ShangLuda Admirable film.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Derrick Gibbons An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

PimpinAinttEasy Dear Chan-wook Park, it was a really nice idea to make a film about male homo-social desire set near the Korean border. And it was damn provocative to set a woman right at the center of the investigation concerning the incident at the border. Alas, you cast the Korean equivalent of Anushka Sharma or something in that important role. That actress ruined this film a little bit. Even though the plot was far fetched (or do soldiers from enemy nations at borders actually get together? I don't know), it was a riveting film. The interactions between the soldiers from the two Koreas was electrifying. There was always a hint of danger and violence beneath their camaraderie. I was amazed by the almost effortless brilliance of the actors. Some of the best Indian actors could not pull off these roles effectively. It is an extremely depressing film at the end of the day. A lot of us take borders and our border patrols for granted. But your film shows how petty, ugly and violent it all is. I am sure some fools in Hollywood and Bollywood would remake this and ruin it completely. Especially Bollywood. I can imagine Farhan Akhtar and Hritik Roshan lining up already. Hope you can sue them if they ever try to remake your film. Best Regards, Pimpin. (8/10)

oneguyrambling The Joint Security Area (JSA) refers to the North and South Korean border. A tense and formal area manned on both sides by armed soldiers. By day a South Korean tourist attraction manned by uniformed expressionless guards 8 feet apart, by night the sides withdraw to either side of a bridge in manned posts perhaps 100 metres apart. The no-man's land alongside the bridge is patrolled by teams who must be ever wary of the presence of booby traps or land mines.On one night though shots ring out, 2 North Korean soldiers are killed, apparently by a South Korean soldier named Sgt Lee Soo Hyuk on a road who has confessed but refuses to talk further. In fact neither side wants to talk about it.Lee Soo Hyuk is condemned by the Northern forces and protected by the South, with each party possessing such a strong bias a neutral investigation is commenced lead by Major Sophie Jean, a Swiss resident with Korean ties and a mastery of the language.In interviews and flashbacks the real story gradually unfolds, nothing is as simple – or funnily enough as complicated – as it first seems.It is not fair to the film to say much more, I will say that it takes time for the real events to unravel but it is worth the wait. Being a Park Chan-Wook film it is well acted and immaculately paced, and JSA also contains some moments of great innocence and humanity. In fact the final truth is far more 'boring' and human than anyone might guess from the serious tone of the first few minutes.The film is laid out in three chapters, the first shows the viewpoint of the investigators, the second the actual events from the soldier's point of view and the third the conclusion and ultimately the truth.JSA is never less than intriguing and even though it isn't as great as the Vengeance trilogy it possesses perhaps the strongest final frame in almost any film that I can recall.Final Rating – 8 / 10. A who-dunnit with a difference. An extremely effective drama with a strong cast, a great plot and the usual exceptional direction of a modern day master.

TheExpatriate700 Joint Security Area is a complex early work of Park Chan-Wook, combining a military political thriller with a meditation on the brotherhood of man. Although it does not reach the heights of his later works such as Old Boy and Thirst, it is an early demonstration of his ample talent, and features several actors who would figure prominently in his later work.Tensions on the Korean peninsula escalate wildly in the wake of a shooting incident just over the North Korean border, in which a South Korean soldier is the culprit. A Swiss soldier of Korean descent is sent as a neutral investigator. However, what initially appears to be a story of international aggression by either one side or the other soon turns out to be something far more complex, and tragic.This film showcases the things that made Park Chan-Wook's later films classics. It weaves a complex, non-linear storyline with the innovative cinematography that make all of his films beautiful. Furthermore, the performances by Lee Young Ae and Song Kang-ho are powerful, prefiguring their fine turns in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance and Thirst, respectively.Although this film did not show the level of creativity associated with Park's best work, such as Old Boy, it is more than worthy of being sought out by fans of his other films.

Claudio Carvalho After a shootout at the common security area at the border of the two Koreas, when two soldiers were murdered, Maj. Sophie E. Jean (Yeong-ae Lee) is assigned by the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission to investigate the incident. The smart Major finds lack of consistency in the statements of the survivors, and in spite of being pressed by her superior, she interviews South Koreans Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok (Byung-hun Lee) and private Nam Sung-shik (Tae-woo Kim), and the North Korean Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil (Kang-ho Song), disclosing a tragic story of friendship. In the end, peace and Sgt. Oh are preserved hiding the truth in her report."Gongdong Gyeongbi Guyeok JSA" is a magnificent and touching antiwar movie. Directed by Chan-wook Park, the director of the cult "Oldboy", only now this film was released in Brazil, after the success of "Oldboy". This movie has a fantastic screenplay that keeps the interest in the impressive story until the very last scene. I was moved with the sad story of friendship between brothers in this polemic theme. The Common Security Area, created on 27 July 1953 with the armistice between the two Koreas after three years of war, and their reunification, seem to be a taboo for these peoples and I appreciate the courage of this group of excellent actors and actress in approaching such theme. In the Extras of the DVD, the cast and director give interviews about the story but never give their opinion about the reunification of these nations. The stunning cinematography and camera work are also very beautiful. My vote is nine.Yitle (Brazil): "Zona de Risco" ("Zone of Risk")