''Bichunmoo'' () is a 2000 South Korean

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

written and directed by Kim Young-jun and featuring Shin Hyun-joon,

Kim Hee-sun Kim Hee-sun (; born June 11, 1977) is a South Korean actress. She rose to fame in the 1990s with leading roles in television series such as ''Men of the Bath House'' (1995), ''Propose'' (1997), ''Wedding Dress'' (1997), ''Forever Yours'' (1998), ...

, and

Jung Jin-young Jung Jin-young may refer to: * Jung Jin-young (actor) (born 1964), South Korean actor * Jung Jin-young (singer) (born 1991), South Korean musician {{disambig ...

. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film in Korean history (it was supplanted in 2001 by ''

Musa Musa may refer to: Places *Mūša, a river in Lithuania and Latvia * Musa, Azerbaijan, a village in Yardymli Rayon * Musa, Iran, a village in Ilam province, Iran * Musa, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran * Musa Kalayeh, Gilan province, Iran * Abu M ...

''). The film was based on a 1986 manhwa (Korean comic) called ''Bichunmoo'' (''The Dance in the Sky'') by

Kim Hye-rin Kim Hye-rin (; born 19 May 1995) is a South Korean badminton player. In 2013, she won the mixed doubles title at the Romanian International tournament partnered with Choi Sol-gyu. In 2017, she won the silver medal at the Asia Championships in ...

Plot

In 12th-century

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

/Goryeo, during

Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...

rule, childhood sweethearts Jinha and Sullie are later separated at adolescence but vow to re-unite, despite Sullie telling Jinha of her father's arrangement of marriage. Orphan Jinha begins training in the Bichun martial arts (taught by his apparent aging uncle) and discovers his father was a noble swordsman of a renowned House, murdered by the Mongol army, led by Korean rivals seeking the secrets of the Bichun martial arts. As told by his dying uncle, who at his death bed reveals his true identity as one his father's guards, Kwakjung, suffering from a wound by assassins. Meanwhile, Sullie's father, a Mongol general, arranges for her to marry a Mongol noble. Believing Jinha to be shot dead by arrows, after he is found to be both the heir of the rival house and a rival to her future suitor, Sullie marries the noble. After his rescue by a fisherman and recovering from near-death, Jinha takes on the persona of bandit Jahalang, and begins an anti-Mongol crusade with the help of his rebel army of Bichun warriors. After multiple successes across the kingdom, Jinha personally ambushes and kills the aging Mongol general in a ritual execution, as revenge for being one of those behind the plot against his family. Finally Jin-ha and Sullie are re-united, when Jinha's bandit warriors infiltrate Sullie's family manor.the

Cast

* Shin Hyun-joon as Yu Jinha *

as Sullie *

Jung Jin-young Jung Jin-young may refer to: * Jung Jin-young (actor) (born 1964), South Korean actor * Jung Jin-young (singer) (born 1991), South Korean musician {{disambig ...

as Namgung Junkwang *Jang Dong-Jik as Lai * Choi Yoo-jung as Yeojin *

Gi Ju-bong Gi Ju-bong (born September 3, 1955) is a South Korean actor. Career Gi began acting in 1977 and is notable for ''Offending the Audience ''Offending the Audience'' is a play by Austrian writer Peter Handke. It is sometimes called an ''anti-p ...

as Kwakjung *Bang Hyep as Namgung Sung *Kim Hak-cheol as Taruga *

Kim Soo-ro Kim Soo-ro (; born Kim Sang-joong on May 7, 1970) is a South Korean actor. Career Early career Kim Soo-ro studied Theater at the Seoul Institute of the Arts and Dongguk University, then joined the Mokwha Repertory Company. In 1993, he mad ...

as Ashin *Lee Han-gal as Changryun *Seo Tae-hwa as Saijune

Production

''Bichunmoo'' was shot entirely in

, with a

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

–based martial arts director.

Criticism

In spite of its financial success, the film was heavily criticized on its initial release in Korea, primarily due to its alleged disloyalty to the

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

on which it was based. Another argument given against the film was the casting choice of Kim Hee-sun, who was perceived as being too modern for a period swordplay film.

Reception

Alan Morrison of ''

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

'' called ''Bichunmoo'' a "Top-notch martial arts action".

References

External links

* South Korean fantasy drama films South Korean martial arts films Films shot in China 2000s South Korean films {{2000s-SouthKorea-film-stub