Swords of Justice II

A medieval story inspired by Bozdag films, with conflicts, battles, death and treachery.

This sequel to the 2020 short film Sword of Justice begins immediately where its predecessor finished, continuing a story that is set during the conflict between the Seljuk, Byzantine and Mongol Empires, although with a duration that is twenty minutes longer than the half-an-hour first one. As the story is set during the Middle Ages, it contains elements that are often encountered in films that are set in this period, that include people from different worlds clashing with each other, sword fighting (plenty of it in this instance) and the appropriate clothing.

Taking under consideration that this is a low-budget feature, the mise-en-scene is to be commended, particularly due to the costumes and weaponry that includes swords, axes, bows and arrows and shields. The costumes and the weapons look great and are a highlight for the film. The majority of the narrative takes place in the countryside and also consists of scenes in tents and a large bridge, all of which look good thanks to Oudeif's directing that includes establishing shots of landscapes. However, viewers will most likely notice certain things that do not belong in that time period such as automobiles in the background and some of the footwear.

The battle scenes are another strength. Although at times they are not very realistic, they are enjoyable thanks to the directing, the editing, the sound effects and the decent choreography. Also, the adventurous score by Hamdi Aslan and Enes G contributes significantly in adding greatness to the fights and to the film's atmosphere in general.

There does not seem to be a central character, with the screenplay pretty much constantly moving from one to the other, which is not a bad thing. Generally, the acting is not convincing and that makes it hard to take the conversations seriously or to understand the characters.

This fifty-minute-long feature is the continuation of a brutal medieval story. The battle scenes are what make it a decent viewing, making the audience forget about the poor performances and unexplored characters and fans of the medieval genre will probably be the ones who this film will appeal to the most.