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Dong-gun Jang, Weon Bin, Eun-ju Lee, Gong Hyeong-Jin, Min-sik Choi ... see more see more... , Su-ro Kim

Korea's leading filmmaker, Kang Je-gyu, directed this epic-scale drama focusing on two brothers caught up in the madness of the war that tore their nation apart in the early '50s. Jin-seok Lee (Weon B... read more read more...in) is a bright and well-educated young man whose older and more physically imposing brother Jin-tae Lee (Jang Dong-gun) believes he represents the best hope for his family's future. When both Jin-seok and Jin-tae are called up to fight in the South Korean army following the advance of Communist forces, a wary Jin-tae cuts a deal with his commanding officer -- if he racks up an impressive enough record on the battlefield, the army will give Jin-seok an early release. Jin-tae proves to be a fearless soldier, and is soon recognized as a war hero, but as the conflict wears on, he develops an unhealthy enthusiasm for the violence of the battlefield, and Jin-seok finds himself questioning his big brother's actions, both as a soldier and as a member of his family. The title Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War refers to the Korean name for the South Korean flag, originally designed in 1876 but outlawed during Japanese rule of the nation, and restored to use in 1948. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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91% liked it

21,200 ratings

Critics

80% liked it

41 critics

R, 2 hr. 28 min.

Directed by: Je-gyu Kang

Release Date: September 3, 2004

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DVD Release Date: February 15, 2005

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Stats: 1,701 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,701)

  • paulkoh110
    March 17, 2012
    paulkoh110
    The action is probably more intense than Saving Private Ryan and that means something! The story progresses from a slow beginning to an epic finale that might bring some to tears. Well worth watching!
  • fb1463751009
    March 9, 2012
    fb1463751009
    Let's be real; Saving Private Ryan is a better movie then Tae Guk Gi. This is movie tries too hard to be exactly like Saving Private Ryan- the action, the cinematography, the camera work... But behind all the technicalities comes a very moving and powerful character-driven story ... read morethat is more riveting then Saving Private Ryan. In comparison to the incredibly gritty "Saving Private Ryan", Tae Guk Gi is more of a blockbuster movie that has more stylized action and drama. Still, this is a must watch.
  • imrealgod
    September 24, 2011
    imrealgod
    I'd never have taken notice of the movie had it not been from the Oldboy director. I've no intention to patronize him, but he's done an outstanding job. His execution of one of the scenes still amazes me. It matched my facial expressions exactly with that of the character for tha... read moret scene. This has been a unique experience for me.


    The movie depicts ups and downs between two brothers who are forced to draft in the 1950 Korean war. It shows how the priorities of one brother change momentarily as he gets to taste some fame, and its terrible outcome before he can snap out of it. While it's not yet-another-war-film IMO (of course, there are few familiar zones), it's certainly no masterpiece. The movie has its moments and is worth a watch if you can sit through scenes of guts falling out literally (on-screen). After all, although brotherhood is its heart and soul, it's also a war film to an extent.
  • WrenchLT
    April 22, 2011
    WrenchLT
    Superb Korean war movie which focuses on two brothers who are drafted into the south Korean army after the communist north start to invade further south. The story is moving and powerful and the battle scenes echo those of Saving Private Ryan's with its gritty realism and bloody ... read moregraphic violence. It's a must-see film that doesn't get embroiled in the political differences and portrays the ordinary people whose lives are turned upside down by the horrors of war.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    November 23, 2010
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "I wish this was all just a dream. I want to wake up in my bed, and over breakfast, I'd tell you that I had a strange dream. Then I would go to school, and you and mom would go to work."

    A drama about the fate of brothers forced to fight in the Korean War.

    <
    ... read morefont size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook">REVIEW
    I know very little about director Je-gyu Kang. He made three films overall and quite interestingly none after 'Taegukgi' from 2004. His creation is very different from the one coming from the other famous Korean director Ki-duk Kim, or from the Korean commercial cinema (horror or science fiction films) which is somehow known in the world.

    'Taegukgi' can be considered to a large extent a replica to 'Saving Private Ryan' by Spielberg. It's a war story involving two brothers caught in the turmoil of the Korean war, with very different personalities and destinies. One of them is the strong character and his initial purpose is saving his younger and weaker brother, sparing him the rest of the war and sending him home. In time his destiny changes and his character seems to head towards the apparently inescapable brutality and insanity of the war. The film becomes at the same time a realistic rendition of a civil war in which the borders between good and evil slowly disappear, as well as a metaphor of the tearing apart of the Korean nation, with the two brothers ending by fighting on opposite camps. The final sacrifice reestablishes the balance but the reconciliation and the peace never come, only death puts end to the life long waiting and desire for getting back together.

    Much of the screening time is filled with the war scenes, some of the best I have ever seen, and Spielberg's movie comes again in mind as the obvious reference. It is hard to say whether the story of the two brothers happens on the background of the war, or it is the war that catches the center of the attention and the story just flows with it. The effect is however strong, the story is moving and for the non-Korean viewer this is an opportunity to learn something about the history and feelings of a nation that is still divided.
  • itsjustme2004
    October 14, 2010
    itsjustme2004
    This was definitely a war movie. Yikes! If someone likes many, many graphic and disgusting war scenes, well this is their movie. Holy cow it was intense. The times that they stopped to have some intimate moments was worth the whole package, however. Well done story. Lots, and lot... read mores of action.
  • arashxak
    December 21, 2009
    arashxak
    Shallow & simplistic to say the least & it's a pity because it had potential, The big brother's change of character & two brothers' interactions & confrontations could have saved the film but the whole thing fails to deliver anything special & memorable and goes for cheesy moment... read mores with super-cheesy music, The battle sequences are well-made though
  • DrBenway
    June 29, 2009
    DrBenway
    "Tae Guk Gi" is by no means perfect. There's a lot of things that could be criticized about the film, but then again, except for a handful of absolute masterpieces (whatever that means to you), all films have flaws. I guess it's just a matter of how much those flaws get to you an... read mored how much you can forgive, and what it is you're looking for in a film. One thing is certain, the film matched my high expectations, and on more than one occasion, surpassed them.

