"Joint Security Area"

Review of the Joint Security Area
By: Nicole Mosley


Favorite Character: Major Sophie Jang
How come? :
She was the only female character in the film. She was Korean –Swiss, which caused a bit tension of the film. Her presence was to not find out the truth behind the murders of two soldiers. She was there to take statements file a report and leave. However, during her investigation she uncovered one of the dispositions notice inconsistence from Nam (the other survivor) stories on what happen on the night in question. Also, she discovered a cover –up by Sergeant Lee, in regards of the shots fired and the number bullets inside one his men. Eventually with her determination and a nothing to lose attitude she find out truth.

Most Dislike Character: Sergeant Lee
How come? : Due to his willingness to defect to the North and became a traitor and from keeping himself exposed, he allowed the death of a young private Jung to kill the men who could have exposed him to save themselves, if Soo-yunk was allowed to arrest him. Yet Lee, stood by and watch the murders to take place and tried to cover-up, by shooting a dead officer 8 times, then convince the two soldiers who were there (one was the shooter Jung) to turn them to lie.

Name a cinematic device that you deem as the most important or stood out to you the most?
What stood out: Close up in the beginning of the owl and how Park focused on the especially when the shot rang out and the bullet went through the window; then startled reaction from the owl, made the owl reaction human-like with startled look in his eyes. The voice over was often not set on time and the voice of the Swiss officer with Jang, accent was so thick, it was hard to understand. The use of the book (disposition) pages flipped open to then the transition to the story of the soldiers, making Nam story come to life. Also there was scene where Park used a freeze framed shot during one the first or second interrogation scene, as if it was obvious someone just got in a lie. The best thing that stood out the most is when Major Jang, looks at the black and white photos of her parents and how once it was still photo shot then transition into documentary-style movie flashback.




What did you think the plot was of this film?
In searching for the truth is not always, the truth. The lies and cover-up do not always remain, what is done in the dark will eventually come to light. The death of others does not end a problem or is not part of a solution but causes pain and guilt and eventually suicide. The movie was center around North-South Korean tension and mass cover-up which required the Neutral peace officers to step in. But with intension not uncover the truth but bury it by assigning the case to a first female of North Korean and Swiss descent to eventually remove from the case before she uncovered the truth.