The Front Line

First review here on IMDb so I'll keep it short.

This movie is fresh in my mind as I can literally see the credits fading on the other portion of the screen.

This is a great, superbly acted movie about the horrors and futility of war. There really are no "villains" just different shades of grey, as both side is portrayed as just as guilty as the other.

It shows both sides of the war and how they are both fighting for control a small piece of land and at the same time continuously asking the question of "why?"

There are some moments of camaraderie between the two different sides as well, so it isn't all just blood and guts, yet it is more gruesome than Hollywood films.

In summary, if you want to see a good war film aside from the usual Hollywood remakes and rehashes then this one is a good one.

The war (or specific battles/events during the war) between North and South Korea has been the backbone of quite a few South Korean movies. Most of them really get something good out of this mess. And this movie is no different. Staying mostly on one side, you still get to see "the enemy" and their points of view from time to time. It is superbly cut together and acted very fine.

While I'm not sure about how accurate the movie is by presenting the events (I'm guessing it takes a few creative freedoms), it does not hold back when it comes to punches (or bullets for that matter). The lines between good and evil are really thin. You might argue there are none. The grey area is very big, that is one thing that is very true though. Not the best war movie to come out of Korea, it still is superior to a lot of other war movies.

I can't even come up with how to define this movie, and I've watched a lot of war films, but I think this one just has to be the best I've seen that is as serious as it comes to the consequences of war. Besides just the horrific scenes as in any war movie, it has touched and got through to the emotions multiple times in what seems like a never ending battle. The acting is beyond incredible, especially the brothers, and doesn't show that their enemies are the most evil in the planet but that war itself and who leads them are what makes this conflict. They gone as far as showing scenes that you never or rarely expect to see, and it's remarkable because you'll remember this film for it. A great movie.

THE FRONT LINE is a typical addition to the recent wave of South Korean war movies that strive to explore new avenues on a very famous theatre of war. The last two I saw were WELCOME TO DONGMAKGOL and 71 INTO THE FIRE; the former was a politically intriguing exploration of the nature of conflict itself, while the latter was a flag-waving crowd-pleaser.

THE FRONT LINE falls somewhere between the two, refusing to demonise opponents while at the same time providing plenty of gritty war action. The earth-flying battle sequences are by far the highlight of this film as the screen is transformed into a nightmarish and barren landscape of blown-up hillsides, dingy trenches and muddy holes in the ground. This is real warfare, post-SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, throwing you into the thick of realistic action and making you feel like you're fighting at the side of the protagonists.

It's a pleasure to report that the non-battle storyline is every bit as watchable as the scenes taking place on the battlefield. As in the earlier BROTHERHOOD, much of the plot revolves around the developing relationship between two characters whom the war transforms in different ways: one becomes battle-weary and resigned, the other slightly unhinged and with a real killer instinct. It's a poignant, carefully-drawn relationship and one that sustains the running time admirably. Okay, so some of the sub-plots openly copy those of earlier movies (the whole sniper thing in particular) but that doesn't detract from what is a very good recent war movie.

Based on the Korean War of 1953, Aerok Hill is the border between North and South Korea, and both countries did everything they could to defend the hill. During the war, the hill was claimed numerous times by both countries. Each time, the soldiers would bury something in a bunker for the other soldiers to find: beer, wine, photos, letters, etc. This created the feeling that these soldiers might even have been friends if it wasn't for war and the high ranking officials sitting behind their desks declaring war and urging soldiers to fight to the end.

The film starts a bit slow, but this gives us a very good chance to get to know the characters and their backgrounds. It was interesting, effective and never boring. The entire cast is very good. The suspense is elevated when a few men hunt a sniper they call 'Two Seconds'. The film also illustrates how one simple wrong decision can change the fate of so many soldiers. War certainly takes its toll on man's sanity, and is very well depicted in this film.

Even after an armistice was signed, the soldiers were still urged to fight another 12 hours before it took effect. The dismay and reluctance to fight was so evident in the soldiers during the final hours. The film is a very emotional journey and excellent character study of soldiers. The final act was heart wrenching! This is an amazingly well done film.