The Brotherhood of War

Set during the Korean War Period(6.25 war), the movie Taegeukgi depicts a shattered family in result of the disastrous internal battle against the so called North Korean “Bbalgaengees”.  In the beginning of the movie, having been freed and gradually stabilized after years of the Japanese annexation, Seoul citizens along with the Lee family seem to be happy and enjoying each other’s company. However, sudden chaos is instigated once again when the internal conflict of the communists against the right-wing government arises.  In portraying this chaos, a wide variety of filmic techniques are used, including closeups, long shots and high angles shots etc. The directors approach of using long shot and voice over to depict the ending of the movie was effective and original in that it contrasts with the beginning of the movie of the depiction of Seoul where people looked “oblivious” to the war that was soon to happen. As Kim states, “the intermingling of past and present that is  posited in T’aegŭkki hwinallimyŏ is very much invested in South Korea’s current positionality”(Kim, p.307).

The often used closeups are also effective in capturing the contrast facial expressions where they display either carefree faces when surrounded by family or frightened faces as they endlessly fight amidst gory/bloody corpses as well as their own country’s people.  In many of the battlefield scenes, low angle shots are used as they either slowly or quickly when necessary, move away.  Often, camera trembles along with the guns and bombs, which gives me a feeling as if i am there.

The director, Kang Jekyu, who is known as one of the greatest directors of Korea, has directed two movies, which are in relation to the Korean war. Shiri, which was a box-office movie like Taegeukgi, narrate itself of North Korean spies who disguised themselves in South Korea. Both of the movies deal with the consequences of a divided peninsula, where in connection to this divided identity, the innocent suffer from losing their loved ones, whether they be a lover or a brother. Kang meticulously utilizes the notions of geography, time, memory, and history(Kim, pg.1) in portraying this profound wartime movie.

The displacement of the people and gory depictions in the battlefields of the war reminded me of the stories that my grandfather had told, as his sister lives in North Korea, and he hasn’t seen her for more than fifty years, and he was shot in the shoulder while fighting at the war. Due to the traditional patriarchal roots, not only Jintae and my grandfather, but also many other veterans felt the need to be responsible and protect their family and nation. 

Despite the long two and a half hour screening, the constant tension in the movie and the emotionally appealing melodrama effectively portrayed the Korean war national tragedy.