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Taegukgi hwinalrimyeo (2004) More at IMDbPro »

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192 comments in total

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158 out of 196 people found the following comment useful :-
Better than any Hollywood production, 17 November 2004

Author: chris_santner from Spittal, Austria

I have watched Taegukgi for the first time just yesterday, so my impressions of the movie are still fresh. I have not known much about the Korean War that took place at the beginning of the 1950's, but that was a history lesson I will not easily forget. Taegukgi is really the best (anti-)war movie I have ever seen. And believe me, I have seen a lot. But no movie ever before has impressed me so much. In most Hollywood productions there is only one perspective, the winners view. Many directors tried to make a movie that shows both sides of the conflict, but all of them failed. Until now: Taegugki is showing the situation mostly from the south korean view too, but it is the first movie which shows also the "other side". I was very surprised, that the director showed also the crime that his own government committed to their own people at this time. That movie is the first war movie that is not glorifying war - it's horrifying, terrifying, scary - like in reality.

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99 out of 112 people found the following comment useful :-
A 'Brotherhood' For The Ages, 26 November 2004

Author: ncc1205 (trekscribbler@yahoo.com) from Phoenix, AZ

Nations do not fight wars. Citizens fight them, and these citizens are honorable men and women who serve their country willingly or, as history shows, by decree of a desperate government.

As a result, patriotism has become the unlikeliest casualty. Once welcomed in the trenches of battle, patriotism has lost its limbs, fought back from life support, and suffered shell shock. Once easily recognized, patriotism has become a bit of a chimera, an ideal more easily attached to definable characteristics than it is any single soldier. However, in the bitter end, patriotism is defined by the actions of these individuals who serve; it is rewarded by the nations who sponsor this service; and, more often than not, it is measured in hardships endured.

Such is the complex, ever-changing battleground of writer/director Kang Je-Gyu's 'Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War.'

In 1950's Seoul, Jin-Seok (Won Bin) and his older brother Jin-Tae (Jang Dong-gun) are enjoying a strong family life of perfect happiness. Suddenly, they find their lives turned upside down as soldiers of the South Korean government seize them – all men aged 18 to 30 are taken – and they are forced to take up arms – despite their lack of training – against the approaching North Koreans. On one brutal battlefield after another, the bonds of family are put to increasingly demanding tests as Jin-Tae – originally driven by his responsibility to protect his younger brother – continues to further exhaust his physical and emotional prowess despite the protests of Jin-Seok. He learns that he is a good soldier, one with a talent for inspiring others as well as an unanticipated thirst for killing the enemy. Eventually, these two brothers – once bound by a love for family – find themselves at odds within this new brotherhood of war, and the pressures to prove one another continue to exact heavier and heavier tolls as the war escalates. As circumstances evolve, the brothers inevitably find themselves on opposite sides of a losing conflict … but can either find a path to redemption or reconciliation that can save both of them?

There are many elements of 'Taegukgi' that elevate the film from the status of standard war film to a message of hope set against the backdrop of war. The film's scope is grand, dealing with the far more intimate themes of family, brotherhood, and personal responsibility when Director Kang Je-Gyu could have easily opted for banging the drum of nationalism. At its core, 'Taegukgi' is the story of two brothers, a strikingly poignant analogy for the entire North Korea / South Korea dilemma. While the battlefield choreography is as frenetic as it is harrowing, it never takes the film's center: this picture is founded on relationships – the human perspective to the world outside – and it never falters. Instead of focusing on history, Kang Je-Gyu crafts every scene to highlight the thoughts, actions, and emotions of the participants of history, and, for that, 'Taegukgi' deserves countless accolades.

Much like exploring the heart of darkness as depicted in American classics as Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now' and Oliver Stone's 'Platoon,' Kang Je-Gyu forces Jin-tae to explore his own budding evil, and this journey is not without its own relative scars. Once a man has crossed over and embraced wartime madness, can he ever truly find a way out? Arguably, if 'Taegukgi' suffers from any setback, it is that perhaps Jin-tae goes too far for an audience to accept his madness: believing his brother to have been killed by North Koreans, Jin-tae turns traitor once he is captured and seeks to wipe out every soldier serving South Korea. While the story offers the motivation for so drastic a change, it's hard to believe that the man who once fought so valiantly against the spread of Communism would suddenly choose to embrace it.

