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The Sword With No Name (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Su Ae (Actor), Cheon Ho-jin (Actor), Kim Yong-gyun (Director) Rated:
NR
Format: Blu-ray
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 100 ratings
Additional Multi-Format options Edition Discs
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September 20, 2011 		—
2
—
— $17.47
Genre Action & Adventure/Martial Arts
Format Blu-ray, Subtitled, Widescreen, Multiple Formats, Color, Surround Sound
Contributor Cho Seung-Woo, Su Ae, Kim Mi-hee, Kim Yong-gyun, Cheon Ho-jin
Language Korean
Runtime 2 hours and 10 minutes

Product Description

Korea’s own “Queen of Tears”. Soo-Ae (Emperor of the Sea, Midnight FM) lights up the screen in this breathtaking epic inspired by tragic, true-life events.

Soo-Ae majestically portrays the Joseon Dynasty’s legendary Empress Myseongseong, a cherished ruler who fought courageously to modernize Korea. Forced to marry a king she did not love – and embroiled in a brutal struggle between rival world powers – the Empress draws her strength from a dashing rogue, a nameless headhunter who would do anything to be near her. This dark and brooding master of the blade protects the Empress as she stands strong against the sinister forces seeking to colonize her beloved country. When a traitor within the royal family orchestrates a plot to assassinate the Empress, only this anonymous swordsman proves willing to spill his own blood in defense of the noble beauty who would sacrifice her life for the people of Korea.

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.78:1
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 6.4 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Kim Yong-gyun
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray, Subtitled, Widescreen, Multiple Formats, Color, Surround Sound
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 10 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ September 20, 2011
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Su Ae, Cheon Ho-jin, Cho Seung-Woo
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Producers ‏ : ‎ Kim Mi-hee
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Giant Ape
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00576U95S
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 100 ratings

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
100 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

bernard mcentee
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful tragedy, laced with overt nationalism
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2013
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As a history undergrad specializing in East Asia, one of the most striking stories was the assassination of Queen Min. On a whim I purchased this film while working on my Russo-Japanese project and was not disappointed. This film entwines fact and fiction as expertly as it does romance and violence. By inserting a swordsman "with no name" the story gives the audience a 19th century Korean everyman who just happens to be an expert assassin madly in love with a future martyr.

As an American historian who knew the story well before I bought the film, I was in tears and felt Korean by the end. This film's powerful nationalist narrative is as captivating as the actors whom portray each of the films characters. A must watch film that's sure to be a crowd pleaser for men and women alike, but would likely be offensive to a Japanese audience.
One person found this helpful
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Red
4.0 out of 5 stars Really Beautiful
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2012
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I'm a "kung fu" nerd, with little to no knowledge of the culture itself, so my happiness with this product is purely based on how the storyline and cinematography was. The story was beautiful, really heartrendingly beautiful. The stunts and choreography were very exciting. I'm just now discovering Korean kung fu films and am pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoy them more than Chinese kung fu films.

One thing I didn't understand, however, was the implied mystery of the title. You find out Moo Myoung's name almost immediately - how is he the sword with no name?
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paralegal54
5.0 out of 5 stars martial arts movie
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2013
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I loved the plot. he way of privacy was cool calm and unruffled. but he had a strong protective character. he seemed to deem it a weakness but a sense of integrity would not allow the innocent to be wronged while he was near. I really liked it. I must say it could have been a little more true to the times but it was about a character and his ways of thinking in my opinion. I would recommend it
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Fred. Page Jr
5.0 out of 5 stars CAPITAL BOOM as in very good, that's what I'm talking about
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2015
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CAPITAL BOOM as in very good, that's what I'm talking about. When you can see, hear then you can really fell and get involved with the movie. What the writer has provided, the way the director take you and how the actresses and actors bring it to life. This is a movie a very very good movie. This was a Korean movie dubbed to speak in English and I really believe it is a 5 star's movie.
Frederick love it
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Shawn A.
3.0 out of 5 stars Cleaver with No Name
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2011
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This was a good movie for movie's sake. It touches on a time period/culture that is rarely given any face time in cinema(I know there are many Korean films out there, but not so many that cover this subject matter). The scenery, costume, and set design are gorgeous! And while there IS action in this film, there is much more going on within the personal relationships of the Queen and her Bodyguard. It almost has sort of a Romeo and Juliet quality to it.

