A nameless man arrives at the heavily fortified gates of a palace bringing proof that he has vanquished the Emperor’s most formidable enemies. If this is true, the Emperor can sleep soundly for the first time in years. Who is this man with no last name and why has Nameless been able to accomplish what no one else, including the Emperor himself, could?

            In a city by the sea lives a young man named Pico who leads a quiet life as a librarian and a poet. Orphaned and apprenticed to the former librarian by his winged mother, for Pico was born without wings, his life is one of solitude; he is of neither world. One evening, while watching the

            The constant murmur of the mall’s shoppers fades as the sound of electronic bleeps and whines rises to claim the evening. Beside you, one of your friends tries to get the last bit of drink through their straw, hollow slurping sounds echo from the paper cup that then rattles as it is thrown away. This is a sacred place you are entering; no drinks allowed. Flashing lights keep time to an invisible jazz chorus as you all search the shadowy interior for the one who owns the smock. From nowhere they descend as if the meeting is a predetermined rendezvous. An open exchange occurs, tokens for allowance money and the figure moves off back into the dim corners, their ever-watchful eyes darting about looking for someone crashing, needing another fix, new opportunities to fuel an addict’s obsession. 

            War ravages the countryside. Sanggyeong, the capital of Balhae, has fallen. The newly established Dongdan Kingdom has dispatched hit squads to either kill or capture the remaining members of the royal family in order to prevent the resistance groups from coalescing into a coherent fighting force that could threaten their hold on power. Carrying out these orders, the Killer Blade Army attacks the headquarters of the Balhae Crown Prince Dae Soo-Hyun. Their leader, Gun Hwa-pyung, and his second-in-command, Mae Yung-ok, approach the Crown prince and give him one more chance to serve the Dongdan Empire. He refuses, unsheathes his “shadowless sword” and prepares to fight, but is no match for the more powerful Gun.

            When I think of kung-fu movies, the first one that comes to mind is Enter the Dragon, not only because it stars Bruce Lee, but also because it is a great movie that has stood the test of time.

            Enter the Dragon is part kung-fu, part spy and part revenge movie.

            Music has always been with us. Our thoughts, our speech, our walk are all rhythms moving us and relegating our lives behind the scenes. As long as we have had story, it has been a part of that too. From the first storyteller around the campfires to the silent films of yesterday to the blockbuster films of today, music has always been an intricate part of its existence, increasing the tension, passion, fear, dread, joy and relief we feel during the experience.

            So, when ‘musical’ is mentioned, why is the first reaction ‘ugh’? Maybe it is because

            We can talk about how Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has grossed well over ten times what it took to make it. We can talk about how it won four Academy Awards and numerous others of equal prestige here and in other countries.

            Instead, I prefer to speak about CTHD itself. There is a reason for all these awards and accolades; this is a fantastic movie.