Chosin, for Remembrance on July 4th

How would you like to watch a German movie that pretends the Allied invasion was completely rebuffed at Normandy? That is essentially what the recent Chinese blockbuster Battle at Lake Changjin tries to do for the Korean War battle referred to in America and Korea as Chosin Reservoir (the film even opened in America with minimal challenges from what pass for Twitter-approved film critics). The truth is, it was the American Forces who were vastly outnumbered, but inflicted disproportionate casualties on the North Koreans and PLA—not vice versa. With the CCP literally trying to rewrite history, it is important to establish the truth, which director (and former Marine) Brian Iglesias does with authority in the documentary Chosin, which makes perfect 4^th of July viewing (and look for a capsule review in an upcoming issue of American Essence magazine).

The Second World War was not so very long ago, but America had already grown complacent. As a result, many young recruits were being trained by WWII veterans (probably including my grandfather) on the ships bound to Korea. Even to this day, Chosin is considered one of the three bloodiest battles the Marine Corps ever fought. Of course, the Korean War started when North invaded South, despite the DPRK’s propaganda to the country. By the time the Marines landed, South Korea was almost lost. The entire war was also almost lost at Chosin Reservoir.

Basically, the 1^st Marine Division found itself encircled at Chosin, largely by Chinese PLA troops, whom the top brass insisted were not in North Korea. Yet, the 15,000 Americans managed to punch through the 120,000 hostiles surrounding them, in order to escort 98,000 Korean civilians over 78 miles to safety. It is somewhat analogous to Dunkirk, but it was a much greater failure on the PLA’s part, allowing the 1^st Division to largely remain intact.

The veterans Iglesias interviews have harrowing stories to tell of the battle, especially the Marine who fought barefoot in the frozen snow, because he had been wrapped in his sleeping bag when the fighting erupted. Admittedly, they often use colorful terms to refer to the PLA. Yet, it is important to also listen to how movingly they describe their experiences visiting South Korean decades later, as part of the ROK’s ongoing campaign to thank American veterans for their service and sacrifices.

Chosin is the definitive film on the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. It is also an extremely moving work of cinema. Iglesias’s approach to documentary filmmaking is straightforward and conventional, but it suits the seriousness of the subject. Since the CCP is trying to obscure, censor, and rewrite the truth, it is important that we preserve and remember it.

Battle of Jangsari: Young Courage & Sacrifice

In the Korean War, Jangsari was to Inchon roughly what Calais was to Normandy during WWII. It was a massive decoy away from the Allies’ make-or-break landing point, but in this case, flesh-and-blood Korean soldiers were dispatched to sell the illusion. Even for seasoned troops, it would have largely been a suicide mission, but these were primarily students in their teens with mere weeks of training under their belts. Yet, they fought tenaciously, as viewers can tell from the bloody campaign dramatized in Kwak Kyung-taek’s Battle of Jangsari, which opens this Friday in New York.

American forces are barely holding the line, so Colonel Stevens can ill afford to send reinforcements to assist the Jangsari landing. At least he feels terrible about it, but war is war. On the other hand, his Korean counterpart appears completely unfazed. Col. Stevens will do what he can, in part because of the badgering of an American war correspondent transparently modeled after Marguerite Higgins, but they will mostly be on their own.

There were over 760-some student-soldiers at Jangsari, but we only really get to known four or five, in addition to their deeply conflicted captain. Even though he knows the commander will be set-up to be the scapegoat, Captain Lee Myung-joon volunteers to lead the mission, for the sake of the green troops. Choi Sung-pil, a refugee from the North, and Ki Ha-ryun, an emotionally abused and neglected teen from the South, initially clash violently, but mutual respect will be forged on the beaches and in the trenches. Jovial-looking Guk Man-deuk is definitely not a fighter, but he will do everything he can to protect Moon Jong-nyeo, a young woman passing for her brother, her family’s sole male heir.

