Chan-wook Park has received a lot of critical acclaim lately not only in his homeland of South Korea but also on the international cinema circuit for his two latest revenge dramas, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance and more recently Oldboy but his star first really started to rise with the military thriller J.S.A. or, Joint Security Area.

The film follows the investigation of a multiple homicide that took place in the Joint Security Area along the border of North and South Korea. Two North Korean soldiers were shot to death – a total of sixteen shots were fired but only fifteen bullets were found (the typical amount housed in the clip of the Beretta used to commit the assault). The only surviving witnesses are two South Korean soldiers and one North Korean officer – all three of whom were present in the building when the attack occurred, and none of whom are willing to open up and explain what really happened.

The Neutral Nations Security Council is called in to handle the investigation and it's lead by a woman of Korean descent who grew up in Switzerland. The more she uncovers about the events that took place that night on the border the thicker the mess she's trying to sort out becomes.

Joint Security Area is a taught and solid mystery with a bit of action thrown in and some very real human drama in spots that fleshes out the story very nicely. While some of the politics and nationalism that plays a big role in the film might be lost on the average North American viewer, the themes of loyalty and friendship that the film uses as a spring board are pretty much universal which makes the film a lot more accessible to international audiences that it might seem on the surface.

While the emphasis of the film is on the relationship that develops between the two pairs of soldiers on opposite sides of the dividing line, Park puts enough action and intrigue into the movie to ensure that the nearly two hour running time moves along at a fast enough pace to keep things interesting, rather than soap operatic. The movie was a huge commercial success in Korea and while it certainly is more accessible or, dare I say it, mainstream than some of the director's more recent films, it's no less a great film.

Park fills his film with a few interesting contrasts between the two sides showing that the North and the South have a lot more in common than either side wants to readily admit to. Something as simple as a cigarette lighter placed in the right context becomes a subtle reminder of the humanity that exists on both sides of the conflict, and a symbol of the unity that doesn't exist where it probably should.

With the morality of the film flying its flag so blatantly, you'd think that the film would come across as preachy but it never does, instead it pulls you into the four men involved in the fiasco and lets their story unfold without brow beating or flag waving of any kind. There are no clear good guys or bad guys in this movie, aside from a commanding officer supporting character or two that's painted in a less than positive light.

In the end, Joint Security Area is a human interest story or a character piece more than it is a thriller but the suspense elements are handled exceptionally well through some clever camera work, excellent performances, and interesting sets (filming in the actual JSA is forbidden so a full size replica was built on the studio lot). Park's film moves at a great pace, gets us inside the heads of those involved in the outcome of the film, and even makes you think a little bit when it's all said and done.

Video:

The image is presented at roughly 2.35.1 and for the most part, the anamorphic picture quality looks good, though there are a few flaws here and there. Edge enhancement is noticeable throughout the transfer and though it's never overpowering it is there none the less. There's also a bit more print damage than you'd expect for a film less than five years old – most of it is simply the odd speck here and there that you'll notice during the night time scenes but there is a scratch or two present as well if you keep an eye open for them. The black levels in the film are a little on the murky side as well, giving some of the darker scenes a bit of a strange look.

It's not all bad though – the colors come through looking very nice and the flesh tones are very natural and lifelike in their appearance. There's a pretty decent level of detail present in both the foreground and the background of the image and the framing looks very nice in terms of shot composition. This isn't a perfect transfer, but it isn't half bad.