J.S.A.: JOINT SECURITY AREA (2001), dir. Chan-wook Park
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This 2001 Chan-wook Park thriller exploits the ongoing tension between North and South Korea, one nation divided since the 1940's. For those (like me) without prior knowledge of the Korean peninsula's current political climate, North equals “Commie,” while South equals “Yankee,” and “Yankees” and “Commies” don’t like each other, as anyone living during the 1970’s and 80’s can tell you. In an attempt to simplify the politics in the peninsula for viewers outside of Asia, the screenwriters have characters yell things like “Commie bastard!” and “Yankee puppet!” repeatedly at each other, as if either phrase could embody their complex feelings. I’m ashamed to say the ploy works.
Actually, it’s a blessing not having to dwell on the politics that have shaped the geographical powder keg that is Korea, especially since “J.S.A.” tells a mystery in complex, “Rashomon”-style format. The title refers to the “Joint Security Area,” the American-occupied territory between the two countries, which belongs neither to the north, nor the south. One night, gunfire is heard on the northern side of the J.S.A., and a South Korean sergeant named Lee staggers across a foot bridge, back to the southern side, just as troops from both armies gather and an incident results. When an investigator from the Neutral Nations Security Council (N.N.S.C.) arrives to get facts, and calm what threatens to become a provocation for war, she gets conflicting stories from both sides. Along with being different, both "official reports" sound highly unlikely.
According to the report from Lee, North Korean soldiers slipped across the J.S.A. and kidnapped him. They took him back across the border, and held him hostage until he broke loose, then killed two of his abductors. Meanwhile, the report by Sergeant Oh of the North Korean army states that Lee crossed into enemy territory of his own volition, then acted out of cold blood, wounding Sergeant Oh and killing two of his comrades. Like “Rashomon,” or movies heavily-influenced by the Kurosawa film, such as “Courage Under Fire" and “Hero,” the mystery of what happened north of the “J.S.A.” is gradually unraveled. As each new tidbit of information is introduced, pivotal scenes are shown again, in light of what N.N.S.C. Inspector Sophie Jean, and the audience, are now aware of. Ultimately, the truth is more complicated than either “official story” we had been given. Nevertheless, it all fits together in a logical and believable way.
Like the more successful "Rashomon" clones over the years, the flashback technique helps tell the story in a manner that builds and sustains suspense. Meanwhile, "J.S.A." also allows an important window into how South Koreans view their brothers to the north, showing the strong reunification urge that pervades the region. Indeed, despite their duties to their respective nations, the soldiers on both sides eventually start crossing the J.S.A. to exchange pleasantries and learn more about one another, and their burgeoning friendship is portrayed downright idyllically, almost like children playing. Sure, Chanwook Park’s film seems to ignore the possible negative consequences of the two countries becoming one again (specifically, if it occurs under the flag of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il, whose regime has been condemned by the American president), but its overriding message, about the tragedy of one people turned against itself due to borders and nationalism, is highly potent.
Also potent: Park’s directing style, a mixture of sleek cinematography and MTV-ish editing that propels the story along. While Park has had greater international success with his 2003 revenge flick “Oldboy,” this older film has less of an S&M edge, even if it retains some of his recognizable black humor (at one point, the image of a character moving in slow-motion flips upside-down to reveal he's falling, which has the same effect of surprise on the viewer as it would on the protagonists). Finally, whereas “Oldboy” was intense, psychological, and occasionally weird, “J.S.A.” is more of a standard drama, requiring Park to do what he can to make conventional scenes visually-interesting. He manages to nimbly direct a sequence where Lee’s rescue team attempts to suppress the North Koreans while retrieving him from a footbridge. The battle culminates in one of those shots you can’t help remembering afterward: the camera looking down on Lee from overhead, then slowly panning back as bullets whiz back-and-forth.
Park uses the overhead crane shot several times at the border—above the actual line that is supposed to separate the north from the south. Framed this way, it looks like a very thin divider, very unimpressive. Could this be Park’s way of pointing out the ridiculousness of the line itself, that a strip of paint on the ground cannot determine the fate of an entire people? And wouldn’t he have a point? Not that reunification should happen the way the world is now, but let’s face it, when a flimsy line is all that stands between two peoples itching to cross it, isn’t reconciliation inevitable?
