Korean DVD corner: Front Line

Aerok Hill, a mortar-riddled mound, rests as a pivotal landmark in ceasefire talks between North and South Korea during the concluding stages of Korean War combat. Neither side will relinquish their quest to control the hill for location of the pending demarcation line, blindly sacrificing teenage troops for strategic greed.

Mysterious circumstances enthrall the South commander’s death, combined with communist correspondence intercepted via post, relocating Lieutenant Kang Eun-pyo (Shin Ha-kyun) to the eastern front as an investigations officer charged with discovering the unit’s mole. Upon arrival, Eun-pyo discovers that old friend Kim Su-hyeok (Ko Soo) — previously believed to be MIA behind enemy lines — had ascended to be Alligator Company’s inspirational leader.

After countless clashes, the unit is in shambles; it’s leaderless, the men are wearing enemy uniforms to maintain warmth, and they provide for orphans while encamped. As acting commander of the unit, Shin Il-young (Lee Je-hoon) is a 20-year-old renegade continuously thrusting himself into harm’s way to fight for a simple plot of land bequest by central command.

Eun-pyo must balance his preceding internal affairs reputation to expose the conspirator while surviving war’s horrific circumstances and re-establishing relationships with his former compatriot, Su-hyeok.

First and foremost, this is a war movie, so the tragic portrayal of war’s atrocious events are well represented. Although not overly graphic, certain tolerances for these occurrences are required.

Korean films depicting brotherly quarrels are frequent in Korean cinema, as several features seem to be produced yearly, but this episode illustrates war’s psychological effects and how it transforms the common soldier. Moments of battle occur during the duration, but a psychologically driven war drama, not a war epic, should be expected. A thrilling finale culminates the climatic action bringing a conclusion to constant struggles experienced by citizens turned combatants.