A very emotion provoking film.

Rating: 10/10 (17 July 2005)

As I had posted at the Armchair General Forums (www.armchairgeneral.com): Now I know someone had a thread on this but I can't find it. If you come across this movie at the Video Store (My local Family Video didn't have it but the Hollwood did) I suggest you rent it. It is very very powerful. Its an excellent insight to the South Korean side of the conflict. Its a bear of a movie though at almost 3 hours but considering it goes from civilian life to the Pusan Perimeter, up to the invasion of Pyonyang, and then farther North and then the Chinese counter-attack, it makes sense. Some of the action may seem a bit over the top but its mainly for a reason thats proving a point about one of the characters. But, the battle scenes in my opinion make SPR, BoB and even Full Metal Jacket pale in comparison, the wounds stick into your mind really easily since it isn't a quick glimpse and the mêlées are chaotic and absolutely hideous (in appearance). It raised the question how men can almost get into a possessed fervor like that and kill each other with bare hands or rocks, or bayonets. I HIGHLY recommend it and honestly I can tell you it had me emotionally wrecked at the end. But then again I lost it when I finished Band of Brothers the book. A bit too emphatic towards the experience of war I guess. (Too much reading)
The acting is phenomenal and puts an excellent human side to the conflict, even listening to the movie in Korean. And you really feel a love/hate relationship with Jin-Tae the whole time...