Customer Reviews

J.S.A. - Joint Security Area

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

*
[[NOTE: This is an unedited reproduction of my original Amazon review of the "Import" edition of this DVD, post dated June 15, 2002; hence some of the information presented herein may be in need of a few minor 'update' tweaks]]
>>>

Spotlighted as one of the most expensive & highest grossing domestic Korean films to date (ranking third in overall audience attendance in Korea for a domestic film, just behind "Chingu" ["Friend"] and "Shiri" [or "Swiri"], and just ahead of the quirky romantic comedy "Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo" [aka "My Sassy Girl"], "JOINT SECURITY AREA" -- (Korean title: "Gongdong Kyeongbi Kuyeok - JSA") -- is one of those stories which starts off confusingly, but by the end ties everything together neatly and beautifully with some of the most sincere and genuine raw emotion ever experienced in a feature film.

"JSA" begins with a couple of contradictory flashbacks of an assassination-type event which takes place in a guardshack North of the DMZ (demilitarized zone) in the Joint Security Area, each based on the 'official version' of the story as propogated by North and South. As the film progresses, we are pulled along by a third and equally contradictory flashback, this one apparently revealing the truth not only of that fateful night's event which nearly ignited a small war between the two Koreas, but also giving us insight as to what led up to that point, and does so very tenderly and emotionally.

The story revolves around an 'illegal' friendship forged between two pairs of soldiers stationed on opposite sides of the DMZ in the Joint Security Area, which began as a result of a nighttime border patrol team in the South getting disoriented and venturing too far north, accidently venturing into Kim Jung-Il's Communist state where one of the soldiers gets separated from the rest of the group and becomes stranded under frightening and dire circumstances in what is one of the most tense and dramatic moments of the film.

A secret correspondence is later initiated by the prodigal Southern soldier with the two Northern soldiers he encountered on that harrowing night. Before long, he receives an invitation to 'cross over the bridge which divides the two Koreas'-- literally and figuratively --and almost without hesitation accepts the offer to drop in for an "unauthorized (to say the least) visit."

No 'sensative secrets' are ever revealed or exchanged during these illegal meetings (as one of the Southern soldiers declares, "We don't know anything, anyway"); What 'secrets' ARE exchanged, though, are those which come from the heart: stories of friends, family, homelife, personal goals, and hopes for a reunified nation of "brothers" fractured by ideological differences. It was also a nice touch that never at any time-- except in a moment of genuine curiousity or as a gesture of offered protection --does anyone of either side try to entice any of the others to defect to the other side.

But as with all beautifully and honestly executed thought-provoking cinematic masterpieces, something goes terribly wrong during one of the illegal visits, which results in "murder" (quote/unquote), cover-up, and threatened outbreak of war. It is left to a neutral investgative board to uncover the truth of what took place on that dark rainy night, and the case is assigned to a Korean native raised in Switzerland who carries with her a secret of her own which could raise questions about her 'objectivity' and very likely jeopardize her investigation even as the truth gradually unfolds .

Why this film never saw nationwide theatrical release in the U.S., apart from a few sporadic "film festival" venues, is completely beyond my comprehension. Perhaps seeing how well made this movie was, and how it held its own in its homeland by practically putting "Titanic's" Korean box office recepts to shame, maybe Hollywood got scared that its ego would get bruised even further if American audiences (already apathetic and dissatisfied with the declining quality of Hollywood films and their self-eroding committment to excellence) had wide access to this "foreign" film and responded favorably, as they surely would have.

Unlike many foreign films, which sometimes require a considerable amount of knowledge of the native culture to be genuinely appreciated and/or enjoyable, "Joint Security Area" is truly an "international" film, one to which anyone anywhere can easily relate. If allowed, this one movie could probably do a much more effective job of moving Korean reunification talks forward than all of the bureaucratic 'diplomacy' of the past decade.

This is an incredible movie that tells a story of friendship against a political backdrop. One night shots break out at the JSA leaving 2 North Korean soldiers dead, one south korean soldier in a catatonic shock, and another southern soldier suicidal. A Korean-Swiss soldier is assigned to the case to find out what happened, all the while maintaining her neutrality.
What unfolds is the story of a complex friendship between a pair of northern soldiers with a pair of southern soldiers. Chan Wook Park is gaining fame for his Revenge Trilogy as well as his part in Three... Extremes, but out of all his work it is JSA that stands out for me.
He handles the friendship between the soldiers masterfully; they form a strong bond, looking at each other as brothers, but at the same time there is a sense that the bond will be easily broken.
At the end, when we see that a throw away scene actually has a meaning, it is enough to bring a person to tears.

very well made movie...it is amazing how fast the South Korean film industry has propelled themselves onto the world stage. even though this was made quite a few years ago, it is still worth buying for collection.

This outstanding film takes place at the DMZ [Demilitarized Zone] separating North and South Korea. One of the worlds most sensitive military and political regions in the world. When two North Korean soldiers are discovered dead, and two South Korean soldiers suspected in their murders, a team of neutral countries are gathered to determine the cause of what has happened: in which the fate of renewed hostilities between the two countries becomes all too real. I don't want to give out any spoilers in this film, therefore, I must leave out important information which will ruin the film for you if I divulge too much.

There is more to the deaths of the two North Korean soldiers, and the two South Korean soldiers being questioned by the neutral investigators that makes this film so different and outstanding. This is one of the better films to tackle a suspenseful subject matter that I have seen in a long, long time. The film moves between the present and the past. Each giving the viewer vignettes of what has transpired that has caused this tragedy. And although the film is tragic, there is also hope in the film: Hope for those who wish to see a better tomorow between this divided nation.

