Taegukgi (film)
Encyclopedia
Taegukgi Hwinallimyo is a 2004
South Korean war film
directed
by Kang Je-gyu
. It tells the story about the effect of the Korean War
on two brothers. The film's title is the name of the pre-war Flag of Korea
as well as the postwar Flag of South Korea
. It was released in the United Kingdom
as Brotherhood: Taegukgi and the United States
as Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War.
Kang Je-gyu made a name for himself directing Shiri
and was able to attract top talent and capital to his new project, eventually spending US $12.8 million on production. The film became one of the biggest successes in Korean film history up to that time, attracting 11.74 million people to the theatre, beating the previous record holder Silmido
.
battlefield to set up a memorial
site, the South Korean Army
excavation team notifies an elderly man that they identified some remains as his own. He believes that they may be those of his brother and drives over to the site with his granddaughter.
The story then shifts to Seoul
in June 1950, where the Lee family lives. Jin-tae Lee (Jang Dong-gun
) owns a shoeshine
stand to pay for his younger brother Jin-seok's (Won Bin
) education with the help of a boy named Yong-seok who Jin-seok teaches. Jin-tae's fiancée Young-shin (Lee Eun-ju
) works with the Lee's noodle shop. On June 25, North Korea
invades the country, and chaos erupts across the nation. Jin-seok is conscripted into the army and when his brother tries to get him off the train, he is conscripted as well. The two brothers are sent to a battlefield. They survive their first artillery strike though Jin-seok nearly dies of a heart attack in shock. Jin-tae is told by his commanding officer
that if he can earn the highest award for a South Korean soldier which is the Taeguk Cordon of the Order of Military Merit, his brother can be sent home. Jin-tae willingly volunteers for many dangerous suicidal missions. He is promoted to the rank of Chungsa
(Sergeant
), but Jin-seok says to his brother that he is concerned Jin-tae is risking his life for the glory of being appreciated and having attention. Soon American-led U.N. forces invade South Korea from Incheon
and push the North Koreans close to the Chinese border. The battle of Pyongyang
soon follows, and many die on both sides. During the battle, Jin-tae captures an important North Korean captain (Choi Min-sik
) and is finally awarded with the medal; however, a close friend named Yong-man died in the process, frustrating Jin-seok.
As the unit continue north, they see the aftermath of a few massacres, and in turn massacres some North Korean units. Jin-seok witnesses the carnage and is sickened. On one patrol, the unit encounters a group of North Korean soldiers hiding in a tunnel and one of them turns out to be Yong-seok. Jin-tae and the others want to execute them but Jin-seok says that if they kill unarmed prisoners, they will be no different from those who massacred civilians earlier. Instead, the group are taken as POW's. Yong-seok speaks with Jin-seok, telling him about events at home, and tells him how the family is doing now that they are living under the communists. Soon China enters the war on the communist side, invading North Korea en masse and pushing South Korean and U.N. forces in a desperate retreat south. Yong-seok is killed in a crossfire by Jin-tae when some prisoners make a stand with a hostage. On their way home Jin-tae gets his medal and Young-shin along with Jin-seok is captured and taken by the anti-Communists Federation. After Jin-seok escapes from a guard and Jin-tae tries to hold the anti-Communists back from killing Young-shin, it is discovered she signed up for the Communist Workers' Party of Korea
to get food for the family while saying that the South Korean government gave them nothing in the country's time of need. Furthermore, she is accused of sleeping "with every North Korean officer", which she later states to be not true. A chaotic attempt by prisoners is made to escape. During the struggle, Young-shin is shot and killed by an anti-Communist, and the brothers are arrested for trying to rescue her. Jin-seok cries out as Young-shin's body thrown into the trench along with the other previously executed prisoners. In the jail, Jin-seok quietly mocks Jin-tae for Young-shin's death. Jin-tae is later brought in for questioning by a security commander. His request to release his brother is refused, and a Chinese artillery strike takes place. The security commander then orders the prison to be set on fire where Jin-seok is being held. Trying to rescue his brother, Jin-tae loses his consciousness in the artillery strike and wakes up to mistakenly believe his brother died in the fire. He brutally kills the security commander by bludgeoning him to death just before he is restrained by Chinese soldiers.
