Product Details

• Actors: Yeong-ae Lee, Byung-hun Lee, Kang-ho Song, Tae-woo Kim, Ha-kyun Shin
• Directors: Chan-wook Park
• Writers: Chan-wook Park, Hyeon-seok Kim, Mu-yeong Lee, Sang-yeon Park, Seong-san Jeong
• Producers: Eun Soo Lee
• Format: Color, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English, Korean
• Subtitles: Chinese, English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Tai Seng
• DVD Release Date: July 30, 2002
• Run Time: 110 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000687FL
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #274,880 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Joint Security Area" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Toe The Line, June 13, 2004

By 

Edward Lee "Trekscribbler (NCC1205)" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joint Security Area (DVD)

One incredible tightly-woven story drives this political thriller of friends and enemies along the Joint Security Area (JSA) between North and South Korea.

An apparent exchange of hostilities leaves two soldiers of the North Korean Army dead. Another is wounded, and a fourth soldier -- a South Korean soldier -- appears to be the hero ... but is he? As both sides refuse to allow an investigation to prove anything conclusive, a Neutral Nations officer -- a woman -- is brought in to uncover the truth ... but will she?

Being perfectly honest, I purchased JSA solely on the basis of the recommendation of AZNFilms.com, and I have to say that I wasn't disappointed in the least. Comparisons to SHIRI are very off-base in that -- politics aside -- SHIRI is a great formula action film from start to finish ... but JSA is a pure political thriller. It is a 'thinking man's action film' where the action is a result of the plot and not because of the character's motivations (with one notable exception I won't give away to spoil the surprise). However, this film's script keeps you guessing and even delivers tremendous surprise up until the very last frame!

Again, JSA is not intended for fans of the John Woo mentality (and I'm a huge fan of Woo's work). This is a drama -- which deservedly won many at the Korean Film Awards -- but certainly stands up to most American films easily. In fact, I would have to say that I never saw what all of the excitement was about MYSTIC RIVER -- a rather conventional crime drama -- but there's plenty to get excited about in JSA.

I'll be watching this one again this weekend.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect representation of Korean tragedy, October 10, 2004

By 

Will "Hanwill" (Seoul, Korea) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joint Security Area (DVD)

Those who study, or have lived in, Korea will appreciate the dynamism and importance of this impeccably made film. Outside of a passing awareness most Americans have no idea what the split nations of south and north Korea mean. This film captures, in a slowly building awareness, the true tragedy and heart break that is the modern Korean nation: one racially, ethnically and culturally monolithic people harshly divided in two with one the last vestige of a dead socioeconomic theory (communism) and the other a raging Asian Tiger and the world's 11th largest economy. While the north has clearly lost this last stand off of the Cold War, the nations remain divided and JSA does a superb job of bringing this into the human dimension. Note the subtle jabs at the US as well as the neutral nations. This gives Americans a view into a world most do not understand, but one that could consume our military in a flash. Not to be missed.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BREATH TAKING AND HEART BREAKING, April 18, 2004

By 

paula quincey (ANJEONG-RI, SOUTH KOREA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joint Security Area (DVD)

Living in South Korea gives you a chance to get some idea of the heart breaking reality of this divided country. As Americans we have no concept of how it must feel to be in this situation. To see this film is to get a "taste" of the reality. To feel the horrible pain and taste the tears -- friends gained only to be lost to bloodshed!! I cannot even imagine what it must be like to see this film as a Korean. I have many Korean friends here in this beautiful country I now call my home(for the next few years). After seeing this, I feel differently than I did before seeing it. I feel like I have grown as a human after the experience watching JSA has given me. I think everyone living in Korea certainly should see this film. It wouldnt hurt all Americans to see it to understand how a country divided hurts the soul. Excellent film.