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Joint Security Area/JSA (2000)

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From Time Out Film Guide

An incident in the JSA (the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea) leaves two N Korean border guards dead and one S Korean wounded. The Swiss-Korean woman officer (Lee Young-Ae) heading the neutral enquiry into the skirmish gets nowhere until she stumbles upon a history of secret fraternisation between some of the border guards on both sides. It's decently directed and acted; easy to see why it did better than Shiri in Korea, although it fudges the political questions by casting the ultra-charismatic Song Kang-Ho as the main commie soldier. But the message that all Koreans could get along fine if it wasn't for those pesky ideologies and uniforms doesn't mean a thing outside Korea, and the film is too entranced by all the male bonding to begin to function as an effective mystery.

Author: TR

Time Out Film Guide

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Mikey J A said...

Posted on Nov 26 2010 06:16 I may have been a little swift in titling this review. It most certainly is no Romance, nor is it any kind of a period drama. JSA is however, one of the finest tragedies I have had the pleasure of watching in recent years (and certain elements of the bards famous tale are certainly hidden under the cover of a fine political drama). A precursor to Chan-Wook Parks excellent 'Vengeance' trilogy, this is the calling card any director should wish they could leave. I must admit, when the first five minutes of the film had finished, I verged on going in to shut down mode. The little part of me that doubts maestros came creeping in and started fiddling with my remote controlling fingers. Mr. Park, as it turned out, had other plans. Before I knew it, I was hooked on the stellar performances as they guided me along the same railway tracks of the script which we knew would only end in tragedy. I watched as the camera eschewed poetic quill strokes which would shame most Mamet wannabes of today. This also served as a powerful message. Perhaps a little too idealistic and romanticised for the all too bleak world we have to live in, but this film managed to put aside political differences for a few precious celluloid frames to create one of the greatest friendships I might have seen if the Lenny Smalls and George Milton in Of Mice and Men had just made it through the depression and it shows you what Butch and Sundance might have said to one another if they had turned up at each others bachelor do's for their last goodbyes. But this is not the case, and we know it all too soon. In most cases, when I finish one of my Asia movies reviews, I find my self asking why the west can not make a film like this. In this case I will not say that. Instead I will state 'Keep away from this one America. Do not try to tamper with it with any attempt of a remake, adaptation or manipulation. This is one Da Vinci which should be left behind protected glass, only making an appearance to the west in the form of a Wish you were here post card. Watch and learn, but admire from a distance.' Had this been the first Park film I had seen, I would have gladly waited for a decade for his follow up. Had Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance been his last, I would have gladly waited for the same. Instead, we have since been treated with two tragic-feasts which are just waiting to be viewed, and viewed they should be. Watch them, admire them, review them, and then spread the gospel truth. Chan-Wook Park is one of the new breed, true to his goals and honest with his creations. This is no Frankenstein’s Monster, rather the perfect result of an experiment gone right. And to think, JSA is available wherever you go. Food for thought?

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