Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War (2004)

Director: Je-kyu Kang

Writers: Ji-hoon Han, Je-kyu Kang, Sang-don Kim

Cast: Dong-gun Jang, Bin Won, Eun-ju Lee, Hyeong-jin Kong

Release year: 2004

Running Time: 142 minutes

Country: South Korea

Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War tells the story of two brothers, one of whom shines shoes in order to support his family, which includes his younger brother who is an excellent student and expects to go to university soon. The film starts in 2003, 50 years after the end of the Korean War, when an old man, one of the two brothers, is notified by the South Korean Army excavation team that they've found human remains which they've identified as his. The story then shifts to 1950 in the Korean capital of Seoul where the two brothers live with their mother, the older brother's fiancee and her younger siblings. The family's hopes for an idyllic existence are shattered when they learn that North Korea has invaded their country. They flee the war but circumstances force both brothers into the army. The film examines the way the war transforms both brothers, the camaraderie of men fighting together for their lives and the impact of the war on South Korean society.

This is not a film for the squeamish as it features some horrific scenes. It is a visceral portrayal of modern combat that doesn't shy away from portraying the horror of industralized warfare. Furthermore, the film doesn't ignore the fact that both the North and South Korean armies committed atrocities during the war. Several crucial scenes demonstrate the way the war ripped apart South Korean society, including the questioning and shooting of suspected communist sympathizers.

The film has several twists and it kept me guessing until the very end. The emotional core of the film is the relationship between the two brothers but, as I already mentioned, the camaraderie of the men in the brother's platoon also plays an important role. The film doesn't attempt to preach anything, it simply portrays the horror of the war. I must admit that I haven't seen many modern war films but I doubt that there's a lot that so realistically portray the cruelty of war.

If you're interested in the reasons for the start of the war, you're better off finding a book to read as the film doesn't look at this issue. However, if you would like to watch a realistic and moving portrayal of the conflict, you should definitely watch Brotherhood. Both main actors give excellent performances and, unlike some other great Korean films, I think this has only one melodramatic scene, which is why the film stays realistic all the way through. Watch Brotherhood, you won't regret it.

Film poster linked from Wikimedia.org

What's in a name?

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,

Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part

Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other word would smell as sweet.

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,

Retain that dear perfection which he owes

Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,

And for that name, which is no part of thee

Take all myself. (1)

 
A person's given name is one of the most important parts of their identity as well as one of the most difficult to change. Our names are usually given to us by our parents shortly after birth and they stay with us for the rest of our lives. Some of us acquire nicknames, sometimes ones that have nothing to do with our given names, but officially each of us is known by their first name, unless they decide to change it. Throughout life people are able to acquire all kinds of different skills, to learn various languages, move to other countries and find new friends. So many components of our identities are fluid that it sometimes seems strange to me that a person's given name is practically forced on them. After all, people often make judgements on others on the basis of their names. A name particular to a certain nation can give away your origins which most often immediately affects a person's judgement of you as almost all of us have certain preconceptions of other nations and countries.

That is why I thought very carefully about the name of this blog. I have admired J. R. R. Tolkien's works ever since I first read The Lord of the Rings as an adolescent and there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to name my blog after one of the places that he invented. I chose the domain name Eldamar, which means Elvenhome, because I am fascinated by Tolkien's conception of the Elves who live in the Land of the Blessed alongside the Valar and the Maiar, the equivalent of greater and lesser angels in Tolkien's world. I have always been a strongly idealistic person and to me these Elves represent an impossible ideal that humanity should strive to achieve. I am well aware of the dominance of realpolitik in today's world, of the hypocrisy that exists both in politics and in everyday interactions between people, but I remain convinced that although the path to right and good may be difficult like Sisyphus's struggle up the hill, we must always persevere. As Batman says in the episode "Hereafter" of the animated TV series Justice League - "What did you always call it. Clark? The never ending battle." (2)

I intend to use this blog to express my thoughts on various issues, to publish reviews of books and films, and to share music and interesting thoughts. I hope that you will find it interesting and intellectually stimulating. I leave you with one of my favourite poems from Tolkien's works, which expresses very well my attitude to life.

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began,
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. (3)

References
(1) William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2, Page 2, 1597
(2) Justice League, Hereafter, 2003
(3) J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, Chapter 1, 1954