Not for the Faint of Heart, or Closed of Mind...

Rating: 10/10 (28 July 2008)

... but for everyone else, this film is a true masterpiece. Excellent acting, well-written dialogue, and a beautiful story of the chaos and horror that war entails, both through death and, sometimes even worse, survival.
The plot is one that cannot be easily summarized without giving away important details, and this is very typical of the best Korean films today. As an American, it is hard to find film that doesn't cling to such formulae as have become common enough to be named and studied. No, films such as this one take you for twists and turns, and don't let go of you until they are truly ready.
Action sequences are like nothing you'll ever see in American cinema, and yet that's not even what the film is truly about. Just as The Thin Red Line was about the effects of war on the human spirit, as well as the natural landscape, Taegukgi focuses on the effects of war on the human mind and body, as well as the social landscape of those involved.
Do not let the claims of cliché deter you. These things are supposedly cliché because they really did happen. A lot. This film is about every single Korean man and woman who was a victim of that terrible civil war, not just the main characters covered in the plot.
I mentioned The Thin Red Line earlier. Probably a great way to spend your night would be to watch Taegukgi, let yourself get collected afterwards, then watch Thin Red Line to have a truly enlightening end to the experience.
Anyone who does not understand Korean culture, or at the very least the basic culture of East Asia in general, will have a hard time understanding this film. I suggest that you do your research before you ruin your opinion of the film by not understanding it properly.
Besides that, this is a journey you will not forget.