An extraordinary film

Rating: 10/10 (16 September 2004)

Korean wartime epic "Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War" belongs to that brand of sweeping, conflict-era drama epitomized by "Saving Private Ryan," "Gone with the Wind" and TV miniseries "North and South."
What makes "Tae Guk Gi" such an extraordinary film isn't its solid, family-based core or the choreographed chaos of its battle scenes--although both contribute. Instead, writer/director Kang Je-gyu dedicates himself to the human side of a grand tale, to people who've been uprooted by history.
When brothers Jin-tae (Jang Dong-gun) and Jin-seok (Won Bin) are forced into the South Korean army in 1950, an officer tells older sibling Jin-tae the only way to send his baby brother home is to win medals and fame. Thereafter, Jin-tae volunteers for the most brutal, dangerous missions (caught on film with hand-held "Saving Private Ryan"-style cinematography) with little regard for his life.