North Korean officers in movies

[Искра]

I like Korean and Japanese cinematography, so I watched a lot of their movies. Recently I’ve watched few movies regarding Korean War. Movies are made by South Korean directors and all of them share the same message: South and North must unite, because they are all Koreans etc. Still, this is not discussion about how bad is North Korea etc. but about movies from another perspective. I’ve watched Kwang-Hyun Park’s Welcome to Dongmakgol (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475783/)(2005), Chan-wook Park’s (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0260991/)Joint Security Area (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0260991/) (2000) and Hun Jang’s The Front Line (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2007387/) (2011). What’s interesting in all three movies North Korean officers have scars on their faces. They look really thought and scary, but actually they are open minded, sceptical about war, they spread this message of unification, but also they know “their place” in North Korean system and duty and honour are the most important things for them. I think that directors are trying to say that South Korean government is demonising North Koreans as ruthless etc. and they maybe seem that way, but under the surface they are all the same. To me that looks like some kind of metaphoric protest against South’s propaganda against North. Right now I’m downloading Tae Guk Gi (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386064/) (2004) and I’m interested how officers will be portrayed in that movie.

Oh, and here are some pictures.

Welcome to Dongmakgol:

http://stagevu.com/img/thumbnail/qkxnxcxhwleqbig.jpg


Joint Security Area:
http://www.koreanmovie.com/upfile/photo_photo/simg/photo32174.jpg

The Front Line:
http://www.ica.org.uk/thumbnail.php?id=10948&max=480

[Os Cangaceiros]

how about their depiction in Die Another Day? :lol:

http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss272/james_mikel/STGT/evnets/DAD_begin.jpg

[Искра]

Well, Americans and their stupid movies :lol: Probablly Pierce Brosnan killed them all with his super kung fu moves :D

[ComradeOm]

I think that directors are trying to say that South Korean government is demonising North Koreans as ruthless etc. and they maybe seem that way, but under the surface they are all the same. To me that looks like some kind of metaphoric protest against South’s propaganda against NorthI'd suggest that it's far more likely that Korean directors, and indeed Koerans themselves, don't consider there to be much difference between people north and south of the border. AFAIK this is also policy of both governments - the others' political system is to be abhorred but Koreans are Koreans. It's just outsiders who automatically assume that there are two different nationalities

What these directors are doing - particularly in JSA - is showing how even soldiers, by nature trained to kill opponents and support their government - are fundamentally the same when you push past the differences

I get this a lot talking to foreigners about Ireland and have to reassure them that people, whatever religion/politics/community, north and south are both Irish

[Susurrus]

Actually, the government in the north is apparently trying to propagate a nationalistic idea that the south has been racially corrupted by the US.