J.S.A. (JOINT SECURITY AREA)
Directed by: Park Chan-wook.
Produced by: Lee Eun & Shim Jae-myung.
Written by: Kim Hyeon-seok, Lee Mu-yeong, Jeong Seong-san & Park Chan-wook, based on the novel DMZ by Park Sang-yeon.
Director of Photography: Kim Seong-bok.
Edited by: Kim Sang-beom.
Music by: Jo Yeong-wook & Bang Jun-seok.
Released by: Palm.
Language: English (Dubbed) with optional Korean or Chinese subtitles.
Country of Origin: South Korea. 109 min. Not Rated.
With: Lee Young-ae, Lee Byeong-heon & Song Kang-ho.
DVD Features: "Making of" Documentary. Cast & crew interviews. Trailer. Music video.

For what is supposedly one of its country's most expensive productions ever, the South Korean blockbuster J.S.A. (Joint Security Area) contains curiously few explosions. Fortunately, the lack of pyrotechnics is to the audience's benefit, as J.S.A. provides thrills not through big-budget special effects, but rather through a tragic narrative.

Nearly the entire film is set in the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. There one night, a shot rings out into the darkness as a bullet pierces a nearby guardhouse. Two North Korean soldiers are gunned down in what appears to be a cold-blooded massacre. Soon after, a Swiss team under the auspices of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission arrives in South Korea to investigate.

From this point on, director Park Chan-wook discloses the events leading up to the murders via extensive flashbacks. Although the use of flashbacks in murder mysteries tends to be trite, its use here effectively heightens the dramatic impact of the story, since with each episode the viewer slowly realizes what the inevitable and heartbreaking conclusion will be.

These revelatory flashbacks constitute the most interesting and poignant portions of the film; most of the other scenes, such as those focusing on Swiss-born investigator Major Sophie Jean's backstory, are far less substantial. One of the movie's secondary themes concerns the dichotomy between Jean's Korean ancestry and her need to remain neutral as a good detective (and, the film implies, as a good Swiss citizen). However, a South Korean military officer tells her, "Neutral has no place around here. You'll have to choose." Weighty words indeed, if such aphoristic phrases were not so contrived. There are a few other similarly heavy-handed moments that, although minor, are noticeable and threaten to break the suspension of disbelief.

Much worse, though, is the dubbing, which fails to capture the emotional tone of each scene. In fact, the voice work is reminiscent of that usually found in imported Hong Kong action movies. Luckily, J.S.A.'s plot is enrapturing enough to divert the audience's attention from the dubbing much of the time.

In the end, despite all its little flaws, J.S.A. is a moving story that adequately depicts the tension between our divisive political ideologies. It may not be a masterpiece by any stretch, but it is definitely deserving of its blockbuster status. George Tan
July 29, 2005