During the Korean War, a ragtag group of North Korean soldiers led by Commander Lee (Jeong Jae-young) are ambushed. Only Lee, Private Jang and teenager Taeg-ki survive. Encountering a strange young girl Yeo-il (Gang Hye-jung), they find a temporary refuge in her village, called Dongmakgol. Its residents are blissfully unaware that a war has been raging on.
The villagers also offer refuge to two South Korean soldiers, Lieutenant Pyo (Shin Ha-kyun) and the medic Moon (Seo Jae-gyung, the young monk from Spring, Summer, Winter... and Spring) as well as an American pilot. After a tense standoff, resulting in the blowing up of the village’s warehouse, the soldiers agree to a reluctant truce.
Based on the long-running play written by Jang Jin (Someone Special, Guns & Talks), Dongmakgol is directed by Park Kwang-hyun, previously responsible for the beautiful My Nike segment in No Comment (2002). Park brilliantly combines the film’s fantasy sequences with the more evidently theater-driven set pieces. The total number of CGI shots reportedly approaches 700, but what is most impressive is the way they are integrated seamlessly into the narrative. The cast, as usual for a Jang Jin production, is also excellent.
There were many ways in which Dongmakgol could have gone wrong. There still might be those who find the film’s tone too sweet, although the earthy humor of Jang Jin’s dialogue goes a long way to alleviate this. One could also debate the influence of Japanese animation on this work, made more obvious by the musical contribution of Miyazaki collaborator Hisaishi Jo. Ultimately, though, few viewers will be able to resist the film’s power to command their attention: the film has a coherence of design and narrative pull that would be the envy of Hollywood A-list directors.
Kyu Hyun Kim