Joint Security Area

Director: Chan Park-Wook

Plot: Maj. Sophie E. Jean (Lee Yeong-Ae) is brought to the Korean Demilitarized Zone to investigate a sticky situation. In the 'Joint Security Area' Two North Korean solider's where killed and a third injured. The surviving North Korean Solider - Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil (Song Kang-Ho), his statement reports that a solider from South Korean army snuck across the bridge separating the two military bases, the solider then entered the North Korean patrol hut and proceeded to kill a patrol guard and a general.

Sophie then takes a statement from South Korean solider from that night - Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok (Lee Byung-Hun). Soo-Hyeok's story is that when out on patrol he as attacked by two North Korean solider's, then dragged over the bridge to their patrol hut, he manages to shoot his way out of the hut and make it over bridge to alert the South Koreans.

Two different stories, only two witnesses, but the thing is, everything isn't what it seems...

Review: This is possibly the best movie Chan Park-Wook has ever directed, the film has such a serious tone from the looks of it, but when the story gets going it shows you it's golden warm-hearted story of a unique friendship between solider's.

Cast is flawless, Song Kang-Ho as the eldest of the group, has fought in wars around the world and has the scars to prove it, oh yeah he has a sweet tooth too. Shin Ha-Kyun is the comical character of the four and a talented artist. Lee Byung-Hun, to whom I have only seen in 'A Bittersweet Life', both of these performances from him are outstanding. He is the leading character of the movie and plays a very moving performance.

Lee Yeong-Ae, who later on went onto working with Chan Park-Wook on the concluding chapter of his Vengeance Trilogy - Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, she speaks a good bit of English in this movie and also has her own subplot about the past of her father etc.

Chan Park-Wook does a brilliant thing with the movie, there is a scene early on in the movie where a tour is being taken through through the DMZ and something that happens in the scene is really insignificant, but at the end of the movie it turns a tragedy into a up lifting moment in Korean Cinema.

Final thoughts, this movie easily ranks along side CPW's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Old boy. Just think of this as a CSI: Korea.

Highlights

• Shin Ha-Kyun's performance is brilliant
• Both stories
• Lee Soo-Hyeok stepping on the fuse
• Jeong's Dog
• The Ending
• The Photograph at the end of the movie
• The soundtrack

Rating: 9.8 out of 10.0