Tae Guk Gui - The Brotherhood of War (movie)

[Pieman]

I would like to highly reccommend the following movie. It is a foreign South Korean film, that is about two brothers who fight together in the Korean war. It is of high quality and beautifully filmed. I was shocked because IMHO it is the same quality as 'Saving Private Ryan' or 'Band of Brothers' (though not as historically accurate as BOB, I suspect) It has a beautiful story line, and some simply ghastly violent scenes, they did not shy away from trying to show the brutalities of war in this movie. I suspect the battle scenes and general plot to the movie was historically accurate. The characters are probably made up or loosely based upon real people. I was unable to find any info on that. Watch this, it is a war classic in my books.

The official webpage can be found here:
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/taegukgi/

From sfgate:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/09/03/DDGUH8I5A31.DTL&type=movies

'Taegukgi'

War drama. Starring Jang Dong-kun, Won Bin. Written and Directed by Kang Je-gyu. (Not rated. 142 minutes. At the Galaxy.).



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If "Taegukgi," an intense, powerful Korean War film, had been an American production, filmed in English, it would be playing at all the multiplexes across the Bay Area and have a place on many critics' short lists for Academy Award consideration. Instead, it appears that only a lucky few will see it in scattered art houses around the bay.
Too bad, because there's really something going on lately in South Korean cinema - while the Hong Kong film industry battles economic problems and piracy, and Japan's market is TV-saturated, filmmakers from Seoul are making genre-bending, risk-taking fare that has nourished the region's box office and intrigued international film festival juries.

"Taegukgi," about two brothers who are conscripted into the South Korean army and begin to drift apart emotionally in the heat of frequent, bloody battles, is the latest Korean film to openly long for reunification of North and South. Others have couched their messages in a murder mystery (the DMZ drama "JSA") or an action thriller ("Shiri"), but here we have the Korean War itself, framed in a flashback structure a la "Saving Private Ryan."

Locals are responding; released in South Korea on Feb. 5, the most expensive Korean film ever ($12.8 million, looking like a $150 million Hollywood movie) is the leading moneymaker in that country, with nearly four times the admissions of the year's No. 2 film, the American epic "Troy."

"Taegukgi," named after the South Korean flag, opens in the present day when an elderly man gets a phone call. An archaeological dig has uncovered remains from a long-ago battlefield, and it appears that they belong to the man's older brother, who has been listed as missing in action for 50 years. Flash back to 1950, when Jin-tae (Jang Dong-kun), the protective older brother, and Jin-seok (Won Bin), his bookish younger brother, are happily living in a town near the 38th parallel. Jin-tae's beautiful wife, Young-shin, (Lee Eun- ju) runs a shop that is just beginning to be successful. They have two children.

War breaks out, and the brothers are drafted. Thinking that being a war hero (or getting killed) will allow his younger brother to go home, Jin-tae volunteers for every dangerous mission, and becomes addicted to the violence of battle. Jin-seok becomes horrified at his brother's bloodthirstiness, and thus writer-director Kang Jegyu ("Shiri") sets into a motion a morality play that assesses the cost of war, and how it changes a human being, a family and an entire nation.

Epic in scope and violent in a way that every war film has to be since "Saving Private Ryan," "Taegukgi" is a big-time movie that never loses sight of its human story.

Advisory: Extremely violent scenes of war and torture, and strong language.

-- G. Allen Johnson

 

[Danjanou]

I've seen this in the new release section of my local video store and have been tempted to rent it. Thanks after this I think I will now.

 

[Pieman]

Danjanou,

If you do rent it, it would be great if you wrote one of your quality reviews of the film. It is always interesting to read a review of a war movie from somone with a millitary background. I have a feeling you will be able to pick out aspects that would be oblivous to me.

As a further note, one of the more interesting things about this film is that you get to have a look into Korean culture. There was one scene where the two brothers went to the temple of thier dead father. They sat in front of the temple and spoke to their father as if he was in the room, updating them on their life etc. They even brought in one of the brothers girl freinds and introduced her, it was quite interesting to see.

Another scene that struck me was where the two brothers (both in their late teens) were running down the street holding hands, and had a lot of physical contact. Not that there is anything wrong with it. However I don't know about you, but when I was growing up, if me and my brother were seen acting like that (esp. at that age) we would get a thumping from the other neighborhood kids pretty quick. Just some interesting culteral differences.

Pieman

 

[Danjanou]

Pieman thanks for the compliment.

I'm behind in my reading and viewing (thank god for no late fees) movies these days, let alone my writing reviews for here and elswhere, but someday.

Re some Asian cultures, my own knowledge is somewhat limited (one major trip there and my wife is Asian woman) but you're correct in some society's men walking hand in hand with each other is an accepted social norm, and does not bring with it the automatic connotation what one from North America would expect. IRRC I beleive it also the case in some North African societies too.

 

[Maritime_Matt]

My wife is from S. Korea and she loved this movie. Also very interesting to see a war film from a "Non-North American" perpective. Brutal violent scenes, but very good story and acting.

 

[squealiox]

very impressive movie.
but i couldn't help but hit the rewind button in the scene where the younger brother is running away from the hospital, past a row of allied flags that includes a canadian flag -- the modern maple leaf one, that is.

 

[Danjanou]

very impressive movie.
but i couldn't help but hit the rewind button in the scene where the younger brother is running away from the hospital, past a row of allied flags that includes a canadian flag -- the modern maple leaf one, that is.

There's some Italian movie from the 1960's-1970's about German POWs in Holland near the end of the war guilty of the at error too. The Guards at the camp are all Canadians and they're flying the Maple Leaf in 1945?

