Review of Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (2004) by Cam J — 07 Dec 2008

One of the best war movies I have ever seen. It is certainly the most emotionally moving of any war movie I have ever seen. The movie begins in Seoul, Korea in 1950. Older brother Jin-Tae (Jang Dong Gun) is supporting his family as an aspiring shoemaker and helping his younger brother Jin-Seok (Bin Won) get through school.

North Korea soon invades and peace soon turns to chaos. The South Korean army is shorthanded and both Jin-Tae and Jin-Seok are recruited. Being older, Jin-Tae vows to protect Jin-Seok so he is able to help the family in case of Jin-Tae's death. The movie then propels them (and the audience) into the face of battle. Throughout the war, we see the brothers progress. Jin-Tae makes an agreement with his commanding officer to step up for battle if it means his brother can be sent home. Jin-Tae soon becomes the hero of his batallion, while Jin-Seok seems left behind. The whole movie could have been melodramatic and cliched, but it is neither of those things because you never know what is going to happen next. Like a real war, certain things just happen and there is no clear explanation as to why they happen. As the story (which is set mostly in 1950) progresses, the brothers begin to change. Jin-Tae develops a more aggressive battle attitude, quite the opposite from when he first entered the army and seems to treat Jin-Seok as less of a sibling. Jin-Seok tries to match that of his brother but is looked at a little bit crazy by the rest of the men, including his brother. After seeing his fiancee murdered and brother presumably killed, Jin-Tae makes a crucial decision in his life (which I will not reveal here). Jin-Seok is later seen in 1951 at a medical hospital where he learns the whereabouts of his brother. The journey to find him occupies the last half hour of the film. I have only given away the bare details of the film so that you may experience it for yourself.

Jang Dong Gun and Bin Won give exceptional performances throughout, Gun in particular. I almost could not believe the path Jin-Tae took in the later part of the war but given the emotional trauma he experienced, it became easier to accept. Bin Won is equally good as the younger brother, and is played with the right amount of confusion and morality as the war rages on. The battle sequences are sometimes jaw-dropping, especially the first one when Jin-Tae and Jin-Seok are just getting into the army. It propels them right in to the heart of the war and it's an unflinching look at what's ahead. The direction and cinematography are also first-rate. The magnificient score only adds to the film's overture.

This is basically South Korea's version of a Hollywood war epic. I don't know why it received such a limited release in the U.S. but it should have been given a fair chance. The graphic violence may keep some viewers away. For those who can stomach it, this is a powerful and emotional effort about loyalty to those you care about. For someone like Jin-Seok, that loyalty can never be replaced, no matter what happens.