switchback27
Member
I'm not a heavy movie guy, but there are some movies that stick in my mind as a Korean.
Once Upon a Time in High School: If nothing else, the final fight scene and the main character's last words he says in school "Fuck the Korean school system!" sum up a lot of the frustrations that even today's kids have about the Korean school system, although it's definitely improved since the military junta days.
Joint Security Area: Owing to the very strange and delicate political situation of the Korean peninsula, JSA captures what it is like for the individuals who get caught up in it--insiders and outsiders, North and South Koreans, career soldiers vs. conscripts. A place where truth is buried for the sake of peace--a great movie I highly recommend, although having a background on the Korean peninsula's political situation really does help make sense of things.
The Man From Nowhere: If you want to see a stunningly handsome man perform a Korean version of Taken, look no further.
Silmido: The story of a squad of convicts given one shot for redemption by assassinating Kim Il-Sung, the North Korean head honcho. Of course, political situations change, and yesterday's weapon is today's inconvenience......Gritty, disturbing and tragic.
Brotherhood of War: I am a sucker for stories that involve families, so the story of two brothers who were separated by a series of coincidences and then end up on opposing sides in a war really moved me. There are definitely a string of coincidences that stretch the suspension of disbelief, but I believe it was well-executed for the most part.
Hero: The first non-Korean movie here, Hero is a visually stunning work, and features what I believe to be the greatest fight scene in movie history--Jet Li vs. Donnie Yen in a sword vs. spear fight. The visual imagery is incredible.
Once Upon a Time in High School: If nothing else, the final fight scene and the main character's last words he says in school "Fuck the Korean school system!" sum up a lot of the frustrations that even today's kids have about the Korean school system, although it's definitely improved since the military junta days.
Joint Security Area: Owing to the very strange and delicate political situation of the Korean peninsula, JSA captures what it is like for the individuals who get caught up in it--insiders and outsiders, North and South Koreans, career soldiers vs. conscripts. A place where truth is buried for the sake of peace--a great movie I highly recommend, although having a background on the Korean peninsula's political situation really does help make sense of things.
The Man From Nowhere: If you want to see a stunningly handsome man perform a Korean version of Taken, look no further.
Silmido: The story of a squad of convicts given one shot for redemption by assassinating Kim Il-Sung, the North Korean head honcho. Of course, political situations change, and yesterday's weapon is today's inconvenience......Gritty, disturbing and tragic.
Brotherhood of War: I am a sucker for stories that involve families, so the story of two brothers who were separated by a series of coincidences and then end up on opposing sides in a war really moved me. There are definitely a string of coincidences that stretch the suspension of disbelief, but I believe it was well-executed for the most part.
Hero: The first non-Korean movie here, Hero is a visually stunning work, and features what I believe to be the greatest fight scene in movie history--Jet Li vs. Donnie Yen in a sword vs. spear fight. The visual imagery is incredible.
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