A powerful war movie made in Korea

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2012)

This is probably the first large scale war movie that is made by a Korean director. And it's well directed and shows how war is hell, especially when it comes to watching your loved ones suffer because of the casualties of war. This movie focuses on two brothers that gets forced into fighting a war against the North Koreans. I am not sure if this is based on a true story of a certain survivor. But the direction this goes makes it believable that it could have happened. It's the director's first war movie so some flaws can be understandable, but the cinematography is very choppy at times to the point it can get annoying to watch sometimes. And not choppy in a way where it brings out the chaos of war but it just seemed choppy without adding certain elements that make shaky cam work SOMETIMES. But overall the battle scenes are well shot with the low budget they had for a movie of this kinda scale. The two main protagonist and brothers in this movie is played by Jang Dong-Gun who is the older bro and the younger bro is played by Won Bin. Who are two very popular actors in Korea and they fit the role very well and believable as brothers. Lee Eun-Ju is also in this and she was good as the fiancé to Jang Dong-Gun's character and was good at showing her sorrows and desperation. It's a shame how a pretty actress like her decided to commit suicide. Overall if your in the mood for a war movie that is well crafted, this is one I can recommend.
9/10