Review: This Korean epic directed by Sung-su Kim could easily be described as the "Braveheart" of Korea. But by making comparisons like that would belittle the film for its original worth and integrity. In all actuality, MUSA is a beautiful and vicious tale of people of different cultures banding together in order to find their way home in the midst of tragedy. It is a paramount film in Korean film history and should be embraced for its cinematography and complex relationships in a historical context.

One of the most amazing aspects of MUSA is its ability to focus on the matter at hand while developing the characters that drive the heart of the film. There are many different players who fall in and out of the particular roles in the group and it is interesting to see how they interact with each other depending on the positions they are in. For example, the young general leading the group, Choi Jung played by Jin-mo Ju, has a very uncompromising master-to-slave attitude towards the slave spear user, Yeo-sol played by Woo-sung Jung. It isn't until later on in the film, after the numerous fights they have that Choi Jung begins to respect Yeo-sol for his spear fighting abilities and his subtle influence of bravery he has on the rest of the people. Choi Jung is especially fascinating in this perspective for the internal conflict that is being played out in his expressions, as a leader that has to constantly make decisions of sacrifice for the good of the whole group. While many hate on his leadership, it isn't until much later when his guidance is taken away that people start to realize the importance of a man who has to make choices in the matters of life and death.

Another well developed character is Jin-li played marvelously by Sung-kee Ahn of "Nowhere to Hide" fame. As the sympathetic archer of the group, his peacemaking role gave a tenderness to the film in places of treachery and madness. When all is almost seemed lost, his serenity helped put back the humanity and spirit into the film. His forlorn cheeks along with his stoic eyes created a character that represents the goodness in people, always trying to make good and a create balance and understanding where there wasn't. Even in his battle sequences where he would kill with his arrows, he was calm and focused in the pull, almost as if he was letting the enemy rest in death rather than ending their lives in cruelty. The world was at war, and only when you strive for peace can you see the real picture. But there is a revelation waiting for him near the end of the film that finally shakes the ground underneath his feet, changing him forever.

The connecting nucleus of the film, though, is Yeo-sol. While he starts out as the quiet slave with no past, he ends up becoming one of the great heroes of the film. His spearmanship is vicious and unrelenting, his courage shining through. His relationship with Zhang Ziyi's character, Princess Bu-yong becomes the binding force that prevents the film from going all too easy. Both Bu-yong and Yeo-sol becomes a unit that goes against the wishes of the others. There comes some times when it would have been all for the survival of the group if Bu-yong was turned over to the Mongols. With these types of dynamics, we see Bu-yong slowly turning from a stuck up and posh princess to a person stripped down struggling to endure.

I could go on and on about the subtle involvedness of the characters and how every single glance, look and sneer changes the vigorous relationships of the group in such volatile situations, but it is also important to take notice of the beautiful cinematography. It is very similar in films such as "Saving Private Ryan" and "Gladiator" where they use rough realism in order to deliver the emotional impact of the film. The fight scenes were as brutal as the warriors themselves. And in all this truthful realism lies a sense of delicate magnificence streaming through. The cinematography is at once both coarse and fragile, tinting with an elegance that marinates each scene in graphic beauty.