The Korean War lasted from June 1950 to July 1953, but all of the dramatic advances and retreats across the peninsula took place within the first year. From July 1951 until the end of the war, a stalemate took hold and almost no territory was exchanged. This doesn’t mean, however, that there was no fighting: even as armistice negotiations dragged on, soldiers stationed on the front line battled desperately to secure even small amounts of territory, because everyone knew that when the armistice was signed, the line of battle would form the new border between North and South Korea.
The Front Line takes place on one of the many hills that were fiercely contested by the opposing armies during this two-year period. While many war films take place across broad stretches of territory, in this film the soldiers go up and down the same hill, advancing and retreating amidst scenes of bloody carnage until the whole endeavor starts to feel pointless and absurd. It’s an appropriate setting for a film that focuses on depicting the human costs of war, with little emphasis on nationalist themes or masculine bravado.
Gang Eun-pyo (played by the versatile Shin Ha-kyun, No Mercy for the Rude) is a first lieutenant sent to Aero-K Hill to investigate some suspicious activity among the Southern soldiers. The previous company captain appears to have been shot by his own troops, and furthermore, a letter delivered by a North Korean soldier to his mother in the South appears to have been sent from this location. With his superiors suspecting the work of a communist sympathizer, Gang arrives and discovers a motley crew of weary and disillusioned soldiers. He is also reunited with his college friend Kim Soo-hyuk (Ko Soo), who appears drastically changed after spending time as a captive among the Northern army.
The Front Line is by the up-and-coming director Jang Hun (Secret Reunion, Rough Cut), and based on a screenplay by Park Sang-yeon, who wrote the novel that formed the basis for Park Chan-wook’s JSA (2000). One of the strengths of this film is its reluctance to take sides, and its tendency to embrace the moral complexities of war, rather than pull the viewer in with melodramatic twists and turns.
The ensemble cast also gives an opportunity for an exceptionally talented group of actors to make an impression. Shin Ha-kyun is one of the best actors working in Korean cinema today, and although the narrative function he takes is primarily that of an observer, he anchors the film with his steady presence. Ko Soo (Haunters), currently at the height of his popularity, imparts a dangerous and slightly unsteady bravado to the character of Soo-hyuk. Up and coming actor Lee Je-hoon (Bleak Night) won multiple local awards for his portrayal of the morphine-addicted teenage leader of the company. Ryu Seung-ryong (Possessed) makes an imposing figure as the commander of the North Korean soldiers, and although the casting of young starlet Kim Ok-vin (Thirst) as a lethal North Korean sniper feels a bit unnatural, her performance can’t be faulted.
As one of the highest profile releases of summer 2011, The Front Line fell short of expectations at the box office, although 2.9 million admissions is hardly a bomb. It’s not hard to guess why — despite its star power and technical brilliance, the film’s downbeat mood and relentless, soul-draining battle sequences hardly make for escapist fun at the multiplex. The lengthy 133-minute running time came under particular criticism, and it’s a shame director Jang didn’t make the film a bit tighter. Nonetheless, among the crop of recent war movies from Korea including My Way (2011) and 71: Into the Fire (2010), this is clearly the standout work that viewers will be talking about years in the future.
Darcy Paquet