In truth, Jin-seok had been transferred to a military hospital, after barely escaping the burning cell, and being saved by a soldier nicknamed Uncle Yang. However, Jin-seok was shot in the escape. Uncle Yang also brings a letter that Jin-tae wrote, and says that Jin-tae was never found but he doubts Jin-tae deserted. When Uncle Yang hands Jin-seok the letter, Jin-seok is apathetic towards both the letter and his brother's uncertain fate. However, the next day, he learns from two South Korean military officers that his brother had defected to the North Koreans. Afterward, he reads Jin-tae's letter to their mother and is brought to tears. He immediately rejoins the army to fight at the 38th parallel
, but is denied permission to fight. Jin-seok escapes his camp and runs to the North Korean site, surrendering to them and claiming that he is Jin-tae's brother; Jin-tae is now the leader of an elite North Korean unit. They send him with an escort to validate his claim, but the North Koreans are attacked by South Korean forces and U.S. warplanes, and Jin-seok's escorts are killed by a U.S. bomber. Jin-seok fights his way through the soldiers before the feared North Korean Infantry Unit known as "Flag Unit", commanded by Jin-tae, arrives to reinforce the North Korean lines. The appearance of Flag Unit turns the tables and forces the South Koreans to retreat.
After killing a few South Korean soldiers and not recognizing his own brother, an enraged Jin-tae tries to kill Jin-seok. The two fight while Jin-seok begs his brother to recognize him. When Jin-tae is about to shoot him, he is wounded by a bayonet
strike. Jin-seok tries to carry him off the battlefield, but is wounded himself as well. Jin-tae finally recognizes his brother. Jin-seok refuses to retreat without Jin-tae, but he convinces him to leave, promising that he will meet him back at home. Jin-tae presents Jin-seok a silver pen which Jin-seok had owned, but was retrieved by Jin-tae at the site of the burnt jail; it was a gift from Jin-tae earlier, in hopes of sending Jin-seok to a university. Jin-seok refuses it and gives it back to Jin-tae, requesting in tears to give it back to him when they would meet again. Jin-tae promises this and also promises to finish the shoes he was making for Jin-seok when he went back, and sends Jin-seok off. The wounded Jin-seok retreats while Jin-tae holds off the North Korean infantry with a machine gun, providing cover for the retreating South Koreans. Communist forces finally kill Jin-tae in a barrage of bullets. Jin-tae gives one last look at his desperately fleeing brother before, with a look of satisfaction from saving his brother, he dies on the battlefield.
The film returns to the modern day, and the now aged Jin-seok is shown at the excavation site, examining Jin-tae's dug-up items, including the long-lost silver pen, and begging his brother's remains to speak to him, quoting their promises made on the battlefield, as his granddaughter looks on with sympathy. It is ironic that the silver ends up in the possession of Jin-seok in this sequence where he reunites with the remains of his brother, Jin-tae, for the last time he saw his brother, the two promised that the next time they meet, Jin-tae will give the pen back to Jin-seok.
The film then returns to the past, ending in the aftermath of the Korean War, where Jin-seok returns to his mother, and sees the shoes his brother actually finished, and then heads off with the Young-shin younger siblings in a peaceful Seoul. He reassures them that he will return to school, thereby fulfilling the promise he made to Jin-tae.
, Taegukgi won the "Best Film" award, while Kang Je-gyu was awarded the "Best Director". It was one of four Korean movies screened at the 2006 International Fajr Film Festival in Iran
. At the 2004 Grand Bell Awards
, the main awards for film in South Korea, Taegukgi won three technical awards, for art direction, cinematography and sound effects.
