Coast Guard

The divide between North and South Korea has never been wider. Along the coast, a group of soldiers have been placed to protect the border that divides the two countries. The law states anyone found crossing the border will be treated as a spy and shot on sight. It has been a year since anyone crossed the border but Private Kang (Jang Dong-Kun) is desperate for it to happen. When it does, however, it will change the way this young soldier sees the world forever.

Kim Ki-duk shows us how the divide between North and South took its toll on both the civilians and the soldiers, and how when a mistake is made the repercussions affect everyone. In Private Kang we see how the mistake of killing an innocent civilian sends him over the edge. In the rest of the platoon we see how the mistake affects them, when the girlfriend of the murdered civilian loses her grip on reality resulting in every soldier seeming to remind her of her murdered lover.

If you liked Brotherhood (directed by Kang Je-gyu) then this is definitely for you. It shows the personal tragedy of war rather than how it affects a nation or smaller area. Each individual is shown to deal with event in their own way.

Not as great as Brotherhood but definitely one to watch if you enjoy Kim Ki-duk’s other movies.