You could say war is Hell in Jangsari, but it ends too quickly for so many soldiers. This is one of the grittiest, least romanticized war movies in years, but it still (rightfully and accurately) suggests the Communist North were the aggressors, while the South and their Allies were the good guys. Although it is not as entertaining as the rip-roaring Operation Chromite, it is considerably superior to even more downbeat and morally equivalent The Front Line.

Operation Chromite: Gen. MacArthur and the Brave South Korean Commandos

We forget how grim the Korean War looked in 1950. Incheon was safely under iron-fisted Communist control and the front line was all the way down at Busan. However, the tide decisively turned when Gen. Douglas MacArthur led a massive amphibious landing at Incheon (commonly referred to as Inchon in contemporary accounts). An operation like that did not happen without planning. It also required the covert efforts of a team of South Korean commandos attached to the Korean Liaison Office (KLO). Their secret Operation X-Ray will pave the way for the grand titular assault in John H. Lee’s somewhat fact-based Operation Chromite (trailer here), which opens this Friday in New York.

Jang Hak-soo was once a Communist in the North, but the atrocities he saw drove him to defect to the South. Of course, that makes him the perfect candidate to impersonate Park Nam-chul, a military inspector due to give the Incheon fortifications the white glove treatment. He will be played by the always reliable Park Sun-woong, but don’t get too attached to him, for obvious reasons.

Operation X-Ray’s primary objective is the map of the mines placed throughout the narrow inlet to Incheon’s harbor. Unfortunately, the fanatical local commander, Col. Lim Gye-jin holds it closer to his vest than a hand full of five aces. Still, Jang and his men nearly swipe it in a daring daylight heist. With their cover consequently blown, the KLO team will have to improvise with the help of the local underground. The formerly true-believing nurse Han Jae-sun will also join their ranks when her uncle is publicly executed by Lim.

Chromite is a terrific war movie in the Guns of Navarone tradition that approaches the all-out action nirvana of Choi Dong-hoon’s Assassination, but also encompasses the great men and grand strategy of prestige war films. While Lee Jung-jae was wonderfully despicable as Assassination’s turncoat villain, he gets to play the hero this time, carrying himself with mucho action cred and fierce dignity. Lee Beom-soo gleefully preens and chews the scenery with relish as the arrogant Lim, while Jin Se-yun has some rather poignant moments as the rudely disillusioned Han.

However, Liam Neeson will shock the world with his hardnosed but deeply humanistic portrayal of Gen. MacArthur. Unlike previous media caricatures, director John H. Lee and screenwriter Lee Man-hee depict the corn-cob-smoking icon as a soldiers’ general, who profoundly empathizes with the South Koreans and chafes under bureaucratic hand-wringing. He goes far beyond Tommy Lee Jones’ Rich Little act in Emperor, getting to “old soldier” who considers it immoral that DC politicians would ask his men to fight and die with anything less than full victory as their objective.

John H. Lee is becoming the preeminent cinematic chronicler of the Korean War, following-up the first-rate 71: Into the Fire with the even more engaging and ambitious Chromite. The special effects are impressive, but they never overwhelm the human story. Refreshingly patriotic and loaded with adrenaline and testosterone, it is a ripping good war film that keeps faith with the South Koreans, Americans and Allied forces who served in the conflict. Highly recommended, Operation Chromite opens this Friday (8/12) in New York, at the AMC Empire.

(Photo: CJ Entertainment)

A Melody to Remember: the True Story of the War Orphans’ Choir

As the Korean War rages, children really are amongst the hardest hit. Orphans like Dong-goo and Soon-yi are forced to live a Dickensian existence, begging and stealing on the streets of Busan for the Fagin-like “Hook,” (so known, because he has one). However, they might find hope and belonging in a children’s choir organized by South Korean Second Lieutenant Han Sang-yeol. Yet, the war and the exploitative Hook remain as dangerous as ever in Lee Han’s A Melody to Remember (trailer here), which opens today in Queens, New York.

