One of the Most Spectacular Movies of War Ever (if not the Best)

Rating: 10/10 (29 March 2007)

In 1950, in South Korea, the shoe-shiner Jin-tae Lee (Dong-Kun Jang) and his eighteen years old student brother Jin-seok Lee (Bin Won) form a poor but happy family with their mother (Yeong-ran Lee), Jin-tae's fiancé Young-shin Kim (Eun-ju Lee) and her young sisters. Jin-tae and his mother are tough workers, who sacrifice themselves to send Jin-seok to the university. When North Korea invades the South, the family escapes to a relative's house in the country, but along their journey, Jin-seok is forced to join the army to fight in the front, and Jin-tae enlists too to protect his young brother. The commander promises Jin-tae that if he gets a medal he would release his brother, and Jin-tae becomes the braver soldier in the company. Along the bloody war between brothers, the relationship of Jin-seok with his older brother deteriorates leading to a dramatic and tragic end.
I have just watched one of the most spectacular movies of war of the cinema industry, if not the best. The stunning and overwhelming "Taegukgi Hwinalrimyeo" is impressive and the brilliant direction of Je-gyu Kang and his crew is among the most perfect I have ever seen, with realistic and gore battles and fights. The cinematography is amazing and the camera work in most of the moments seems to be a documentary, so realistic it is. The sad and dramatic story shakes the emotions of the viewer, with another stupid war, and worst, between brothers. Probably this is the best and most visceral anti-war movie ever made. Dong-Kun Jang and Bin Won are amazing and I felt deeply sorrow with the fate of the character performed by the gorgeous Eun-ju Lee. How can this movie be not nominated to the Oscar? My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "A Irmandade da Guerra" ("The Brotherhood of the War")