Powerful war drama

Rating: Null/10 (26 July 2004)

Taegukgi uses the bitter Korean war as a backdrop to uncover the horrors and atrocities of war, and how common, peace-loving folk are affected by such adversities. The title means "Waving the Korean Flag". In some other territories the film is marketed as "Brotherhood" which tends to make the movie sound more a drama rather than an intense war film.
Director and writer Kang Je-Gyu crafts this film with an assured hand. The battle sequences are as intense as any seen in modern war films, with shaky cameras, explosions, mutilations, blood and all. Thankfully, the director has wisely chosen not to go for the sanitized "Pearl Harbor" route, which would have made the film less truthful about the horrors of the Korean war.
Unlike most other war films, Taegukgi has a surprisingly powerful dramatic element that tells the story of two brothers who are forcibly drafted to fight in the war. Embroiled in the horrors of warfare, the brothers mature, conflict, and inner demons arise... heart-wrenching to watch. The wonderful performances by Jang Dong-Gun and Won Bin bring these characters to life. Their brotherhood is developed and performed on screen in a very straightforward manner, which is different from what is done in the arguably more "artsy" films like "The Thin Red Line."
The realistic set pieces are brought to the forefront by the cinematography, as the war moves from the southern countryside of the Korean peninsula, to the snowy regions in the north. The intricate reconstruction of 1950s South Korea just before the surprise invasion by the North, and the chilling war-torn streets of Pyongyang and Seoul is amazing. One can imagine what the Korean people would feel when they see these places of the past.
The editing, although choppy at times as it shuffles between personal moments to huge battle sequences, is evenly-paced. There is never a dull moment throughout. The score by Lee Dong-Jun opens the movie with a patriotic, yet emotional theme, and continues to aid in the delivery of the storyline throughout, although some parts of the score are more upfront and manipulative than necessary because many of the scenes are powerful in their own right. The sound effects are a high point for Korean cinema, and the CG work is subtle that not many realize its use.
The cynic might not find anything new in this movie that has not been done before, including blood and guts scenes, and shaky cameras reminiscent of those in modern war films like "Saving Private Ryan" and "Black Hawk Down", as well as the melodramatic moments of the storyline more commonly found in dramas.
But with truth and emotion, Taegukgi masterfully melds the gut-wrenching realities of warfare, the personal battles of the soldiers, and the pain of a family separated by war, into a tight and compelling whole. This film delivers on so many levels that it will stay as one of the most unforgettable films I have ever experienced. Highly recommended.