Still, it's a small diversion … but it's necessary to bring the aspect of brotherhood full circle, to have these two unique men face their darkest hour, and to make one final statement on the role that family inevitably plays in every man's life.

Recently, thanks to the worldwide success of 'Taegukgi' and 1999's blockbuster 'Shiri,' Director Kang Je-Gyu has signed an agreement with Hollywood's own powerhouse, CAA, to produce his next film in America. Only time will tell whether or not this agreement will afford some of the 'Korean sensibility' to American films, but certainly having one of South Korea's premier directors breaking into the Hollywood film system is a tremendous advantage for fans of international film.

Only the passage of time will earn 'Taegukgi' its rightful spot alongside the other great films dealing with the consequences of war.

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124 out of 165 people found the following comment useful :-
SEE IT: Superior to "Saving Private Ryan", 18 November 2004

Author: probe_droid_VII from Vancouver, BC, Canada

Whereas Saving Private Ryan's plot was a "situation" rather than a story--it's fatal flaw in my opinion)-- this harrowing film of the Korean War is a well paced and heart-wrenching tale of two brothers caught up in one of the twentieth century's most vicious conflicts.

The superbly realistic battle scenes are more brutal than any war movie I've ever seen...it makes you realize that combat is one of the most horrifying of all human experiences. In film it is a good thing; It is necessary to communicate and teach the horror of war.

By the way, "Tae Guk Gi" is the name of the South Korean flag. I give this movie ten out of ten stars.

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76 out of 92 people found the following comment useful :-
Harry's Top Ten Movies of 2004 - No.1, 3 January 2005

Author: wldbest from South Korea

That's what this movie is. Pure hell. If you're that person that screamed in agony when Shakespeare IN LOVE beat SAVING PRIVATE RYAN – find this movie and realize just how much better TAE GUK GI: BROTHERHOOD OF WAR is than just about every war film ever made. A story of two brothers during the Korean War. The movie is spectacle larger than any film made this year, but as intimate as a tale of brothers could ever be. I grew up with Sam Fuller, Peckinpah, Spielberg and the war films of Hollywood. This thing… it's just amazing. I went to see it on "Can Day" here in Austin… where you donate 3 cans of food to the homeless and see any movie you want. I saw 4 films that day, this was the 3rd – and it just completely blew me away. I instantly got the Korean Box Set – and have seen it many times since… Unfortunately – the day I saw it in the theater was the last day it was showing in Austin. A BRILLIANT FILM. The film will just shake you to the core. The South Koreans are making brutally brilliant films. Amazing. Should be re-released with a major advertising campaign. The trailers you could cut of this thing… my god. Stunning film and my pick for the best film of 2004 ! Check the site - http://aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=19054

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72 out of 94 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the Best Movie About War, 10 December 2004

Author: qfb1 from Ann Arbor, MI

It started out like so many other movies, a short clip of the present and then a long flashback. And then it blew me away with its depiction of war and all of its complexities. The changes in the attitudes of the two brothers as the Korean War progresses helps us understand that war is not merely about good and evil. The most well intentioned soldier or commander can go astray. The Korean War turned brother against brother based on little more than time and place, conviction, or happenstance.

Take Guk Gi is the best antiwar movie that I have seen since Johnny Got His Gun.

It reminded me of the beginning of Saving Private Ryan, which I thought captured some of the reality of war while avoiding the pitfalls that Saving Private Ryan fell.

If the DC crowd watched the Battle of Algiers but missed the message, All Americans should see Tae Guk Gi to better understand the horror and tragedy of war.

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57 out of 65 people found the following comment useful :-
Wonderful, 7 September 2004

Author: poptartsgurl from Los Angeles, CA

This 2.5 hour long movie was wonderful! As a Korean, this movie was very emotionally moving and touching. Some people (mainly Westerners) think this movie was "over-dramatic", but it's actually a part of korean custom, culture and history. If you do not speak or understand Korean, a lot of the "meaning" is lost and cannot be portrayed in subtitles. That is a true shame. The story-line between the two brothers was heart-felt and emotional. Korea has remained divided for decades since and is subject to the possibility of a new war at any time. It was considered one of the most destructive and bloodiest wars of the 20th century with over 4 million koreans dead (2/3 of them were civilian). The Korean War will always be remembered as the "Forgotten War" since it came on the heels of World War II and was overshadowed by the Vietnam War.

