Squid Flicks: Joint Security Area

Title: Joint Security Area

Director: Park Chan-wook

Original Release: September 9, 2000

My Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5

via Amazon

Two North Korean soldiers are killed in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and a South Korean soldier has confessed to the crime.  Swiss Army Major Sophie E. Jean, of Korean heritage herself, is brought in to investigate on behalf of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission.  The film is based on the novel DMZ by Park Sang-yeon.

To tell much more would be to spoil the story and I would hate to do anything to discourage anyone from seeking out this outstanding movie.  It reminds me of A Few Good Men in many ways except the narrative is told mostly from the perspective of the soldiers rather than the investigator.  The basic theme: people are basically decent.  War is the madness.  The madness runs deep when two nations are officially in a state of war for multiple generations.

Joint Security Area was a blockbuster hit in both South Korea and Japan.  It was, at the time of its release, the highest-grossing film ever in South Korea.  It also won four Grand Bell Awards, South Korea's Oscar-equivalent, including best picture.  Quentin Tarantino has claimed it as one of his favorites.

It's not just BTS, folks.  A lot of exciting creative work has been coming out of South Korea for a long time.  It was hard to see it coming when I lived in East Asia a quarter-century ago but this country historically overshadowed by Japan and China is leading the charge in the Asian Century.