Korea is a divided country and Panmunjom, where North meets South, is an area where tension inevitably runs high. When a shooting incident there leaves two Northern soldiers dead, Major. Sophie E. Jean, (the gorgeous Yeong-ae Lee) of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, is called in to head the investigation. A South Korean soldier, Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok (Byung-hun Lee), takes responsibility for the killings, claiming he was kidnapped by the North, and that he shot the men as he attempted to escape.
But as Sophie slowly unravels the truth, she learns that the reality is far more tragic and, in a series of flashbacks, we get to witness the events leading up to the shooting: Sgt. Lee straying into the Northern half of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and accidentally treading on a mine; his rescue by 'the enemy'two guards who work a stone's throw from Lee's own post, just on the other side of the border; and Lee's eventual friendship with his rescuers, which sees him crossing into the North at night to spend time with his new pals.
After a while, Lee introduces his trusted workmate to his new 'brothers'. The four become close friends, and spend time together drinking, gambling and playing gamesthat is until the night when their secret is discovered and things go remarkably pear-shaped!
I first experienced the work of director Chan-wook Park when I watched the brilliant Oldboy (2003)a gripping, violent and bloody tale of revenge. My next choice was Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, which was made one year previous to Oldboy, but which failed to impress me as much.
JSA was made in 2000, and I feared that, possibly, I might like this even less, since the subject matter didn't particularly appeal to me. I needn't have worried: Joint Security Area is a magnificent film that tells a gripping story whilst also delivering a poignant message about the stupidity of war.
Beautifully shot and carefully pieced together, this amazing film builds slowly, but surely, until the compelling ending when tragedy inevitably strikes. Only the slightly confusing 'shootout scene' at the end of the film stops me from giving this film a perfect 10, although one does not need to fully understand the details of this moment to recognise the brilliance of JSA, nor feel its powerful message.
But as Sophie slowly unravels the truth, she learns that the reality is far more tragic and, in a series of flashbacks, we get to witness the events leading up to the shooting: Sgt. Lee straying into the Northern half of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and accidentally treading on a mine; his rescue by 'the enemy'two guards who work a stone's throw from Lee's own post, just on the other side of the border; and Lee's eventual friendship with his rescuers, which sees him crossing into the North at night to spend time with his new pals.
After a while, Lee introduces his trusted workmate to his new 'brothers'. The four become close friends, and spend time together drinking, gambling and playing gamesthat is until the night when their secret is discovered and things go remarkably pear-shaped!
I first experienced the work of director Chan-wook Park when I watched the brilliant Oldboy (2003)a gripping, violent and bloody tale of revenge. My next choice was Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, which was made one year previous to Oldboy, but which failed to impress me as much.
JSA was made in 2000, and I feared that, possibly, I might like this even less, since the subject matter didn't particularly appeal to me. I needn't have worried: Joint Security Area is a magnificent film that tells a gripping story whilst also delivering a poignant message about the stupidity of war.
Beautifully shot and carefully pieced together, this amazing film builds slowly, but surely, until the compelling ending when tragedy inevitably strikes. Only the slightly confusing 'shootout scene' at the end of the film stops me from giving this film a perfect 10, although one does not need to fully understand the details of this moment to recognise the brilliance of JSA, nor feel its powerful message.