Before the war, Lt. Han was a music student who doted on his little sister. When the Communists occupied their home, they showed the relatively well-to-do children what class warfare really means. Han barely survived, but his sister sadly died. In a year or so, Han matures into a steely junior officer, but his sister’s death continues to haunt him.

Given his education and the recommendation of an MP who once served in his platoon, Han is appointed director of the orphanage on the Busan military base. It is the passion project of ardent South Korean social worker Park Joo-mi. Initially, the battle-hardened Han dismisses her as a dilettante, but they warm to each other as he becomes emotionally involved with the kids. The circumstances of Dong-goo and Soon-yi particularly resonate with him. The brother and sister were orphaned after their father was killed in turn by another grieving father, whose late son he ratted out to the North Koreans. Han would like to break the cycle of violence they are mired in, but technically they are only “on loan” to the choir from the super-connected Hook.

As a “based on a true story” Korean historical drama, you know Melody will be really trying to open up the tear ducts down the stretch. The combination of music, cute kids, and wartime tragedy is certainly potent. Considering its elegiac nostalgia, it is absolutely bizarre to find the film tangentially involved in a government scandal. Allegedly, the chief Korean financial regulatory agency (FSC) was strong-arming banks and insurance companies to buy bulk quantities of tickets, because lead actor (and K-pop star) Siwan serves as their media spokesman. If true, this has to be one of the most ill-conceived cases of government malfeasance ever.

It is actually rather a shame, because Siwan is surprisingly good as Lt. Han, but he might not get the credit he deserves in light of the FSC’s meddling, at least in Korea. Siwan also shows a strong affinity for his young co-stars and develops some decent chemistry with Ko Ah-sung’s Park. Lee Hee-joon makes the most of Hook’s ambiguities (he is not quite the jerk-heel villain we first expect), but it is little Lee Re who truly rips out the viewer’s heart and stomps on it, as poor grief and guilt-stricken Soon-yi.

Yes, Melody is nakedly manipulative, but it succeeds in wrenching hearts and jerking tears. If you want to see a quality melodrama, this is it. Recommended for those who like their films sad and sweeping, A Melody to Remember opens today (2/5) at the AMC Bay Terrace in Bayside, Queens.

DC K-Cinema: 71 Into the Fire

It was relatively early in the Korean War, but it was very nearly the Republic of Korea’s last stand. A ragtag contingent of seventy-one student-soldiers were assigned to hold off the dreaded 766^th Regiment at the P’ohang-dong Girl’s Middle School while the beleaguered allies dug in at the Naktong River. They faced Alamo-like prospects, but they were not about to give up without a fight. Brace yourself for the carnage and heroism of John H. Lee’s 71: Into the Fire (trailer here), which screens next week as part of the Washington, DC Korean Cultural Center’s monthly K-Cinema series.

Oh Jang-beom saw plenty of action before the South Korea Army was forced to retreat, but he never fired off a shot. Still, Captain Kang Suk-dae appreciates the implications of his experience, so he places Oh in charge of the newly formed student-soldier unit. They are to hold the P’ohang Middle School against the expected Communist onslaught, to prevent the Naktong forces from getting outflanked. To complicate the situation, surly delinquent Gu Kap-jo challenges his authority at every turn. The green recruits under his uncertain command simply have no idea what war entails.

Making matters even worse, the ruthless Major Park Moo-rang is leading the drive towards the middle school. Even though he is a true believer, he also happens to be the North’s most capable battlefield commander. Yet, he still finds his orders second-guessed by the regiment’s political officer.

71 opens and closes with massive spectacles of warfighting conflagrations, fitting in several tense skirmishes in between. This is the sort of film that can give you a concussion. Lee is clearly not fooling around with a lot of phony melodrama. While Park Jin-hee (the court nurse in Shadows in the Palace) briefly appears as a compassionate military RN, most of the film revolves around shooting at the enemy. War is definitely Hell in 71, but the film’s sympathies are clearly with the ROK. Despite Park’s professed desire for unification, his ideals are constantly undermined by cruel and craven political officer.