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62 out of 76 people found the following comment useful :-
Impressive war film from Korea, 11 December 2004
Author: Simon Booth from UK

I'm not a big fan of war films, unless the war in question was at least a couple hundred years ago or somewhere in the future, or the stars - but I did enjoy SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, if "enjoy" is the best word to use for such an experience. Apparently, director Kang Je-Gyu (SHIRI) enjoyed SPR too, as its influence on his Korean war film TAEGUKGI is impossible to deny. SHIRI was the South Korean film that probably did more than any other to bring the country's cinematic new wave into being, and especially into the field of view of the rest of the world at large. Its main accomplishment was, arguably, demonstrating that Korea could make a film that competed head on with Hollywood product, in terms of slick production values but also perhaps in terms of vacuous scripts Although it is rather shallow compared to other Korean films, though, I think it's safe to say that SHIRI had more depth than Hollywood would have injected into a similar story.

TAEGUKGI is his first film since SHIRI, and he's definitely playing the Hollywood game again - tackling Spielberg head on this time. Like SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, TAEGUKGI attempts to humanise war by giving us some specific characters to focus on (in this case, two brothers played by Won Bin and Jang Dong-Kun) - and then uses our personal connection to show us that war is actually a dehumanising experience. The film also spares no effort in showing us the ability of bullets, knives and bombs to turn human beings into squishy piles of gore.

There's a fairly obvious political symbolism in the story of two brothers and the effects the Korean war has on their lives and relationship - I don't know if it would be fair to read the ending as a view about the conditions under which Korean reunification might occur though. The ending of the film won't come as much of a surprise, since it's basically foretold at the start with a scene set in the present day. The exact details might be a little unexpected though.

If you like your modern-ish day war films, and specifically if you liked SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, then there's very little doubt that TaeGukGi will impress. It's big, slick and well put together. Since it's not my favourite genre or topic of interest, I can't say I loved it like a brother, but was sufficiently satisfied with it given what it is.

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48 out of 60 people found the following comment useful :-
Some Personal Opinions Why This Film is so Beloved..., 17 December 2004

Author: dennisyoon from Washington DC

Possible Spoilers*** First of all, major praise goes to Jang Dong Gun's riveting performance. He captured the essence of a nation divided, the immorality of war as your own folks become your enemies, and love for your brother regardless of the situation of the world and/or personal vendetta. The transformation he undergoes and the madness of war he evokes and invokes leaves quite an impact garnering notice.

I knew I was in for something as soon as I saw the archaeological dig of a battlefield starting the film as a grandfather's story is slowly drawn out. The flashback sequence between two brothers is heartwarming as you see the elder brother watching over and sacrificing for his younger sibling and the bond that they have. Being an only child, I wish I had a brother like that. Then the war hits and everything turns upside down as the gut wrenching begins.

The haunting thing about this movie is that the enemy is your own people and they speak your own language and share the same ancestors and genetics. What's more you kill your own kin because of circumstance in a situation of kill or be killed. The simmering conflict between the two brothers deserves special attention because it will hit home as the core message of the movie is made by it. The film made me think of what my parents and grandparents lived through.

-About Saving Private Ryan. To me they were worlds apart in situation, meaning and focus but similar in execution and structure. Just as Saving Private Ryan spoke so resounding to its audience, Taegukgi does the same for its own.

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41 out of 52 people found the following comment useful :-
A 'Brotherhood' For The Ages, 26 November 2004

Author: ncc1205 (trekscribbler@yahoo.com) from Phoenix, AZ

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Nations do not fight wars. Citizens fight them, and these citizens are honorable men and women who serve their country willingly or, as history shows, by decree of a desperate government.

As a result, patriotism has become the unlikeliest casualty. Once welcomed in the trenches of battle, patriotism has lost its limbs, fought back from life support, and suffered shell shock. Once easily recognized, patriotism has become a bit of a chimera, an ideal more easily attached to definable characteristics than it is any single soldier. However, in the bitter end, patriotism is defined by the actions of these individuals who serve; it is rewarded by the nations who sponsor this service; and, more often than not, it is measured in hardships endured.

Such is the complex, ever-changing battleground of writer/director Kang Je-Gyu's 'Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War.'