According to the numbers at Box Office Mojo
, Taegukgi earned 64.8 million in South Korea, $1.1 million in the United States playing in limited release and $68.7 million overall worldwide, to finish as the 75th highest grossing film in the world in 2004. In addition to its record-breaking reception in South Korea, the film has also achieved positive responses abroad. It currently holds a fresh rating of 80 percent at Rotten Tomatoes
. Most positive reviews cite its unflinching portrayal of war and praise it for showing the brutality of both the North and South Korean armies. The film is also recommended by the War Nerd Gary Brecher
.
in Korea and Avex Trax
in Japan. It has 25 tracks, with seven bonus tracks, including a solo piano
and chamber
ensemble arrangement of the main theme. The "haunting" main theme's lyricism, present throughout several of the tracks, was compared favorably to music of film score
composers Ennio Morricone
and John Williams
. Although it was received generally positively, one critic argued that the film was tragic enough already, and needed "a more subtle soundtrack."
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
South Korean war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Kang Je-gyu
Kang Je-gyu
Kang Je-gyu is a South Korean film director. He studied in Chungang University.He firstly got his prize in Korea Youth Film festival and Korea Scenario Awards in 1991.-Career:...
. It tells the story about the effect of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
on two brothers. The film's title is the name of the pre-war Flag of Korea
Flag of Korea
Flag of Korea may refer to:* The flag of North Korea* The flag of South Korea** The list of South Korean flags is the list of other flags used in South Korea....
as well as the postwar Flag of South Korea
Flag of South Korea
The flag of South Korea, or Taegeukgi has three parts: a white background; a red and blue taegeuk in the centre; and four black trigrams, one in each corner of the flag...
. It was released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as Brotherhood: Taegukgi and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War.
Kang Je-gyu made a name for himself directing Shiri
Shiri (film)
Shiri is a 1999 South Korean action film, written and directed by Kang Je-gyu.Swiri was the first Hollywood-style big-budget blockbuster to be produced in the "new" Korean film industry...
and was able to attract top talent and capital to his new project, eventually spending US $12.8 million on production. The film became one of the biggest successes in Korean film history up to that time, attracting 11.74 million people to the theatre, beating the previous record holder Silmido
Silmido (film)
Silmido is a 2003 South Korean film, directed by Kang Woo-suk. It is loosely based on a military uprising from the island of Silmido in the 1970s. At the end of its run, the film was the most watched film ever in South Korea, and the first film to attract an audience of 10 million viewers in the...
.
Plot
While digging up remains at a Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
battlefield to set up a memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
site, the South Korean Army
Republic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...
excavation team notifies an elderly man that they identified some remains as his own. He believes that they may be those of his brother and drives over to the site with his granddaughter.
The story then shifts to Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
in June 1950, where the Lee family lives. Jin-tae Lee (Jang Dong-gun
Jang Dong-gun
-Early life:Spending his childhood in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, he later went on to the Korea National University of Arts, dropping out before obtaining a degree.-Career:Jang Dong-gun first entered the entertainment world in a talent contest in 1992...
) owns a shoeshine
Shoeshine
Shoeshine is a 1946 film and the first major work directed by Vittorio De Sica. In it, two shoeshine boys get into trouble with the police after trying to find the money to buy a horse.-Plot:...
stand to pay for his younger brother Jin-seok's (Won Bin
Won Bin
Won Bin is a top South Korean actor and model.- Early life and beginnings :Won was born and raised in a hamlet in the north of Jeongseon in Gangwon-do, South Korea. He is the fifth and youngest child, with one brother and three sisters. His father was formerly employed in a mine and his mother...
) education with the help of a boy named Yong-seok who Jin-seok teaches. Jin-tae's fiancée Young-shin (Lee Eun-ju
Lee Eun-ju
Lee Eun-ju was a South Korean actress. She died by suicide at the age of 24.-Life and career:Born in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea, Lee moved to Seoul after graduating high school to study acting. She was first noticed in the mid-1990s as a model for school uniforms, and after a number of...
