Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Memories of the Sword Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 30, 2015

There’s a certain hypnotic lunacy to a lot of films that have appeared in the wake of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. That now iconic Ang Lee entry introduced a lot of western viewers to a kind of intentionally hyperbolic martial arts style that featured some entrancing wire work, a special effects technique that sought to offer characters who were pretty much immune to the effects of gravity. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon also featured a relatively dense plot and some appealing characterizations, two things that some subsequent filmmakers have left by the wayside in their attempts to craft a film built largely out of combatants catapulting through the air as if propelled by some unseen but very powerful force. Memories of the Sword perhaps suffers from an equal but opposite approach, for its plot is stuffed to the gills with so much backstory, often presented in kind of lurching flashbacks, that the actual narrative elements of the film are in fact rather weighted down, the inverse of an otherwise freewheeling approach that presents a heroine named Hong-yi (Kim Go-eun) who discovers in the film’s opening sequence that she has finally mastered the art of (to quote a certain song from the Broadway musical “Wicked”) defying gravity. Those opening moments offer a perhaps misleadingly whimsical ambience, as Hong-yi encounters a preposterously overgrown sunflower that sticks up far above the surrounding field of crops. Hong-yi sizes up the mutant plant, screws up her courage, and then vaults over the flower as if it were only a couple of inches tall. Her success in that endeavor then leads to an almost comical romp through (actually over) those surrounding fields, where in her green leggings she looks for all the world like a feudal Korean version of Peter Pan.

One of the issues Memories of the Sword faces, and one which might present a certain set of obstacles for some viewers, is the fact that it’s a trans-generational drama that doles out that very trans-generational element in dribs and drabs via interstitial flashback sequences. That means it takes a while for the various interrelationships to be fully divulged, and what tends to take the place of narrative momentum is a reliance on wire stunts and other acrobatics that serve as a temporary diversion. The film ultimately follows an almost Joseph Campbellian hero’s (or in this case, heroine’s) quest scenario, albeit one frought with peccadilloes from the past.

Because Memories of the Sword’s structure is so oddly disjunctive, it takes perhaps an undue amount of time for the history of not just Hong-yi, but her adoptive (and blind) “mother” Seol-rang (Jeon Do-Yeon) and military commander Deok-gi (Lee Byung-hun) to finally be satisfyingly detailed. Seol-rang turns out to be the fulcrum around which two generations of political intrigue hinge, and she also serves as a Cassandra of sorts, prophesying Hong-yi’s destiny which may or may not include having to take out Seol-rang herself.

In what might also be thought of as a Goryeo Era version of some elements of Harry Potter, a nasty scar on Hong-yi’s body turns out to be the vestiges of a long ago attack on her family, one that killed her birth parents. Seol-rang has made Hong-yi aware that Hong-yi is fated to avenge those deaths, but several intertwinings of stories turn out to make that task more emotionally roiling than might initially be assumed. Despite a somewhat padding feeling running time (just slightly over two hours), parts of Memories of the Sword never feel quite fully fleshed out, something that’s perhaps exacerbated by the ping ponging structural artifices.

The denseness of the film’s screenplay perhaps would have been better served with either a straightforward chronological approach, or at least longer, less invasive, flashbacks which could have revealed the various interlinked back stories in one fell swoop. What helps buoy the film is a generally breathless presentation style (despite what some may feel is the film’s general overlength) and some extremely well staged set pieces. Memories of the Sword exploits both (literally) high flying wire work as well as more (literally) grounded swordplay, and director Park Heung-Sik utilizes his camera very wisely, capturing huge expanses of gorgeous countryside through which combatants pass in an almost dreamlike atmosphere at times.

Some of the more whimsical elements of Memories of the Sword seem tonally at odds with the somewhat operatic and tragic ambience that informs the film otherwise. Little bits like Hong-yi’s eventual mentor (Lee Geung-young) dangling a teacup from a string while balancing himself in a high tree branch, a teacup that Hong-yi absentmindedly drinks from as she watches a martial arts match from a bit lower on the branches, are odd little additions that tend to interrupt the narrative flow rather than augment it. But the performers all attack their characters with the requisite energy, and Kim Go-eun acquits herself admirably in both the dramatic and athletic departments.

Memories of the Sword Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Memories of the Sword is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. This digitally shot feature benefits from some awe inspiring views of various Korean locations, and director Park Heung-shik and cinematographer Kim Byung-seo capture some gorgeous tableaux, with and without human participants. The palette is rather lush at times, offering deep, verdant greens and whites in some of the views of expansive fields, while elements like costumes and settings feature a robust array of deeply burnished purples and reds. Some of the flashback material has been tweaked in post to be slightly desaturated, something that minimally detracts from detail levels in midrange and wide shots. Occasional shots can look just slightly soft at times, occasionally due to framings where the camera is aimed directly at light sources (see screenshot 18), but generally speaking this is a sharp and nicely precise looking presentation.

Memories of the Sword Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Memories of the Sword features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track in the original Korean. The sound mix of the film is alternately quite subtle, emphasizing quieter ambient environmental sounds like breezes fluttering through fields, and quite bombastic, as in several of the action set pieces, where the clink of swords touching metal to metal and other sounds of combat provide a wealth of surround activity. The film features a rather evocative score by Mowg which courses through the side and rear channels quite effectively. Dialogue is presented very cleanly and is typically well prioritized (a few noisier sequences tend to slightly bury a line or two).

Memories of the Sword Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer (1080p; 1:44)

Memories of the Sword Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The visual acuity of Memories of the Sword is probably this film's single greatest asset. Unfortunately a lot of the rest of this overly convoluted outing isn't all that memorable. For those with a little patience, the story threads are knit together well enough to deliver some decent emotional dividends, but this film could have used a more coherent structure and probably some judicious editing. Technical merits are generally very strong, and with caveats noted, Memories of the Sword comes Recommended.