Joint Security Area/ Gongdong gyeongbi guyeok JSA (2000)


Directed by Park Chan Wook
Written by Seong-san Jeong, Hyeon-seok Kim, Mu-yeong Lee, Chan-wook Park, Sang-yeon Park (Novel DMZ)
Cinematography by Sung-Bok Kim
Edited by Sang-Beon Kim
Running Time: 110mins

Main Cast:

Yeong-ae Lee .... Maj. Sophie E. Jean
Byung-hun Lee .... Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok
Kang-ho Song .... Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil
Tae-woo Kim .... Nam Sung-shik
Ha-kyun Shin .... Jeong Woo-jin

Synopsis:

In 1953 the Korean War was concluded when the communist North and the capitalist South both signed a treaty. Today an area referred to as the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) still exists laterally between the two countries, maintaining a division through a primarily unpopulated no man's land plagued by undetonated mines. At Panmunjom in a region called the Joint Security Area, North and South Korean soldiers have faced off constantly for the past fifty years within the DMZ, a situation that is unlikely to be resolved in the near future. When two North Korean soldiers are killed, it appears that one South Korean soldier is responsible, but the ballistic count does not match the number of bullets held by a standard issue firearm. The Swiss/Swedish team from neutral countries investigating the incident expect another party was involved, and what is eventually revealed conveys a story of tragic friendship.

Comments:

Entertainment Value: 7/10
Potential for film-making analysis: 8/10
IMDB Vote: 7/10