moo-myoung to save her. Despite an increasingly sappy score, several ridiculous video-game-like fight scenes, a nationalistic fervor, and a choppy narrative, The Sword with No Name still manages to be an intriguing bit of historical fiction, based on actual events surrounding the Insurrection of 1882. The fiery passion between Min, who was Korea’s queen, and Moo-myoung, who is a made-up character, drives the film, even when the story gets way out of hand. The Sword with No Name is screening for free June 19 at Tribeca Cinemas, concluding the Korean Cultural Service film series “Epic Romance.”