Oh, sure, but when I show up in a robe looking like I haven’t showered in a week, it’s all “get a haircut, hippie!” I’m so used to a film like this coming from Japan or China that I forgot Korea probably had a warlord era, too. I mean, I’m sure it didn’t evolve straight from the Stone Age to a BTS performance, right?
Broody Brooding Broodinger III a.k.a. Tae-yul (Jang Hyuk) is tops at The Swordsman game for as far as the eye can see. And that’s the problem. Tae-yul can’t see so good any longer. So instead of eating carrots and messing about around the horse trough telling the kids what is was like is his day, Tae-yul has gone into a quiet, Spartan-like seclusion where he and his daughter patiently await the call from the Korean version of Cooperstown.
The thing about most movies with “sword” in the title is eventually there’s gonna be swordplay and you better believe the film isn’t gonna wait around for Tae-yul to get back to 20-20 vision. That’s all hindsight anyway. Hence, bad guys trot into town while Tae-ok (Kim Hyun-soo) is out getting dad’s eye meds and before you know it, there’s a whole vengeance thing goin’ on.
Tae-yul is exactly the kind of guy we love on film, but loathe in real life. On film, the brooding comes across as a justifiable reaction to 
misfortune; we love his cause and even his hidden talent with the sword which doesn’t show up until the film is good and ready. In real life, however, this guy is a panhandling bum and one who never smiles at that. We as a people are far more taken with untalented and bombastic; heck, just look at the first civilian we elevated to President. In a way, art has a discerning clarity that reality can never match … perhaps that’s why we’re so quick to distrust reality … but that’s another essay.
What you really want to know, of course, is where does this film stand among sword ‘n’ sandal epics. I’d say top 25%. Certainly better than the vast majority of Western sword films. Hmmm … what sword films have you seen? Kill Bill? It wasn’t better than Kill Bill, 1 or 2. But it was better than almost any musketeer film you’ve seen. Is that good enough?
I need to tell you that you’re intruding
I have no issue with your concluding
But if you want me in the fray
You’ll have to wait a day
I haven’t finished with my brooding
Not Rated, 100 Minutes
Director: Jae-Hoon Choi
Writer: Jae-Hoon Choi
Genre: Sword ‘n’ sandal
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: My dad
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Pacifists