) works with the Lee's noodle shop. On June 25, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
invades the country, and chaos erupts across the nation. Jin-seok is conscripted into the army and when his brother tries to get him off the train, he is conscripted as well. The two brothers are sent to a battlefield. They survive their first artillery strike though Jin-seok nearly dies of a heart attack in shock. Jin-tae is told by his commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
that if he can earn the highest award for a South Korean soldier which is the Taeguk Cordon of the Order of Military Merit, his brother can be sent home. Jin-tae willingly volunteers for many dangerous suicidal missions. He is promoted to the rank of Chungsa
Chungsa
Jungsa is a Korean military rank used by the armed forces of South and North Koreas. A Jungsa is the equivalent to a Sergeant First Class.The rank of Jungsa is junior to a Sangsa in North and South Korea....
(Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
), but Jin-seok says to his brother that he is concerned Jin-tae is risking his life for the glory of being appreciated and having attention. Soon American-led U.N. forces invade South Korea from Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
and push the North Koreans close to the Chinese border. The battle of Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
soon follows, and many die on both sides. During the battle, Jin-tae captures an important North Korean captain (Choi Min-sik
Choi Min-sik
Choi Min-sik is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his critically acclaimed roles in Oldboy and I Saw the Devil.-Movie career:...
) and is finally awarded with the medal; however, a close friend named Yong-man died in the process, frustrating Jin-seok.
As the unit continue north, they see the aftermath of a few massacres, and in turn massacres some North Korean units. Jin-seok witnesses the carnage and is sickened. On one patrol, the unit encounters a group of North Korean soldiers hiding in a tunnel and one of them turns out to be Yong-seok. Jin-tae and the others want to execute them but Jin-seok says that if they kill unarmed prisoners, they will be no different from those who massacred civilians earlier. Instead, the group are taken as POW's. Yong-seok speaks with Jin-seok, telling him about events at home, and tells him how the family is doing now that they are living under the communists. Soon China enters the war on the communist side, invading North Korea en masse and pushing South Korean and U.N. forces in a desperate retreat south. Yong-seok is killed in a crossfire by Jin-tae when some prisoners make a stand with a hostage. On their way home Jin-tae gets his medal and Young-shin along with Jin-seok is captured and taken by the anti-Communists Federation. After Jin-seok escapes from a guard and Jin-tae tries to hold the anti-Communists back from killing Young-shin, it is discovered she signed up for the Communist Workers' Party of Korea
Workers' Party of Korea
The Workers' Party of Korea is the ruling Communist party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , commonly known as North Korea. It is also called the Korean Workers' Party...
to get food for the family while saying that the South Korean government gave them nothing in the country's time of need. Furthermore, she is accused of sleeping "with every North Korean officer", which she later states to be not true. A chaotic attempt by prisoners is made to escape. During the struggle, Young-shin is shot and killed by an anti-Communist, and the brothers are arrested for trying to rescue her. Jin-seok cries out as Young-shin's body thrown into the trench along with the other previously executed prisoners. In the jail, Jin-seok quietly mocks Jin-tae for Young-shin's death. Jin-tae is later brought in for questioning by a security commander. His request to release his brother is refused, and a Chinese artillery strike takes place. The security commander then orders the prison to be set on fire where Jin-seok is being held. Trying to rescue his brother, Jin-tae loses his consciousness in the artillery strike and wakes up to mistakenly believe his brother died in the fire. He brutally kills the security commander by bludgeoning him to death just before he is restrained by Chinese soldiers.
In truth, Jin-seok had been transferred to a military hospital, after barely escaping the burning cell, and being saved by a soldier nicknamed Uncle Yang. However, Jin-seok was shot in the escape. Uncle Yang also brings a letter that Jin-tae wrote, and says that Jin-tae was never found but he doubts Jin-tae deserted. When Uncle Yang hands Jin-seok the letter, Jin-seok is apathetic towards both the letter and his brother's uncertain fate. However, the next day, he learns from two South Korean military officers that his brother had defected to the North Koreans. Afterward, he reads Jin-tae's letter to their mother and is brought to tears. He immediately rejoins the army to fight at the 38th parallel
38th parallel north
The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean...