As for the title of this review...the action in this movie is pretty intricate and plays liberally with human physics. It's a lot of fun to watch when those scenes are up. However, they don't last very long and are somewhat spread out (which is fine because the movie isn't all about action). The end of this movie was somewhat anticlimactic for how BA this leading character was supposed to be. I won't put any spoilers in place about the ending, but the reason I gave this review its particular title is because our hero doesn't actually wield a sword until the last 15 minutes of the film. Instead, he opts for this very cleaver-shaped broad knife as his weapon of choice. He uses it well, but I'm not sure how they came up with the title of this film using that as a reference.

Overall, this is an enjoyable watch. As for my taste, I would have probably rented it instead. I did not love it enough to watch more than maybe twice a year.
2 people found this helpful
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LegacyTears
5.0 out of 5 stars Good story and movie!
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2012
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I love this movie, i thought it would be something good to watch but then again, This movie has some really crazy battle scene and you would think like no way. But this is the best movie ever!
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Sunny in DC
4.0 out of 5 stars Historically inaccurate but lovely film
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2013
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I really enjoyed The Sword with No Name even though it was a fictionalized account of the last Korean Empress's life. Usually, I tend to be annoyed by that, but I thought it was well done here and beautifully rendered. And the action scenes were great to watch although in some parts the cgi seemed a bit too obvious. But overall, it is beautifully done.
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Ronell Paltoo
5.0 out of 5 stars masterpiece
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2011
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In was such a deep movie and also very poetic. The imaginative effects in the movie was so breathtaking as well as the story. If you are a fan of this kind of movie: this is one that would blow you away!
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars tres bon film
Reviewed in Canada on January 30, 2022
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on a vraiment aimé ce film
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Sue Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas present
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2013
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My Partner is happy with this film... Did not take long to get here and saved me hunting round the shops at Christmas .
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C. Tilley
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 12, 2017
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Great film.
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Blu_ray_yes_way
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully shot movie with strong perspective on historic Korea
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2011
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I expected an all out martial arts action movie, but was pleasantly surprised to see beautifully photographed scenery shots unfolding on our plasma tv. The high contrast of this blu ray transfer enhances the look of the period costumes and surroundings by making them pop out of the dark background like splashes of colour across the screen. Very sharp definition, excellent audio, beautifully shot movie about a deeply tragic episode of turn-of-the-century Korea...
3 people found this helpful
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H. Wills
3.0 out of 5 stars Not sure what to make of this one
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2010
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I like Asian cinema precisely because of the difference to western movies - the different perspectives, the unexpected endings, the seemingly offbeat humour, even the occasionally rocky translations. Nevertheless, this movie was a bit more impenetrable in places than usual. I don't know if this version has been edited for western audiences, but it felt to me as though there were large chunks of the storyline missing entirely; if the choppy narration was the result of editing, then that editor needs to find a new job. It wasn't immediately clear, even from the blurb on the DVD case, that this was a heavily romanticised reworking of an actual historical event (the asassination of the last Empress of Korea) and in order to make sense of that I had to do some internet research afterwards. The fight scenes were okay, but nothing marvellous; the romance was pretty improbable but charming enough to be moderately entertaining.

Overall, it was a so-so movie; great to watch while I worked my way through a large pile of ironing, but a bit daft and not particularly engaging, and in spite of the subtitles I didn't need to concentrate to keep up with it. I'm glad I watched it, but I doubt I'll watch it again.

Your own mileage may vary on that.
12 people found this helpful
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