    Photobucket
  • SilentWarProductions2009
    January 3, 2009
    SilentWarProductions2009
    Directed by: Je-gyu Kang.
    Starring: Dong-Kun Jang, Bin Won.

    << "I wish this was all just a dream. I want to wake up in my bed, and over breakfast, I'd tell you that I had a strange dream. Then I would go to school, and you and mom would go to work.... read more" >>

    The story follows a family in 1950's South Korea. You have the mother who owns the noodle shop, working hard to feed her family, Jin-tae, the oldest brother is a shoe shiner and is the same as his mother, works hard to support the family, especially his 18 year old brother Jin-seok, who plans to go to university. When word of war breaks out, Jin-seok is in the age range to become a solider and is sent away without word. Jin-tae hears word of this and fights his way onto the train and goes along to do everything he can to send his brother home....but what follows will test the brothers human nature and sanity.

    Je-gyu Kang is really a genius at what he does, being both writer/director on this film, he brings some amazing things to the plate. The concept around this war expertly created, many realistic themes such as sanity, friendship and family are tested by each beautifully formed character and the horror of war is put against them and we feel it. Although it really does aim for melodrama, you can't help but be swept away with it and you soon realize that there is an emotional core beneath Je-gyu pulling at your heart strings.

    The battle sequences are intense and about as close to realism as we have seen since Saving Private Ryan. It isn't big flashy Hollywood style where you have over the top explosions shot from countless angles, the dirt flies, the gore feels real and the bullets hit hard...and this is all put against some beautiful and moody landscapes shot beautifully and tragically by the cinematographer.

    The acting though I do feel two ways about, during moments of silence, the actors expressions are put to the test and its emotional, but there are times when the sound comes back and it all seems a bit too over-the-top, hence the melodramatic way they wanted to go with the performances.

    Many compare this to Saving Private Ryan and there is nothing similar except for the concept of war. If I was to compare, than I would say that Saving Private Ryan is the American masterpiece on war, while Tae Guk Gi is the Korean masterpiece. Not only is it a horrifying and searing look at the Korean war, but it is also an emotional and powerful look at humanity, family and love.

    87/100

    << "Wills are for dying people. You've got to be strong." >>
  • skactopus
    February 18, 2008
    skactopus
    A dramatic and emotional story thrown into the setting of your typical war movie. The only problem with these types of movies is you really need to be a fan of the genre to get the most out of it. At least we get a taste to see how Korea does it.

    The start of this movie is si

    ... read moremilar to Titanic. A few minutes in the present to set up the story of the past. While it is nice to use the time travel element like this, it does give away the ending. I guess the reason to continue watching a film like this is to see how the ending comes to be. Fortunately, for this film the how is quite good. The concept for this story deals with 2 brothers that end up in the war and although that may not sound original, the story is told nicely. You get to see how war can change a man.

    You have your typical flow of drama, fight, drama, fight, drama, etc. There are a ton of fights in this film, which is nice, but at the same time this film is just a little bit too long. Seeing people get shot, blown up, and killed can be entertainment, but seeing if for a good part of 2 and a half hours is a bit much. With that said this movie is bloody and gory, which it should be. Blood and gore are definitely appropriate in the telling of a war tale.

    The acting is good. The main actors express the right emotions at the right time and they make you feel the bond of brotherhood.

    If you want a nice emotional story and don't mind the war genre this should be on your must see list. Just make sure you can stand the violence.

View All Taegukgi hwinalrimyeo (Brotherhood) (Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jeff Strickler
December 9, 2004
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune

The battle scenes are amazing in their scope and vehemence. But in the breaks between fighting, the movie reminds us that the costs of war can exceed the loss of life and limb. Full Review

Peter Howell
November 12, 2004
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

At times the performances seem more akin to the histrionics of old silent movies, when emotions had to be seen because they couldn't be heard. Full Review

Stephen Cole
November 12, 2004
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail

Although flawed, the film is obviously successful in bringing to life what has been called the 20th century's 'forgotten war.' Full Review

Bob Longino
September 30, 2004
Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Even with its overemotional moments, it's more honest than most. Full Review

Bruce Westbrook
September 24, 2004
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

Brutal yet meaningful, agonizing yet touching, The Brotherhood of War is a harrowing but rewarding experience. Full Review

Andrew Sarris
September 10, 2004
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

Worth seeing for its sheer otherness at a time when Americans are forced to look increasingly at the outside world for new information. Full Review

Gregory Kirschling
September 9, 2004
Gregory Kirschling, Entertainment Weekly

Thanks to its excess, and even at 140 minutes, Tae Guk Gi always entertains, just like Pearl Harbor and the rest of the best of Hollywood's dumb war movies. Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan
September 3, 2004
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

A complex film about the minefield of loyalty and betrayal. Full Review

Stephen Hunter
September 3, 2004
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

A tough and honest film. Full Review

G. Allen Johnson
September 3, 2004
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle

Epic in scope and violent in a way that every war film has to be since Saving Private Ryan, Taegukgi is a big-time movie that never loses sight of its human story. Full Review

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