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[K-FILM REVIEWS] 형사 Duelist (Part 2), by Mr. X
https://web.archive.org/web/20141216163047/http://twitchfilm.com/2006/02/korean-dvd-reviews-duelist-part-2.html

Ha Ji-Won Presents ‘형사’ (‘Duelist’), the Action Melodrama, by Mr. X
https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040519/http://twitchfilm.com/2005/08/ha-ji-won-presents-duelist-the-action-melodrama.html

DUELIST (Hyeongsa, literally Detective) has been one of my favorite Korean movies since my first viewing in 2016. The cinematography and choreography are gorgeous. I was first tipped off to the film in a viewer’s comments on the Kdrama BICHEONMU, which itself has beautiful martial arts sequences with swirling fabric and battles in the tops of bamboo. Gang Dong-won and Ha Ji-won as Nam-soon the policewoman are phenomenal as they “tango with swords,” to quote Thunderbolt’s turn of phrase.

https://thundie.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/duelist/

I was tickled to happen across Mr. X’s review of the 2006 DVD collection today. Just reading his summaries of comments by the director in the extras included in this particular boxed set tipped me off to Lee Myung-se’s approach to making movies, with the emphasis on motion and rhythm rather than tropes, conventional plotting, character backstories, or dialogue. Discussion of color, sound, and music grabbed my attention. Now I’ll have to watch DUELIST yet again. 😉