| TaeGukGi: The Brotherhood of War (űرâ ÈÖ³¯¸®¸ç) | ||
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| KIMA Notes: | ||
 With
a box office gross of over 11 million US dollars, TAEGUKI set the
latest bar for South Korean films beyond what anyone would have thought
possible prior to 1999, when director Je-gyu Kang initiated that bar¡¯s
climb with his second film SHIRI. TAEGUKI tells the story of two brothers who end up on opposite sides of the Korean War. Even though the selected English title is the name of the South Korean flag, the film does not take a completely South Korean nationalist stance. One key to Kang¡¯s success has been his ability to consistently hover around the political center in South Korea, providing enough to audiences standing closely on both sides of that center that they leave the film with their politics either still intact or nudged slightly. News reports have found that the film has particularly resonated with older South Koreans who still have memories of the war. Consequently, although different films, reasonable comparisons can be made regarding the impact SAVING PRIVATE RYAN had in the U.S. with the impact TAEGUKI had in South Korea.  Outside of
the political and historical resonance of the film, there is of course
the blockbuster pyrotechnics. Although SHIRI¡¯s production may not
look that fantastic now, at its time Kang had pushed the industry
forward in production value. And Kang keeps on pushing with TAEGUKI,
providing what even the most apolitical and most ahistorical cinemagoers
love about the movies. (Written by Adam Hartzell) |
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| Synopsis: | ||
 After
independence, Korea is full of hope for a better future. The family
of Jin-tae is none different. Jin-tae lives with his mother, younger
brother Jin-seok, and fiance Young-shin. His mother and Young-shin
runs a noodle shop in a market and he shines shoes to send Jin-seok
to University. Although the living isn¡¯t easy, they work hard for
their better future. However, the Korean War breaks out and Jin-tae
and Jin-seok are drafted and located at the battlefront immediately.
With bullets flying and bombs going off a few inches away, Jin-tae
realizes that he has to keep his brother alive and send him back home
safe even if it kills him. Believing so, he learns that earning a
Medal of Honor may send Jin-seok home and soon enough, Jin-tae begins
volunteering himself for dangerous missions. Yet, Jin-seok is always
uncertain about Jin-tae¡¯s motivation. Midst the war, U.N. troops join
the war and it seems the war will end soon. Somehow, Jin-tae succeeds
in many missions and ends up getting the Medal of Honor. By then,
Jin-tae has driven war crazy with his hatred for North Koreans and
Jin-seok refuses to go home Their tensions grow and a sudden attack
from the Chinese Army deepens the situation. With the Chinese Army
ruthlessly coming down on the South Korean troops, the two brothers
are separated and Jin-tae believes Jin-seok is killed during the battle.
Jin-tae is now running mad. Yet nobody can bring the dead brother
back. It is here in this ruined country that these two beloved brothers
are plunged into an unexpected turning moment of their fate. |
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| Awards | ||
| | The Best Cinematography & Best Editing at Blue Dragon Awards (2004, Korea) | The Best Art Direction & The Best Cinematography & The Best Sound Effects at Grand Bell Awards (2004, Korea) | PFS Award in Peace at Political Film Society (2005, USA) | | ||
| Director's Filmography | ||
| | Tae Guk Gi (2004) | The Ginko Bed (1996) | The Rules of Game (1994) | Rosy Days (1994) | Who Has Seen the Dragon¡¯s Nail (1991) | Lets Look at the Sky Once in a While (1989) | | ||
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