We’ve witnessed many a depiction of war on screen through the decades. It is one subject matter that can bring out so many variations that we regularly get a new and fresh look into the events on the battlefield. With, specifically, the World Wars and Vietnam seeming to hold the lion’s share of the war genre, it is a unique and refreshing change to watch a movie focusing on events in the Korean War; and Jang Hun‘s The Front Line does just that.
Set at the end of the 1950′s, civil war in Korea is still rife, with the brutal battle between North and South raging on. Behind the scenes, in the war rooms on both sides it appears that peace agreements are slowly coming to fruition, but the fighting on the battlefield continues. Between the conflict, we witness the story of Kang Eun-Pyo (Shin Ha-Kyun), a lieutenant who is sent to the Eastern front line, the Aerok Hills, where, despite a ceasefire elsewhere, the battle rages on for control of the territory. He is sent in order to investigate a case where an officer has been killed by what appears to be a South Korean bullet, and by (what is believed to be) a North Korean turncoat. Arriving in a new squad fighting for their lives, Kang Eun-Pyo gradually becomes accustomed to the bunch of ragtag soldiers, which includes his old friend Kim Soo-Hyeok (Soo Go);commander of the unit. Kang Eun-Pyo joins them in the battle to stay alive, until peace and prosperity is restored.
Being a Korean blockbuster, The Front Line was never destined to hit the heavy heights of the Hollywood-driven war epics of pastime. In all fairness, despite a much lower scale feel surrounding it, the film manages to maintain a somewhat realistic edge, often lacking in other war representations. Beneath the surface of the fighting there is a great emotional depth; the story of two old friends fighting side-by-side for peace and a group of everyday individuals thrown together to support and battle in unison through the struggles they face. This is perhaps The Front Line‘s saving grace, in light of its slight lack of dramatic battle scenes.
Our two main leads manage to portray a fledging relationship and at times are wonderfully at ease in adding a competitive nature to their characters. With respect to the other squad members they clearly play second fiddle to both Shin Ha-Kyun and Soo Go, merely reduced to stereotypical figures we have seen time and time again. Despite this, the emotional effect of these characters packs a much more powerful punch than anything else in the movie.
Director Jang Hun has obviously attempted to garner together a good mix of action and emotion and at times he succeeds exceptionally, but at times the latter overpowers what is an essential part of a war movie, the brutality and realism of the destruction of war. We never quite feel the true horrific nature of war and this is somewhat of a let-down for what could have been an otherwise superb entry into the war film genre.
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The Front Line is out to own on DVD and Blu Ray from 27 February
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