While many of the seventy-one student-soldiers blend together, K-pop rapper T.O.P. (a.k.a. Choi Seung-hyun) manages to project a slow-burning intensity above all the explosive bedlam surrounding him. It is a dynamite screen debut that deservedly racked up a number of Korean popular choice film awards. Frankly, he barely looks like he is out of middle school himself, which lends the film further authenticity and poignancy. 71 was definitely his coming out party, albeit one produced with the cooperation of the Korean Defense Ministry and released to coincide with the 60^th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. Nevertheless, Cha Seung-won’s Park vividly personifies condescending arrogance, while as Kang, Kim Seung-woo anchors the film with steely gravitas.

Without a doubt, 71 is one of the best produced war films of recent vintage, ranking just below My Way and considerably above Fury and The Front Line. It is viscerally immersive, but T.O.P., Kim, and even Park Jin-hee maintain a strong human connection. Recommended for mainstream war movie audiences, 71: Into the Fire screens this coming Thursday (8/27) at the Korean Cultural Center in DC.

Submitted by the ROK: The Front Line

When a South Korean officer is killed with one of his troops’ weapons, someone has to investigate. It is also a convenient way to move a trouble-making lieutenant out of the way. Indeed, war is brutal, messy, and soul-deadening in Jang Hun’s The Front Line (trailer here), Korea’s official best foreign language Oscar submission, which opens this Friday in New York.

A vocal critic of the drawn-out peace negotiating process, Kang Eun-pyo is assigned to investigate irregularities reported within the “Alligator Company” dug-in around the pedestrian looking but strategically prized Aero.K hill. In addition to the suspicious death of a despised commander, several letters from North Korean soldiers have been posted to family members in the south by someone in the company. A mole is suspected.

However, when Kang arrives, he discovers the situation is murkier than that. There has been a form of communication flowing between the two sides, but it is born of survivors’ fellowship rather than espionage. Still, he maintains suspicions regarding Kim Su-hyeok, a comrade from the early days of the war long presumed to be a POW, but evidently serving as the Company’s lieutenant.

Over the course of the film, Alligator Company will take, lose, and regain the fateful hill over and over again. It would get somewhat repetitive if not for the intense warfighting scenes, rendered by Jang in a take-no-prisoners style. Line’s sense of place is so strong, audiences will feel they know every inch of that crummy nub of a hill.

Do not get too attached to any characters in Line. Jang will call up their numbers at the most arbitrary of times, as befits the nature of war. Nonetheless, there are many strongly delineated characters. In fact, the self-medicating Captain Shin Il-yeong and the darkly brooding Lt. Kim, memorably played by Lee Je-hoon and Ko Soo respectively, clearly bear the spiritual scars of war. As the film’s only substantial female character, Kim Ok-bin also hints at a host of inner conflicts as the soon-to-be not so mysterious woman often seen foraging near the battlefield.

Like Jang’s previous film Secret Reunion (which screens February 15th in New York as part of the Korean Cultural Service's regular cinema showcase), Line not very subtly advocates for reunification, arguing divisions are merely an arbitrary matter of hills and parallels. Of course, it ignores the grim reality of the DPRK, in which famine is commonplace and the gulags are so extensive, they are the only features of the country that can be seen from space. While the soldiers could easily lose sight of it in the carnage surrounding Aero.K, there were indeed real stakes and consequences to the war. Whether it was also prosecuted competently, is an entirely fair and separate question.

Regardless, Jang masterly stages some of the most realistic, decidedly unheroic battle scenes viewers will see at the theater this year. It is a powerful, draining statement, recommended for connoisseurs of war movies, including the anti-war variety. Line opens this Friday (1/20) in New York at the AMC Empire and in the Bay Area at the AMC Cupertino.