In 1950's Seoul, Jin-Seok (Won Bin) and his older brother Jin-Tae (Jang Dong-gun) are enjoying a strong family life of perfect happiness. Suddenly, they find their lives turned upside down as soldiers of the South Korean government seize them – all men aged 18 to 30 are taken – and they are forced to take up arms – despite their lack of training – against the approaching North Koreans. On one brutal battlefield after another, the bonds of family are put to increasingly demanding tests as Jin-Tae – originally driven by his responsibility to protect his younger brother – continues to further exhaust his physical and emotional prowess despite the protests of Jin-Seok. He learns that he is a good soldier, one with a talent for inspiring others as well as an unanticipated thirst for killing the enemy. Eventually, these two brothers – once bound by a love for family – find themselves at odds within this new brotherhood of war, and the pressures to prove one another continue to exact heavier and heavier tolls as the war escalates. As circumstances evolve, the brothers inevitably find themselves on opposite sides of a losing conflict … but can either find a path to redemption or reconciliation that can save both of them?

There are many elements of 'Taegukgi' that elevate the film from the status of standard war film to a message of hope set against the backdrop of war. The film's scope is grand, dealing with the far more intimate themes of family, brotherhood, and personal responsibility when Director Kang Je-Gyu could have easily opted for banging the drum of nationalism. At its core, 'Taegukgi' is the story of two brothers, a strikingly poignant analogy for the entire North Korea / South Korea dilemma. While the battlefield choreography is as frenetic as it is harrowing, it never takes the film's center: this picture is founded on relationships – the human perspective to the world outside – and it never falters. Instead of focusing on history, Kang Je-Gyu crafts every scene to highlight the thoughts, actions, and emotions of the participants of history, and, for that, 'Taegukgi' deserves countless accolades.

Much like exploring the heart of darkness as depicted in American classics as Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now' and Oliver Stone's 'Platoon,' Kang Je-Gyu forces Jin-tae to explore his own budding evil, and this journey is not without its own relative scars. Once a man has crossed over and embraced wartime madness, can he ever truly find a way out? Arguably, if 'Taegukgi' suffers from any setback, it is that perhaps Jin-tae goes too far for an audience to accept his madness: believing his brother to have been killed by North Koreans, Jin-tae turns traitor once he is captured and seeks to wipe out every soldier serving South Korea. While the story offers the motivation for so drastic a change, it's hard to believe that the man who once fought so valiantly against the spread of Communism would suddenly choose to embrace it.

Still, it's a small diversion … but it's necessary to bring the aspect of brotherhood full circle, to have these two unique men face their darkest hour, and to make one final statement on the role that family inevitably plays in every man's life.

Recently, thanks to the worldwide success of 'Taegukgi' and 1999's blockbuster 'Shiri,' Director Kang Je-Gyu has signed an agreement with Hollywood's own powerhouse, CAA, to produce his next film in America. Only time will tell whether or not this agreement will afford some of the 'Korean sensibility' to American films, but certainly having one of South Korea's premier directors breaking into the Hollywood film system is a tremendous advantage for fans of international film.

Only the passage of time will earn 'Taegukgi' its rightful spot alongside the other great films dealing with the consequences of war.

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40 out of 52 people found the following comment useful :-
Damning indictment of the cost of war, 4 December 2004

Author: dbborroughs from Glen Cove, New York

When North Korea invades the South, two brothers are forcibly drafted into the army. The older of the two, hoping to win a medal and ticket home for his younger brother, begins going on every suicide mission offered. This, however, puts a strain on his relationship with his brother and those in the platoon. Worse the course of the war has several nasty turns waiting for them...

I'm of two minds about this film. Despite the fact this is a graphic example of both the physical and psychic effects of war, the narrative is more than a bit disjointed. The film is loosely connected snapshots of the course of the war, beginning right before the invasion, then several weeks later before jumping about a month at a time to certain key events. I'm sure that had I better grasp of the history of the war I would have understood the events better. I felt lost and wished there had been more explanation. The lack of a narrative that follows all the way from start to finish hurts the film since we're moved a bit too much from place to place and situation to situation

But the course of the war is not the purpose of the film, rather its the relationship between two brothers. How war changes them and everything in and around them except the love they have for each other. Its a bit hokey but its dead on, just ask anyone who's ever loved their sibling unquestioningly. You understand how one brother would spend 50 years trying to find the other.

And then there are the battle scenes which are wonderful and frightening and seem to be the total chaos that war really is. People die horribly and the experience is far from fun.

Is the movie worth seeing?

Yes. Its not perfect but its a kick in the pants.

8 out of 10.

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