 

[patrick666]

I like how the story shows the brothers evolving as soldiers from being just ordinary student and shoeshiner to full-fledged combatants is interesting. It shows that there are some things you have to make yourself let go of.

I think the cinematography was phenomenal and had some of the most well-done, realistic, battle scenes I've seen. I'd hate to see what would happen if, when, in the middle of the first offensive by the South Koreans they screw up and have to reset the whole scene again because there was some pretty intense destruction of life and soil.

A lot of people do not like subtitles but I, personally, didn't notice them at all because of the great story and acting. A really good movie for anyone who fancies the war genre - but definitely not for squeamish.

Cheers.

 

[tmapplepeel]

As I posted in the other "Favourite war movies" I still dont understand why the older brother was firing a Vickers Vinnie. Was I mistaken that it was a Russian burp gun?

 

[larry Strong]

I watched it, and found it to be a good movie. I would recommend it to anyone who likes realistic war movies.

 

[Infanteer]

Outstanding movie.  The whole Korean killing Korean/Civil War theme was very interesting; something you don't get from Western perspectives.

 

[canadianblue]

Another scene that struck me was where the two brothers (both in their late teens) were running down the street holding hands, and had a lot of physical contact. Not that there is anything wrong with it. However I don't know about you, but when I was growing up, if me and my brother were seen acting like that (esp. at that age) we would get a thumping from the other neighborhood kids pretty quick.  Just some interesting culteral differences.

I was thinking the exact same thing, me and my brothers were always trying to beat each other up. But, it was a great movie, extremely brutal. Especially the scene where the flags unit comes into battle, and just kill's off most of the South Koreans. It was a great movie all together, and was a hell of alot better then some Western films like Windtalkers, or Pearl Harbour :.

Did they use those Maxim gun's in the Korean war. I remember when I watched Hamburger Hill I was always wondering why some of the VC were firing off M-60's.

 

[winchable]

wooooow,

Still absorbing it but I do have some initial thoughts.

Incredible acting, amazing production values; I think I'll be looking into seeing some other Korean films.
Absolutely blown away by the actor who played jun-tae, absolutely blown away.
This movie would have garnered endless praise from critics, audiences had it been released as widely as some other foreign films have been. (the motorycle diaries, life is beautiful)

Interesting message, I found it to be anti-war in general, showing the atrocities commited in war, not just by a particular side.
Shows the danger of being brainwashed by any kind of ideology (democratic, communist etc.) and losing site of what transcends politics and I also noticed an undercurrent message of "when do the means become bigger then the ends?"

Reminded me of Das Boot to a certain extent as after a while the war doesn't happen between two sides anymore it just...happens.

Also, you realise some things about the Korean conflict that very tragically was lost in the aftermath of the second world war to many, many people and you realise that there was a tragedy that occured on a massive scale and it just completely blows your mind.

Anyway, if you haven't rented it and you consider yourself a movie buff, a war movie buff, a historian etc. I suggest you go out and rent it now or you're doing yourself a disservice.

 

[Argyll_2347]

I had heard a lot about this movie on the net... then one day I was in HMV and, much to my surprise, saw it sitting on the shelve and just immediately grabbed it and walked to the cash.  Great movie!

 

[seoulja]

Tae Guk Gi was an intense movie. If you liked it, I recommend Silmido which is based on a true historic event which took place in Korea. In retaliation to an attempt by the commie's to assassinate the Korean president, they ruthlessly trained prisoners who were sentenced to death. And you can guess what happens after..but it's was better than Tae Guk Gi in my opinion and very historically accurate. And it's definately a tear jerker. I recommend it.

 

[Pikache]

I just finished watching it and it is pretty damn good.

It is interesting to note that it showed what the ROK troops did in terms of severe anti communist executions. I've never seen any Korean films portray ROK as anything but good guys, but I guess it shows some of the 'Sunshine policy' adopted by South Korean govt starting in 90s. Some ROK personnels, esp. the secret police types were quite brutal against communist sympathizers. Then again, the Communists started with the atrocities.

Bad things happen when one side start executing prisoners.

The separation of Koreas still is one of the biggest issues that prevails in South Korean society. To many, North Koreans are still brothers and sisters, not the enemy. It is still the wound of the entire peninsula that both Koreas are not united.

Well, good to know that I can still understand most of Korean still. (Except for a lot of 'battle' language)

 

[canadianblue]

I loved that movie and tried to find a copy to buy in Edmonton, but still haven't found a single place that sells the movie.

 

[Pikache]

Just watched Silmido on suggestion of seoulja and it was pretty good.

Some scenes were really brutal and definitely not recommended for young ones.

My biggest thought was that never screw around with loyalty and blind obedience to an order because it is an order is not how a military in a democracy society is suppose to work. (Then again, Pak Chung Hee era was a dictatorship under guise of democracy)

I found a good review that can describe the movie better than me.

http://www.mediacircus.net/silmido.html

 

[Polish Possy]

I have a this movie how ever it is in korean and subtitled in japanese and chinese so I have to learn to speak either korean or learn to read Japanese or chinese.....or rent a english version

There's some Italian movie from the 1960's-1970's about German POWs in Holland near the end of the war guilty of the at error too. The Guards at the camp are all Canadians and they're flying the Maple Leaf in 1945?

I have seen that movie ...the germans ask to have some of their soliders shot for trying to escape or some thing and the comander of the prision drives in a car with a small Canadian flag on the hood

 

[pappy]

very good flick in my opinion.  having known / know many Koreans and lived with a few it makes for a very touching movie.

To this day the Korean War is still a raw wound to Koreans on both sides of the DMZ.