Gongdong gyeongbi guyeok JSA (2000)

Director:

Chan-wook Park

Writers:

Seong-san Jeong (writer)
Hyeon-seok Kim (writer)

Release Date:

9 September 2000 (South Korea)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | War

Plot:

In the DMZ separating North and South Korea, two North Korean soldiers have been killed, supposedly by one South Korean soldier...

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Dmz | Friendship | South Korea | International Tensions

Awards:

9 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Yeong-ae Lee	...	Maj. Sophie E. Jean
Byung-hun Lee	...	Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok
Kang-ho Song	...	Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil
Tae-woo Kim	...	Nam Sung-shik
Ha-kyun Shin	...	Jeong Woo-jin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ju-bong Gi
Christoph Hofrichter	...	Maj. Gen. Bruno Botta
Myoeng-su Kim
Tae-hyeon Kim
Herbert Ulrich	...	Swedish soldier

Also Known As:

J.S.A.: Joint Security Area (USA)
JSA: Joint Security Area (UK)
Joint Security Area (International: English title)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

South Korea

Language:

English | Korean

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:MA (TV rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:16 | Sweden:15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | South Korea:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Asan, Choongchungnamdo, South Korea

Company:

CJ Entertainment

Trivia:

Since filming at the real JSA is impossible, an exact replica was built at the studio, which still stands.

Quotes:

Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil: Your shadow is over the line. Watch it!

Movie Connections:

References Vargtimmen (1968)

This must have been a knockout in Korea (well, the South, at least)

JOINT SECURITY AREA is pretty amazing, but the less said about the plot, the better to insure your full enjoyment, surprise and emotional connection. Another member puts the film down for its sentimentality. I don't know about that: When a country has been as divided as has Korea for the past half-century, a movie like this must have really knocked the socks off of a lot of South Koreans (I doubt it could be shown in the North). I'm trying to think of some equivalently themed American film, but nothing comes to mind. "A Midnight Clear"--or a film about comradeship on either side of, say, America's Civil War-- just couldn't provide the sense of long-term division/separation that Korea has experienced. Beautifully filmed, with flashbacks and varied points-of-view, this puzzle movie eventually comes together, offering some of its best moments toward the end. The last shot is astonishing: simple and reminiscent, but now seen with enough clarity and irony to open mouths and overflow tear ducts.