Geom-gaek / The Swordsman (2020) - Detailed action epic told in one hundred entertaining minutes - 9/10 (31/03/21)

Geom-gaek, internationally known as The Swordsman, is an epic historic action drama from South Korea. The story revolves around Tae-yul, the best swordsman in Joseon who is unable to protect the king during an uprising. He decides to live as a recluse in the mountains with his daughter. As his eyesight is getting worse from a past injury, his daughter seeks to find a treatment for him. She also wants to get the opportunity to move to town and work as a maid in a rich family. She ignores her father's pleas to be careful and soon gets caught up in a web of conspiracy as she is kidnapped by a ruthless slave trader. Tae-yul has to face the demons of his past to save his daughter's life.

This movie convinces on many levels. The story is diversified and comes around with several changes and twists that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats until the very end. The plot is epic but coherently told in one hundred highly entertaining minutes. The characters are complex, intriguing and profound and especially the lead character is an unlikely hero that is easy to empathize with. The acting performances are equally great and especially the quirky female support actresses add some energy to the movie. The fight scenes convince with elegant yet gritty choreography involving a multitude of styles and weapons. The settings and locations truly bring the seventeenth century back to life. The isolated farms, poor villages, busy cities, imposing living quarters of the soldiers and the magnificent castle and its surroundings are absolutely stunning. The camera work is calm and precise. The light techniques make the numerous scenes happening in the dark or at night work very well. The sound effects offer the highest standards and should please action movie fans from all around the world.

To keep it short, Geom-gaek or The Swordsman is an epic historic action film with an intelligent story, amazing settings, gripping fight scenes, excellent cinematography and intriguing characters. Fans of historic action films from all around the world should give this movie a try. It's certainly better than anything Hollywood has released in the same genre for the past two decades. This movie underlines yet again that the greatest contemporary movies come from South Korea in my humble opinion.