Joint Security Area (2000)
He-said-she-said: Korean border edition.
Presentation:
What begins as a he-said-she-said film turns into something else entirely. Park Chan Wook takes this trope and spices it up with an altercation at the North and South Korean demilitarized zone. His usual cinematic techniques are not as polished in 2000, but that should make the storytelling a lot more enjoyable to follow. The stars in this Korean film should be familiar to western audience with Lee Byung-hun looking so young. His chemistry with Song Kang-ho forms a brotherly bond that gels the entire film together, despite the descent into the unconventional.
Conclusion:
As usual from the Korean director, no genre is safe as Park sheds a new perspective on established conceptions. The commentary is not what youโd expect, which is always refreshing in his filmography to provide us with thematic popcorn experiences. Park never knows when to stop innovating and always finds intriguing stories to tell.
Recommendations
He-said-she-said: Korean border edition.