The Sword with No Name
The Sword with No Name (Korean: 불꽃처럼 나비처럼; RR: Bulkkotcheoreom Nabicheoreom; lit. 'Like Fireworks, Like Butterflies') is a 2009 South Korean film based on a fictionalized account of Empress Myeongseong.[2][3] The film sold 1,671,387 tickets nationwide.[4]
| The Sword with No Name | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Hangul | 불꽃처럼 나비처럼 |
| Revised Romanization | Bulkkotcheoreom Nabicheoreom |
| McCune–Reischauer | Pulkkotch‘ŏrŏm Nabich‘ŏrŏm |
| Directed by | Kim Yong-gyun |
| Produced by | Yun Sang-oh Kim Mi-hee Park Min-hee |
| Written by | Lee Suk-yeon |
| Based on | Like Fireworks, Like Butterflies by Yasulok |
| Starring | Cho Seung-woo Soo Ae |
| Music by | Choi Yong-rak |
| Cinematography | Kim Myeong-joon |
| Edited by | Kim Sang-bum Kim Jae-bum |
| Distributed by | Showbox/Mediaplex Funimation Entertainment (USA) |
Release date |
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Running time | 124 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$10,928,195[1] |
Plot
Mu-myeong is a bounty hunter during the Joseon Dynasty who lives day-to-day by catching fugitives. His life is forever changed when, on one of his missions, he meets a beautiful noblewoman, Min Ja-young, and falls in love with her. Several years pass and Ja-young enters the royal palace to be married to Emperor Gojong as the next queen of Joseon. Lovesick, Mu-myeong joins the royal guard to be near Ja-young, staying loyally by her side as she navigates court politics and rises to the throne to become the Empress Myeongseong.
Myeongseong tries to modernize the dynasty by breaking it off from its hermit kingdom past while avoiding being colonized by Russia and Japan. She becomes embroiled in a political power struggle with the court's conservative Confucian faction, led by her own father-in-law, the regent Daewongun. As threats against the queen grow, Mu-myeong tries to protect her by fending off assassination attempts from foreign and domestic enemies.[5]
Cast
- Cho Seung-woo as Mu-myeong (literally "Nameless")
- Soo Ae as Min Ja-young, later Empress Myeongseong
- Chun Ho-jin as Daewongun, Gojong's father
- Choi Jae-woong as Noe-jeon
- Kim Young-min as Emperor Gojong
- Park Min-hee as Mi Woo-ra
- Go Soo-hee as So-hee
- Song Hee-yeon as Dae-doo
- Lee Yong-nyeo as Court lady Choi
- Yoon Young-bae as Min Young-ik
- Bong Man-dae as Lee Saeng-won/Ji Kyeong-chool
- Lee Joo-sil as Ja-young's mother
- Kim So-hee as Mu-myeong's mother
- Lee Joon-myeong as young Mu-myeong
- Shin Cheol-jin as Go Jong's eunuch
- Yeo Moo-young as Prime Minister
- Sophie Broustal as Isabel
- Lee Moo-saeng as Noe-jeon's subordinate #2
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Art Direction | Min Eon-ok | Nominated | |
| Best New Actor | Choi Jae-woong | Nominated | ||
| 29th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Won | |||
| 4th Asian Film Awards | Best Costume Designer | Shim Hyun-seob | Nominated | |
| Deauville Asian Film Festival | Lotus Action Asia | Kim Yong-gyun | Nominated | |
References
- "Bulkkotcheolum Nabicheolum (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
- Park, Sun-young (27 August 2009). "Another side to Empress Myeongseong". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
- Yang, Sung-hee (1 October 2009). "Sword presents the softer side of actress Soo-ae". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
- "Theatrical Releases in 2009: Box-Office Admission Results". Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
- "HOT MOVIE/The Sword with No Name". Korean Film Biz Zone. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
External links
- Official website (in Korean)
- The Sword with No Name at the Korean Movie Database
- The Sword with No Name at IMDb
- The Sword with No Name at HanCinema