Overall rating: *** (out of ****)
This 2001 Chan-wook Park thriller exploits the ongoing tension between North and South Korea, one nation divided since the 1940's. For those (like me) without prior knowledge of the Korean peninsula's current political climate, North equals “Commie,” while South equals “Yankee,” and “Yankees” and “Commies” don’t like each other, as anyone living during the 1970’s and 80’s can tell you. In an attempt to simplify the politics in the peninsula for viewers outside of Asia, the screenwriters have characters yell things like “Commie bastard!” and “Yankee puppet!” repeatedly at each other, as if either phrase could embody their complex feelings. I’m ashamed to say the ploy works.
Actually, it’s a blessing not having to dwell on the politics that have shaped the geographical powder keg that is Korea, especially since “J.S.A.” tells a mystery in complex, “Rashomon”-style format. The title refers to the “Joint Security Area,” the American-occupied territory between the two countries, which belongs neither to the north, nor the south. One night, gunfire is heard on the northern side of the J.S.A., and a South Korean sergeant named Lee staggers across a foot bridge, back to the southern side, just as troops from both armies gather and an incident results. When an investigator from the Neutral Nations Security Council (N.N.S.C.) arrives to get facts, and calm what threatens to become a provocation for war, she gets conflicting stories from both sides. Along with being different, both "official reports" sound highly unlikely.
According to the report from Lee, North Korean soldiers slipped across the J.S.A. and kidnapped him. They took him back across the border, and held him hostage until he broke loose, then killed two of his abductors. Meanwhile, the report by Sergeant Oh of the North Korean army states that Lee crossed into enemy territory of his own volition, then acted out of cold blood, wounding Sergeant Oh and killing two of his comrades. Like “Rashomon,” or movies heavily-influenced by the Kurosawa film, such as “Courage Under Fire" and “Hero,” the mystery of what happened north of the “J.S.A.” is gradually unraveled. As each new tidbit of information is introduced, pivotal scenes are shown again, in light of what N.N.S.C. Inspector Sophie Jean, and the audience, are now aware of. Ultimately, the truth is more complicated than either “official story” we had been given. Nevertheless, it all fits together in a logical and believable way.
Like the more successful "Rashomon" clones over the years, the flashback technique helps tell the story in a manner that builds and sustains suspense. Meanwhile, "J.S.A." also allows an important window into how South Koreans view their brothers to the north, showing the strong reunification urge that pervades the region. Indeed, despite their duties to their respective nations, the soldiers on both sides eventually start crossing the J.S.A. to exchange pleasantries and learn more about one another, and their burgeoning friendship is portrayed downright idyllically, almost like children playing. Sure, Chanwook Park’s film seems to ignore the possible negative consequences of the two countries becoming one again (specifically, if it occurs under the flag of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il, whose regime has been condemned by the American president), but its overriding message, about the tragedy of one people turned against itself due to borders and nationalism, is highly potent.
Also potent: Park’s directing style, a mixture of sleek cinematography and MTV-ish editing that propels the story along. While Park has had greater international success with his 2003 revenge flick “Oldboy,” this older film has less of an S&M edge, even if it retains some of his recognizable black humor (at one point, the image of a character moving in slow-motion flips upside-down to reveal he's falling, which has the same effect of surprise on the viewer as it would on the protagonists). Finally, whereas “Oldboy” was intense, psychological, and occasionally weird, “J.S.A.” is more of a standard drama, requiring Park to do what he can to make conventional scenes visually-interesting. He manages to nimbly direct a sequence where Lee’s rescue team attempts to suppress the North Koreans while retrieving him from a footbridge. The battle culminates in one of those shots you can’t help remembering afterward: the camera looking down on Lee from overhead, then slowly panning back as bullets whiz back-and-forth.
Park uses the overhead crane shot several times at the border—above the actual line that is supposed to separate the north from the south. Framed this way, it looks like a very thin divider, very unimpressive. Could this be Park’s way of pointing out the ridiculousness of the line itself, that a strip of paint on the ground cannot determine the fate of an entire people? And wouldn’t he have a point? Not that reunification should happen the way the world is now, but let’s face it, when a flimsy line is all that stands between two peoples itching to cross it, isn’t reconciliation inevitable?
Overall rating: *** (out of ****)
Labels: ***, 00's, Chan-wook Park, Korean
posted by Phil | 11:30 AM
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