Taegukgi: Brotherhood of War

You know, when you see a movie that is a masterpiece you just have to share it. Today in history class we watched Taegukgi: Brotherhood of War. Oh my gosh, this movie was so moving. It is a Korean movie about the Korean war. It is the highest grossing Korean movie in the history of Korean cinema. Over one third of all South Koreans went to see this movie when it was released. It is probably the best war movie I have ever seen.

It is about two brothers who are forcefully drafted into the frontlines of the South Korean army at the start of the Korean war. The older brother is a shoe shiner who sacrificed his opportunity to go to school so his younger brother would be able to go to college. The older brother is determined to find a way to get his brother out of the conflict as soon a possible. They fight in some of the most significant battles of the War. As the War continues, they see the bad and disturbing aspects of the war.

What I liked about this movie was that they showed both the South and the North in an unbiased light. The unhonest draft, the massacre of Northern troops that surrendered, and the excecution of Southern civilians suspected of joining the communists without a trial showed the horrors that the South committed. On the other side, the North's unflinching massacre of civilians and their cold manner in killing showed that they were not saintly either. It was a movie that showed the ugly side of war from both sides. That is one thing that bothers me of some war movies: they present one side as pure evil while the other side is good and noble. War isn't like that: it is ugly, disgusting, and terrible acts are comitted by both sides. I think every person should see this movie once in their lifetime so that they can see that war is not a game, it is a human tragedy.

I am not usually a crier when it comes to movies. Sure I can get teary eyed, but I usually don't completely break down. Watching this movie I was crying my eyes out at least three times. It was so painful to see not only the two brothers in the story experience so much pain as the war progressed, but to see that the two sides of the War were brothers filled with hate for each other. When looking at the Korean War, it was brother against brother. To see the hate that infiltrated this one people by two idealogies a mere five years after they were united (under occupation) was so distraghtful. Not only that, but to know that this hate continues today with the separated Koreas made me cry.

I pray for the day that this one people can be reunited together once again.