Bichunmoo

Bichunmoo
Hangul	비천무
Hanja	飛天舞
Revised Romanization	Bicheonmu
McCune–Reischauer	Pich'ŏnmu
Directed by	Kim Young-jun
Written by	Jeong Yong-ki Kim Young-jun[1]
Based on	Bichunmoo by Kim Hye-rin[2]
Produced by	Lee Tae-won Yoo Jung-ho[1]
Starring	Shin Hyun-joon Kim Hee-sun Jung Jin-young
Cinematography	Byun Hee-sung Kim Tae-hwan[1]
Edited by	Lee Hyun-mee[1]
Music by	Kim Seong-jun[1]
Production company	Taewon Entertainment[1]
Distributed by	Cinema Service[1]
Release date	July 1, 2000 (2000-07-01)
Running time	126 minutes[1]
Country	South Korea
Language	Korean
Budget	US $4,000,000

Bichunmoo (Korean: 비천무; RR: Bicheonmu) is a 2000 South Korean martial arts fantasy drama film written and directed by Kim Young-jun and featuring Shin Hyun-joon, Kim Hee-sun, and Jung Jin-young. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film in Korean history (it was supplanted in 2001 by Musa).

In 12th-century China/Goryeo, during Mongol rule, childhood sweethearts Jinha and Sullie are later separated at adolescence but vow to re-unite, despite Sullie telling Jinha of her father's arrangement of marriage.

Orphan Jinha begins training in the Bichun martial arts (tought by his appearent aging uncle) and discovers his father was a noble swordsman of a renowned House, murdered by the Mongol army, led by Korean rivals seeking the secrets of the Bichun martial arts. As told by his dying uncle, who at his death bed reveals his true identity as one his father's guards, Kwakjung, suffering from a wound by assassins.

Meanwhile, Sullie's father, a Mongol general, arranges for her to marry a Mongol noble. Believing Jinha to be shot dead by arrows, after he is found to be both the heir of the rival house and a rival to her future suitor, Sullie marries the noble.

After his rescue by a fisherman and recovering from near-death, Jinha takes on the persona of bandit Jahalang, and begins an anti-Mongol crusade with the help of his rebel army of Bichun warriors. After multiple successes across the kingdom, Jinha personally ambushes and kills the aging Mongol general in a ritual execution, as revenge for being one of those behind the plot against his family.

Finally Jin-ha and Sullie are re-united, when Jinha's bandit warriors infiltrate Sullie's family manor.the

• Shin Hyun-joon as Yu Jinha
• Kim Hee-sun as Sullie
• Jung Jin-young as Namgung Junkwang
• Jang Dong-Jik as Lai
• Choi Yoo-jung as Yeojin
• Gi Ju-bong as Kwakjung
• Bang Hyep as Namgung Sung
• Kim Hak-cheol as Taruga
• Kim Soo-ro as Ashin
• Lee Han-gal as Changryun
• Seo Tae-hwa as Saijune

Bichunmoo was shot entirely in China, with a Hong Kong-based martial arts director.^[3]

In spite of its financial success, the film was heavily criticized on its initial release in Korea, primarily due to its alleged disloyalty to the comic book on which it was based. Another argument given against the film was the casting choice of Kim Hee-sun, who was perceived as being too modern for a period swordplay film.

Alan Morrison of Empire called Bichunmoo a "Top-notch martial arts action".^[4]

• Bichunmoo at IMDb