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Rating: Sword in the Moon - la spada nella luna is a Korean-produced film, which tells the story of two samurai from the 'Vento fresco, luna chiara' school. Despite being great friends, they are divided, because while one of them (Gyu-yeop) is on a military mission, a coup d'état occurs. The other (Ji-hwan), to save the lives of his men defeated by the rebels, accepts to become a servant of the new head of state.
Five years later, some traitors of the old kingdom are assassinated by two sword masters. Ji-hwan is tasked with putting an end to the murders but discovers that one of the assassins is his old friend Gyu-yeop, which will lead to the dramatic finale of the film.
The direction is not bad, but the dialogues slow down the film too much, which at some points risks becoming boring. The flashbacks are used very well and, along with the finale, are the best parts of the film, which presents a rising climax that results in a tragic yet beautiful ending. The soundtrack, which consists only of music, delineates the setting and the film's story quite well.
Ultimately, this film presents a fascinating story, which, however, might not fully engage the viewer. This greatly penalizes the film, which, if better curated, could have been a masterpiece of Eastern cinema.
'When we were underwater, I could hold my breath for so long because you were with me. You were always by my side, and if I were about to drown, I knew you would save me.'
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