Tae Guk Gi – The Brotherhood of War: A ‘Bloody’ Tale of Brotherhood

Movie: Tae Guk Gi – The Brotherhood of War

Director: Je-Kyu Kang

Rating: ****

Touted to be the ‘Saving Private Ryan’ of Korea, Tae Guk Gi – The Brotherhood of War is a film that captures the horror of Korean War through the eyes of a Family in Seoul, 1950. As grisly as one could’ve hardly imagined, this ‘bloody’ tale of two brothers besides being a raw depiction of War, intelligently throws light on civilian atrocities as well.

In pre-war Seoul 1950, older brother Jin Tae, a shoe shiner and an amateur cobbler slogs his butt so that his youngerbrother Jin Seok can go to college, upon completion of high school. However, when War breaks out between North and South Korea, the Army comes in search of volunteers who could fight the battle. Men between the age group 18 and 30 are forced to join the war; Jin Seok happens to be one among them. Jin Tae comes to the rescue hoping to snatch his brother back but gets snatched back in. Both brothers join hands and are off to the war.

Amidst the horror of the war, director Je-Kyu Kang subtly brings forth relentless unconditional love between the brothers, which in a way drives the plot. There are scenes where the soldiers are ferociously battling; the brothers look out for each other. And the war portrayed via this film is the best since Spielberg’s ‘SPR’ and in some moments the former supersedes the latter. If SPR glorified patriotism like never before, ‘Tae Guk Gi’ beautifully exemplifies love, survival and perseverance.

Never during its entire runtime, the film addresses the question – why did the war break out? Why are the two provinces of Korea, north and south, fighting each other? The director chose not to reveal the reason because then he will have to substantiate it with a story, which would’ve taken everybody’s attention off the brothers.

Another brilliant aspect of the film is its treatment of soldiers in the warzone – how are they transformed with time dueto fear? Ego plays a pivotal role in the film too, at least for a good half part of the film. Jin Tae turns egoistic at one point when he realizes the only way to send Jin Seok back home is by signing up for insane missions. In this process, Jin Tae grows passionate about winning the Medal of Honor for acts of bravery. Passion turns in to ego and Jin Tae starts killing people with an ulterior motive of winning the medal. Insecurity grows stronger between the brothers and Jin Seok begins to doubt his brother’s sanity.

This is one of the ghastliest depictions of war that will send chills up your spine. In every battle, thousands of civilians are killed in the crossfire, and the same is boldly showcased in this film, with no particular reasons mentioned but vivid images of ruthless killings thrown on-screen.

In short, although this is a story of a nation, greater emphasis is given on the loyalty of a family. Je-Kyu Kang is one of the directors’ who uses warzone merely as a backdrop to narrate a poignant story of a family torn apart by war.