Incannerax What a waste of my time!!!

GamerTab That was an excellent one.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

solkimmyjones-60733 I decided to watch this amazing film again after 5 years or so of when I initially watched it. I must say the film hit me even harder the second time. The acting from the main cast was exceptional and I'm going far as to say the acting of Song Kang Ho haunted me. The only criticism I'm dishing out is to the acting of the Swedish officers and Lee Young-Ae in parts - this is mainly due to the awkward English (why didn't they speak Swedish amongst themselves?) but I don't blame the actors at all as it's obviously their second language. Go watch this film if you got a sec to visit the bay ;) - a true masterpiece of a debut that captures true human emotions/bonds

CinemaClown Joint Security Area is director Park Chan-wook's debut feature film & what a sensational film to start a career with. The story concerns an incident that happens at a DMZ which separates North & South Korea. Two North Korean soldiers have been killed & one injured, supposedly by a South Korean soldier. However post-mortem reveals an inconsistency with the number of bullets found in the bodies along with contradicting statements from the survivors, thus indicating some sort of foul play. With both nations on verge of war, the neutral countries send an investigating officer to look into the matter but the truth is far too simple & much more tragic, which makes a statement of its own.Expertly directed by Park Chan-wook, who makes his mark with a promise of greater things to come, the film plays its mystery part extremely well & effortlessly manages to keep its audience's attention transfixed on the screen. Brilliantly written too, it may look like a war film but is actually far from it. Cinematography introduces Chan-wook's visual style that would be more magically explored in his later films. Editing presents a non-linear chronology by brilliantly fusing present events with flashbacks & unfolds the film with finesse. The music too makes its presence felt & the composition is just beautiful.Coming to the performances, this film starts two actors who would go on to become South Korea's most famous actors. Lee Byung-hun stars as the South Korean soldier convicted of killing the two North Korean officers while Song Kang-ho plays the surviving North Korean soldier & both deliver wonderful performances plus they surely benefited from the fully-fledged characters in the script. Lee Yeong-ae also chips in with a good performance as the neutral officer overseeing this fragile case.On an overall scale, Joint Security Area is a gripping, heart-felt & highly tale that's uncovers its mystery in a calculated manner & is one of Korean cinema's finest films. Elegantly portraying the futility of war & worthy of emotional investment that is greatly rewarded in the end, Park Chan-wook's directional debut is strongly recommended.

ozzy_in_uk I don't even remember how it is that I staggered across this movie. One thing is for sure, I won't forget about it in a hurry. JSA is a remarkable story about an incident where two North Korean soldiers are killed in the DMZ, and the investigation that follows. What is discovered as a result highlights that tragedy that befell upon the Korean Peninsula over fifty years ago.Skillfully directed by Park Chan-wook, who would go on to direct the "Vengence Trilogy," JSA has a female lead (Lee Young Ae), who thankfully disappears into the background when the film shifts its focus to the events that lead up to the incident where the North Koreans are killed. Lee Byung-hun and Song Kang-ho are the key performers, playing soldiers on opposite sites, whom share an unlikely first encounter, which is followed by other encounters, before a friendship between the two is formed. Ultimately, four soldiers, two from each side, become friends in a highly unusual setting, as they guard the two respective sides of the "Bridge of No Return." When the friendship is predictably discovered by an NK officer, two soldiers are killed, bringing the film to it's eventual climax. Not wanting to endanger the life of his friend on the other side, the South Korean soldier in custody for the killings gives a fabricated version of events, as does the surviving soldier on the northern side. The final meeting between the two takes place in the conference room at JSA. With the truth seemingly uncovered by the UN investigators, a final tragic truth is revealed about the shootings, which in turn leads to a tragic finale. The final scene of the film, which is a flashback, is quite moving.Overall, in spite of some minor annoyances, ie the English speaking roles, this film is one not to be missed. Whilst the investigation is not exactly rocket science, the story itself is one of friendship under extraordinary circumstances, with a strong anti-war message behind it. Korea is a complicated issue, and what this film succeeds in doing is highlighting just how tragic the consequences are in relation to the unresolved issues on the Korean peninsula. The performances by the four central characters are outstanding, particularly Song Kang-ho as the seasoned North Korean sergeant.History is written by the victor. When there is no victor, there are two different versions of history. As a result, there are consequences, and regrettably, this leads to casualties. This film is about some of those casualties.

park0725 This is one of my favorite movies despite some flaws.First, I'd like to point out for those who've watched this film after realizing it was made by the same director, Chan-wook Park (Oldboy). Please keep in mind this is one of his first films. Before this film Park was basically an unknown. You can tell that it is a low budget film. This explains the bad acting on part of the English speaking actors.Second, you must understand the background for this movie. This film is loosely based on a true incident near the border. If you think this film was 'unbelievable,' I'd like to point out that it is merely improbable, but not impossible. While the North and South Korea are still technically at war, it has been over 50 years since the war broke out. Public opinion has been changing, but even so this film was extremely controversial because it portrayed North Koreans as human beings instead of the enemy. This movie touches on an extremely sensitive subject - perhaps akin to a Jordanian-Israelite friendship story. The point of the movie is that even during war, there is always a sliver of humanity (Like the film Joyeux Noel).Third, this film is NOT homo-erotic. Many things considered 'gay' in other countries do not equate to the same things in other countries. It doesn't make Koreans any more or less homophobic as say, in the US, but there is a different definition of what is considered gay. In Korea male bonding is considered very important. Many friends consider each other as close as brothers. This is completely normal in Korean society. In fact, Lee's role as the only female cast was chosen to 'balance out' all the male relationships. While I do not agree with this decision, I am extremely glad there weren't any needless love scenes so common in movies.I urge people to understand the context of this film before watching for maximum enjoyment. The premise is incredible, the directing is good, but unfortunately the acting of foreigners and the choice of Lee prevents me from giving this film a perfect 10. Yes, it was a little melodramatic, but you should expect that from most Asian cinema. Many Asian countries have experienced extreme violence in their own land in the 20th century. 8.5/10