Joint Security Area: Movie Review

Let me start by quoting another movie review by filmasia.net:

An especially poignant scene is the final shot of Joint Security Area, which uses the components of a single photograph to exceptional effect. The message in the film is stark and clear: friendship and kinship should transcend all borders, and countries must learn to be more tolerant of each other.

I never really like military movies, they're gross and I don't want to see bloodshed live or on screen. I wasn't able to watch this movie on its entirety but it definitely touched me that I got teary-eyed at the movie's ending. This movie is exceptional. The gory scenes involving mutilated body parts and corpses were bearable to watch.

Anyway, this movie is about friendship. The photo above is the finale of the film showing four persons (info of characters and flags are taken from Wikipedia):

1. Lee Byung-hun as Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok
2. Kim Tae Woo as Pvt. Nam Sung-shik
3. Song Kang-ho as Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil
4. Shin Ha-kyun as Pvt. Jeong Woo-jin

These four are guards of the border between North and South Korea, particularly the de-militarized zone, otherwise known as the "peace" zone. These Korean guards from the two opposing countries soon developed a friendship and circumstances tested this friendship.

I won't go into details since I really don't like giving the story for you. You better watch it yourself.

My only reaction is that anything is possible. Some of us may be dictated by the system we are in but in the greater scheme of things, a person's will and decision would always prevail. It makes me sad about how countries resort to war and armed conflict and it's such a waste of life.

Also, this is not the first South Korean movie I watch today which plot includes the North and South Korean turmoil. Honestly, I don't know anything about North Korea except that I dread its name. It's a sad fact but I hope that reconciliation would soon put an end to conflicts between nations.

World Peace!