Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

cinemajesty Movie Review: "Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War" (2004)A constant surprise in revisiting this exceptional independently-imported war-action-movie on civil conflict events taking place between 1950 and 1953, when North Korean communists invade South Korean capitalists to never-seen-before devastating visual proportions under hammering as decisive sound design and waves of emotion-pitching score by Dong-jun Lee under the directions Je-kyu Jang, when brothers in arms as life performing Korean movie stars Bin Won and Dong-gun Jang, playing their hearts out in Hollywood-standards-setting as Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" recalling war-action-scenes of bullet-penetrated flesh, mud-splashing grenade explosions and full-contact character confrontations in an 130-Minute-Editorial that has even with its subtitled dialogue feed, enough punch to be a masterpiece of contemporary-produced historic-war-occasions, interpreted for impressively 12.5 Million U.S. Dollar productions expenses, which may look like a 100 Million in a full circle journey of an younger brother of two, exploring archaeological past fields-of-war in the year 2003 in order to solve a mystery of double-crossing, North Korean brainwashed main character elevated absolution of red corning 1950s, in reminiscence of striking power "To Whom The Bells Toll" (1943) starring Gary Cooper & Ingrid Bergman, to unforgettable as bonding motion picture experience.© 2018 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

designertjp Hi! In case you haven't read up on your World History, we're still at war with North Korea. We basically signed an Armistice Treaty, back in 1953 to stop shooting each other point blank in the face and on the news of current events. This Instant Classic War Movie, TAE GUK GI (The Brotherhood of War) succeeds in showing us the "true grit" of what urban open head exploding (like watermelons) street by street warfare looks like. Directed by Kang Je-Gyu, this bullet loud numbing graphic war celluloid piece freely tells a heavy one sided story from a South Korean point of view (the North Communists are seen mainly as a small but evil empire). I'm painfully reminded (as an American), in the major scene where the Chinese Army joins the bloody fray with North Korea, that this force multitude of hundreds of red enemy assailants scouring over a hill like army ants, must have been dead similar to what the lone guard Brave Texans (standing tall next to the likes of Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie) saw coming at them while defending The Alamo in 1836 against Gen. Santa Ana's 3000 plus Army.TAE GUK GI focuses it's blood smeared camera lens on two Brothers Jin Tae and Lee Jin Seok. One struggles to maintain his humanity and sense of universal justice, in the midst of battle, while the other Brother mentally transforms himself into a fear-no-bullet "Super Saiyan" (like Dragon Ball Z) on the battlefield, in a desperate bold plan to get his younger Brother sent home early (to help survive the Family Name). Other talented Supporting Characters "fly in and fly out" like rice thrown in your face, but they stick in your memory, with their longing eyes, funny remarks, and cold blooded commanders. The Mom, the Wife to be, the soldier comrades, the wry weary Captains, and the Kids, all evolve and revolve around the two South Korean Brothers.On a technical military note, it was interesting to see propeller driven Pre-Jet Age Allied Aircraft "raining down death" with their WWII mounted machine guns (probably still oiled up from fighting the Japanese approx 5 years earlier). And you don't even see the American Allied Army until 2/3rds into the action. What we're fed here is a steady dose of humane mental anguish and desperation to stay sane while absorbing the fateful costs of hunger forced made decisions. All of which bring us to today's Armistice with North Korea. We still look at each other, everyday, with loaded modern guns on each side of a barbed wire fence at the 38th Parallel. How many lives would change, in this generation, between Brothers, Family, and Friends, if one side decides to "open fire" all over again?

Maz Murdoch (asda-man) When I slipped in the disc for Brotherhood I expected a really good war film. I didn't expect to be sitting on the sofa with my eyes filled with tears by the end of it, and convinced that I'd just seen one of the very best war films ever. My love for Korean films is unabashed. Whilst Korean horror is what I go for most, I have also tried and loved some of their explosive thrillers like, The Man from Nowhere and A Bittersweet Life. War films aren't really my thing though. My favourite war film is probably Inglorious Basterds, but even that isn't really interested in showing us battle sequences.What's fantastic about Brotherhood is that it puts its characters first. In fact, this is what the majority of Korean films tend to do and I think that's the secret to their brilliance. With Brotherhood, I was gripped by every battle sequence because I cared about the people who were in them. It's a real epic which spans across the entire length of the Korean War, as well as briefly showing us before and after events take place. If someone said to me 'oh, this is a movie about the Korean War…' I'd immediately switch off because war movies just don't interest me. Brotherhood makes you interested right from the very start. The first half an hour is dedicated to events before the war. We see two fantastically likable brothers who are devoted to their family. Some may find it overly sentimental, however for me it worked. I immediately cared about these characters and was totally gripped from when they're whisked away to fight in the war.The battle sequences are brilliantly intense to watch. The camera does shake a little too much for my liking, but it's really not that much of a distraction. They're intense because you care about what's going to happen to the characters. When a comrade dies you almost feels as much pain as the other characters do. The special effects are also very convincing (apart from the shoddy CGI planes towards the end) and manage to put you right there in the firing line. What's most interesting though is watching the two brothers slowly grow apart from each other. At its heart, Brotherhood is a tragedy. One brother turns into a cold-hearted and ruthless leader, whilst the other remains compassionate. This arc is done gradually and realistically throughout the film and it's what keeps the film so emotional and absorbing. The ruthless brother could've easily come across as a caricature, but thanks to the fantastic writing and acting we're left with convincing character development and remain involved with the character.Various shocking events unfold which have the power to move, however it's the relentlessly melodramatic final twenty minutes which really hit hard. Again, many will find this finale too melodramatic and sentimental, but for me it totally worked. I'm not one to cry in films (the only ones I've shed tears for are Dancer in the Dark and Amour) however, there are several moments towards the end where I had tears REALLY filling up in my eyes. It's incredibly emotional and ultimately powerful.Brotherhood isn't a perfect film, but it's a damn near one. I was never bored for a minute of its hefty 140 minute runtime. I cannot urge people enough to check this out, even if (like me) you aren't into war films. At its core it's a character-driven tragedy with the Korean War used as a mere backdrop. It's ten times better than Saving Private Ryan and if you aren't moved by the time it's over then you truly do have a heart of stone. Brotherhood is a spectacular triumph which needs to be watched for its sheer emotional power.

basil-grimes Wonderful. Magnificent. A political debate transformed or transmuted in a battle between brothers. Great idea.Well, the first word that comes to mind is GREAT. What could've been better ? I really don't know.Jang Dong-gun and Won Bin play two brothers who from the best brothers become mortal enemies. Now, could this be a summary of the film ? Far from it ! The script takes you with the two brothers. You laugh, you cry with them, with duck the bullets with them, you check and recheck your position with them. Slowly, bit by bit, you see as your brothers.Well, if I were to write all this movie made me feel, I would spend all night and well pass the 1 000 words limit. The music, the atmosphere, the characters, all support the two great actors in transmitting the touching message to all viewers. Is it fair that two brothers be separated ? What if you extrapolate the idea ?