Welcome back to Film Friday! Today we’re going to be looking at the 2004 war film, Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War.
Set in the 1950’s, during the Korean war, this film follows two brothers, Jin Seok and Jin Tae (played by Won Bin and Jang Dong Gun) as they are called up into the army to fight after a communist advance. The two brothers are very different men, with Jin Seok being bright and well-educated, whereas his older brother is bigger and stronger, and much better suited to be a soldier.
We follow the brothers’ story of their time in the army, and we watch as the war changes both of them. Jin Seok, not wishing to be in the army for longer than he has to, strikes up a deal that if he manages an impressive battlefield record, then he can be sent home early, whereas Jin Tae seems to find bloodlust on the battlefield, turning him into someone that his own brother barely recognises.
Now, this is a war film so anyone who doesn’t like scenes depicting violence and fighting should probably give this a miss, but for everyone else, this is a wonderful insight into the history of South Korea and the effects of the war on the country. I would highly recommend this film!
Have you ever seen this film? Planning on watching it? Let us know!
