GREAT war films are NEVER about war

Rating: Null/10 (5 May 2006)

"Tae Guk Gi" (Korean, 2005): Set in 1950 South Korea, as the war begins between their North and the South, we follow two brothers  and best friends  who are "drafted" into the Army, and forced into lives they never expected or wanted. This is a dense, draining, monumental Epic of a story about love, hate, honor, violence, context, and forgiveness. GREAT War films are never about war they are about humans facing extraordinary circumstances, and having to deal with them one split second at a time. The acting, lead by Jang Doug-Gun and Won Bin, is superb. The photography reminded me of the gritty hyper-reality of "Black Hawk Down". The scoring sweeps over some scenes - sometimes like an immense Vulture, sometimes like an Angel. This is a very violent film, but never gratuitous. 148 minutes. In Korea, "Tae Guk Gi" ("The Brotherhood of War") won Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Art Design, and Best Sound Effects.