The storyline and cinematography is excellent, and as usual, Park Chan-wook weaves a magical tapestry of a film. He is truly one of the greatest directors in the business today. In fact, he is a directorial artist. [If there is such a term] He has a vision of directing that very few in the business have today: Every subject matter he seems to tackle comes off brilliantly. I look forward to more of his films. [Take notice Hollywood!] I recommend the film highly, you will not be disappointed. Highly, highly recommended. [Stars: 5+]

Great movie. I have one question. Is this version a edited one? Why is the Tai Seng Entertainme version, also offered here on amazon, Have a running time 10 minutes longer than this version? A total of 120 min. While this version has a running time of only 108 min. Anyone have the answer? I am confused on which version to buy. I don't want so water downed version.

This is an interesting mystery set in the DMZ-between North and South Korea. Two South Korean soldiers begin visiting two North Korean soldiers and a friendship develops between them--but things go terribly wrong and two North Koreans wind up dead--including one of the friends. Due to the circumstances--"enemy" soldiers making friends in contravention to their orders--all involved are reluctant to tell the truth. The daughter of a North Korean expatriate is assigned the investigation-and though she uncovers the truth--it is a truth she cannot fully reveal.
The movie is interesting on it's own--but the message is clear--it's not soldiers who make war--it's politicians and governments!
Well worth watching!

Some movies are just outright masterpieces: something that you wouldn't be able to change one frame because it's so perfect. Then you get those films that are outright terrible; simply because of a bad acting, script and others. Then we get films like Joint Security Area: they're great and entertaining but then there's something that nags that prevents from being given full marks. Kind of like not getting 100% on an exam because you filled in the circle half-way a la Homer. Of course I gave it 5 stars but you almost wish it did one thing differently so you can say it was a near-perfect film.

On the line dividing North and South Korea rests the Joint Security Area, a military outpost guarded by both sides forces. When a couple North Korean officers are found murdered and an officer from each side is taken into custody, a neutral Korean investigator from Switzerland, Sophie Jean, is brought in to figure out what happened that night while making sure she doesn't upset either side. Figuring out what happened and the personal matters that affected the soldiers from both sides is the fun in the movie.

I should get this out of the way. People will disagree with me on this and I did like its inclusion but it felt too long at times as well. We found out an interesting connection between the soldiers from both sides in flashbacks that reveal something different than just bitter enemies going at it. While it does humanize an event that was quickly labelled an attack on a government, there's so many scenes of it that it becomes less an exciting mystery and more like a well-made drama. That's all I'm going to say about the plot: don't expect you're walking into a massive shoot-em-up and you'll be just fine.

Where the film does work is its acting. Probably best known from Lady Vengeance, Lee-ae Young is a great and capable officer who tries to figure everything out. The rest of the cast is memorable as well, including the leads from Mr. Vengeance. For those of you looking for iconic images a la corridor fight in Oldboy or dogboy in Lady Vengeance will find a couple but they're not as pronounced but I love the ending where we scan over a photograph.

The problem with the DVD is not with the picture but with the sound. First of all, it boots up with the 5.1 English dub, which as you can guess, is horrendous. Then of course there's some hilarious subtitle errors including my favorite. The opening text reveals Korea free from "Japaness rules". The big faux-pas is the Korean soundtrack which is in 2.0. Yes...measly piece of elephant crap 2.0. This is a big blemish, especially since it's supposed to be the first and main soundtrack of the film.

If you can find it, track this film down. It's no Oldboy so don't bother thinking it is. Walk into it cold with no preconceptions and you'll have a blast...remember to click the Korean dub first though.

On the boarder between North and South Korea is an area called the Joint Security Area (JSA). One night there is an exchange of fire across the JSA that interrupts the progress between the nations. There seems to be two versions of the reason why two North Korean soldiers were killed on the North Korean side of the boarder. The South says that North tried to kidnap a South Korean solider, while the North states that a South Korean solider went amok. The neutral countries, Switzerland and Sweden, are in charge of the investigation and clues indicate that there are other motives behind the crime. JSA is provides an excellent cinematic experience, which educates and fills the audience with compassion.

This movie I think in order to understand it you have to be a Korean citizen. The person that gave this movie 3 stars does not know what he is talking about . I wonder if he ever even served in the JSA, because I did. I think the film brings hope and unity. I once wondered how would it be if both Koreas got together. I think the person that made this movie a genius for making it. It inspires hope to a very high level. Maybe the 3 star cowboy wanted to see blood and gore.

A highly-logical and well-laid-out Cold-War whodunnit (there's still a Cold-War on the Korean Pennisula) with in-depth characterizations in the way the Koreans like... well... except for the stereotypical militarists who are the real villains of the story. There are some good actors -- especially the small group at the center of the story (special mention should go to the charismatic Song Kang-Ho [Memories of Murder] as the North Korean sargent). And, as is typical with Korean films, nice color photography but this time with a lot of tricky night scenes.

Also pleasing to watch is the stunningly beautiful Lee Young-Ae as the half-Korean Swiss officer heading the Swedish-Swiss investigation of the killings at a North Korean guardhouse by a South Korean soldier. Her character comes across as smart and determined. And she makes Korean sound like the most beautiful language in the world.

For the other Swiss-Swedish team members, I was relieved that they imported genuine European actors -- as opposed to using amateurs.

Like other South Korean films I've seen, this exhibits a wistfulness for renunification despite the ongoing tension. The outlook behind the story may be naïve (ie, 'it's simple distrust that divides us' -- whereas an insightful story would analyze the history, politics and personalities behind the situation) but the story itself will probably work whatever your perspective.