Former Kim Ki-duk assistant director, Jang Hoon has established himself as one of South Korea’s (successful) commercial directors in less than 3 films – the action-drama Rough Cut, the spy-comedy Secret Reunion, and now the war drama The Front Line. Which is South Korea’s entry for the 2012 Oscars race.
LET’S KILL SOME COMMIES? NOPE.
In the last months of the Korean War, a soldier is sent on the front line to investigate a possible communist mole in the company stationed there. Basically, the soldier will (re)discover the reality of war, how it transforms people into killing machines… The investigation is really just the starting point to that. You should know director Jang Hoon’s previous films were all about humanity with characters seeing beyond their differences & beliefs, only to unite together. But, The Front Line is slightly different, because this time, the union is impossible – it’s the war between South & North Korea.
And that’s why the investigation rapidly evolves into something far more interesting than finding the “commie spy”. In fact, after 45min in the film, the soldier understands what’s happening, but that’s not the important point. It allows director Jang Hoon to develop his characters, to show their (lost) humanity. The idea is, soldiers are men too. Even though in the end, it’s survival that really matters. Quite sad.
Friendship is 'built' the same way in the South & the North
SOUTH KOREAN HUMBURGER HILL
One can say that the film really depicts archetypal genre characters; the soldier discovering a new situation who serves as the audience’s reference point, the veteran always telling his war stories, the young scared recruit, the fearless soldier… and some of them have traumas. Nothing new at all here, which makes the film quite predictable & flat….
… Thanks to the uninspiring direction, there are some good ideas though (see the pics), but overall, director Jang Hoon isn’t pushing himself too hard. Lots of close-ups to capture the characters’ feelings, some action-scenes with lots of explosions but quite flat dramatically speaking, plus some terrible tear-jerking WarIsBad moments – slow-mo & terrible music. The director isn’t doing something efficient & engaging out of his archetypal characters, he just relies on them/their basic functions, while clearly underlining the main themes of the film. It feels like the director isn’t trying to explore the full potential of the story. Keeping it as a simple crowd-pleaser drama.
Changing sides without losing one's moral values?
FINAL WORDS
The Front Line is the down-to-earth answer to melodrama Brotherhood of War. A conventional war movie dealing with sensitive issues, without taking sides, that shows how someone’s signature can affect the lives of many, divide families, turn people into cold blood killers. Ultimately, the film is only repeating ideas seen in too many war films produced around the world -4/10.
If you’re looking goods films about the Korean War, check Samuel Fuller’s solid psychological war dramas Steel Helmet & Fixed Bayonets!
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Saw this one yesterday and agree with your general opinion and grade. I’m hoping “My Way” is better!
The director of ‘My Way’ proved he knows how to create an efficient tear-jerker war drama, which requires to be *involving* to really work. That’s at least one possible good thing about this film. Wait & see now?
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