I'm just wondering if this Korean War movie is appealing to non-Asians in the U.S. I liked it, but the dialogue could get cheesy sometimes. From watching Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down, the two best war movies I think, I wasn't much shocked or inspired by the movie. It was decently made though.
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All of the films mentioned are classics, but I think "Come and See" is likely the best war film I've seen. It's Byelorussian/Soviet so it never got the attention it deserves.
shareThis movie is *beep* compared to Oldboy
PS. We were soldiers may be one of the worst warfilms ever. BoB ftw!
Are you serious? This film was WAY better then OLDBOY--at least there was a legit reason for all the gruesome gory scenes. Anyway, I enjoyed for two reasons---I like war films, and it was refreshing to see a Korean war film from the Korean perspective for a change. Second, I just like me some Dong jun-Jang (he played the older brother-turned-war-hero) because not only is he hot, he seems to be one of these actors who likes to challenge himself with difficult,complex parts, and so I always like seeing him the few times I'm able to come across a film of his. I've liked his work since seeing another fave Korean film of mine, NOWHERE TO HIDE, some years back at the local arthouse theatre. I also like the fact the film showed just how brutal war is--you'd never see that many bodies getting blown to bits in a Hollywood film--and how the long term stress affected the soldiers, as well as how not all them were heroes or were even trying to be---they were just trying to survive on a day-to-day basis. Agood strong epic drama worth seeing if you're got about 3 hours over 2 days to spare watching it.
shareI am Caucasian American and love this movie; however, I did live in Korea for four years. When I share this movie with my friends, I find that most of them really like this movie. I notice that my friends miss some of the cultural aspects of the movie that I can explain to them. I believe that I am also missing some cultural nuances as well, because I am not an expert on Korean culture and history.
I think that the better a person knows Korea, the more that person will like this film, but you don’t have to know a lot about Korea to appreciate the film.
I don't know much about Korean culture at all. I've seen about 15 korean films, that's all.
But I really liked it! I don't like war films where some characters get shown as the big heroes (like in Black Hawk Down). For any sane person, war isn't about honour, but about survival. I think this film is far better and far more realistic (more like Platoon maybe?).
But I've got one question. Besides being a Korean film and dealing with the Korean war, I didn't notice anything special about Korean culture or sth. like that. Could you privode a few examples of what aspects I missed?
I liked it a lot, but not so much that I'm blind to its imperfections.
The good:
-excellent production value
-well done action
-excellent acting
-told the story well, neighbor against neighbor, etc. I found that it really illustrated the "complications" of an ideological civil war well.
My gripes:
-way too much overdone hand to hand fistfighting (biggest gripe). The combat action was pretty realistic, then seconds later you had guys taking multiple massive punches to the face in very unrealistic John-Wayne-Haymaker style. It was like 2 different movies. Maybe John Woo guest directed those segments.
-the younger brother had a bad heart, but only for the first half of the film. After that he was able to take part in massive silly fistfights without clutching at his chest.
-the older brother's turn to the North (and their acceptance of him) stretched credibility more than somewhat. I realize they were going for a Ralph Fiennes English Patient style turn, but it just got to be a little too much.
I understand that Korean audiences like the melodrama, so I'm pretty forgiving of it, and thought overall it was an excellent movie.
It's worth mentioning that I thought that the old man's breakdown at the end by his brother's grave was every bit as sappy as the similar scene at the end of SPR.
BTW - white guy from Canada.
I liked
really good war movie When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...
I'm a caucasian and thought this was a great film. There are a couple of scenes that just wreck you (emotionally).
It was not what I expected, but very good. I liked it more than SPR, and BHD. A couple other war movies, Platoon, Apocolypse Now, and Hamburger Hill.
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This story is more universal than most asian films. Anyone who likes good films will surely appreciate this film irrespective of his nationality.
shareDespite the OP specifying Americans, I think it's safe to say that this thread is an example of war bringing the world together, as contradictory as that sounds.
I'm European, I liked the film. War is, naturally, a universal theme, and most people have heard of the Korean war, therefore this film is suitable for people of all nationas/creeds/colour/race, and whatever other distinctions you want to use to divide humanity with!
If you can suspend your disbelief at the seemingly impossible conincedences etc, then this film will evoke a strong emotional response that any self-respecting man should never admit to...
I'm a Half-White-American and Half-Korean, born and raised in the USA. My mother grew up in Seoul, Korea during the Korean War, so this movie was a way for me to identify with the hell that she lived through.
Anyways, I'll agree that Blackhawk Down and Saving Private Ryan were better movies because Brotherhood's storyline was a bit too melodramatic and unbelievable to me. The movie's effects and editing reminded me too much of being a copy of Saving Private Ryan. And I agree the with comments about the fist fights.
And near the ending, the way the younger brother, in South Korean uniform, ran through the Communist side of the battlefield looking for his older brother without anyone shooting him, made me chuckle a bit.
I am an American living in Korea right now. I'm not teaching English, but participating in a study abroad program. I thoroughly enjoyed the film. I watched it in subtitles, but didn't find the subs too cheesy. I think that sometimes it's hard to translate powerful phrases because the English equivalents don't do it justice, thus coming off as cheesy. Anyways, I've only seen the film once, but I found it to be incredibly powerful.
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