TAE GUK GI: THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR
4 out of 5 stars

a tremendously LONG film about the korean war! also, a tremendously BLOODY and horrific outlook on the horrors of wartime as well as the psychological aspects of how the motherland got torn apart by the ideals of democracy and communism. it’s no documentary obviously, but the storyline is well written and the acting is quite great! ;)



the year is 1950, and the korean war has just broken out… take an ordinary korean family operating a small noodle house and shoe-shining, and plunge the boys right into the battlefield. older bro jin-tae (the great/hott actor jang dong-gun) shoe-shines for a living to pay for his young bro’s education. of course, younger bro jin-seok (won bin) reluctantly “enlists”. (ehh…it’s more of a “you have to come fight with us now” sort of sitch) jin-tae feels like he has to protect his lil’ bro, so he too “enlists.” it’s a no-win situation, and pretty soon, bullets are flying, body parts are being blown up, blood is gushing everywhere, and the commies keep on coming. the movie is a visual representation of the korean war, but this movie’s focus is more on the brotherhood/bond between two brothers, and i think the overall message is how CRAZY the ideals of government/power can make even the best of brothers into sworn enemies…


i think the best aspect of this film is the storyline, esp. the beginning where it starts out with an elder jin-seok reflecting on his past, triggered by a phone call from the korean war excavation unit from the south korean govt. the excavation unit thinks that they found the remains of a sgt. lee jin-seok, and of course, elder jin-seok knows that in his heart that it’s his brother who died trying to save him on the battlefield. it’s all incredibly moving and very sad. (my eyes are still puffy from crying them out…) also, the music featured on the soundtrack is incredibly GOOD. not sure who the composer was, but it’s very beautiful and appropriate for a movie of this nature. GREAT film, and i understand why it won so many awards at an intl film festival in 2004!


p.s. this year marks the 60th anniversary of the korean war, and all i can say is THANK YOU to all those who fought in the name of democracy and R.I.P. to those who died in the name of democracy…