, but is denied permission to fight. Jin-seok escapes his camp and runs to the North Korean site, surrendering to them and claiming that he is Jin-tae's brother; Jin-tae is now the leader of an elite North Korean unit. They send him with an escort to validate his claim, but the North Koreans are attacked by South Korean forces and U.S. warplanes, and Jin-seok's escorts are killed by a U.S. bomber. Jin-seok fights his way through the soldiers before the feared North Korean Infantry Unit known as "Flag Unit", commanded by Jin-tae, arrives to reinforce the North Korean lines. The appearance of Flag Unit turns the tables and forces the South Koreans to retreat.
After killing a few South Korean soldiers and not recognizing his own brother, an enraged Jin-tae tries to kill Jin-seok. The two fight while Jin-seok begs his brother to recognize him. When Jin-tae is about to shoot him, he is wounded by a bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
strike. Jin-seok tries to carry him off the battlefield, but is wounded himself as well. Jin-tae finally recognizes his brother. Jin-seok refuses to retreat without Jin-tae, but he convinces him to leave, promising that he will meet him back at home. Jin-tae presents Jin-seok a silver pen which Jin-seok had owned, but was retrieved by Jin-tae at the site of the burnt jail; it was a gift from Jin-tae earlier, in hopes of sending Jin-seok to a university. Jin-seok refuses it and gives it back to Jin-tae, requesting in tears to give it back to him when they would meet again. Jin-tae promises this and also promises to finish the shoes he was making for Jin-seok when he went back, and sends Jin-seok off. The wounded Jin-seok retreats while Jin-tae holds off the North Korean infantry with a machine gun, providing cover for the retreating South Koreans. Communist forces finally kill Jin-tae in a barrage of bullets. Jin-tae gives one last look at his desperately fleeing brother before, with a look of satisfaction from saving his brother, he dies on the battlefield.
The film returns to the modern day, and the now aged Jin-seok is shown at the excavation site, examining Jin-tae's dug-up items, including the long-lost silver pen, and begging his brother's remains to speak to him, quoting their promises made on the battlefield, as his granddaughter looks on with sympathy. It is ironic that the silver ends up in the possession of Jin-seok in this sequence where he reunites with the remains of his brother, Jin-tae, for the last time he saw his brother, the two promised that the next time they meet, Jin-tae will give the pen back to Jin-seok.
The film then returns to the past, ending in the aftermath of the Korean War, where Jin-seok returns to his mother, and sees the shoes his brother actually finished, and then heads off with the Young-shin younger siblings in a peaceful Seoul. He reassures them that he will return to school, thereby fulfilling the promise he made to Jin-tae.
Cast
- Jang Dong-gunJang Dong-gun-Early life:Spending his childhood in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, he later went on to the Korea National University of Arts, dropping out before obtaining a degree.-Career:Jang Dong-gun first entered the entertainment world in a talent contest in 1992...
as Lee Jin-tae - Won BinWon BinWon Bin is a top South Korean actor and model.- Early life and beginnings :Won was born and raised in a hamlet in the north of Jeongseon in Gangwon-do, South Korea. He is the fifth and youngest child, with one brother and three sisters. His father was formerly employed in a mine and his mother...
as Lee Jin-seok - Lee Eun-joo as Kim Young-shin
- Choi Min-sikChoi Min-sikChoi Min-sik is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his critically acclaimed roles in Oldboy and I Saw the Devil.-Movie career:...
as North Korean commander
Reception
At the 50th Asia Pacific Film FestivalAsia Pacific Film Festival
The Asia Pacific Film Festival, first held in 1954, is film festival held annually in an Asian country designated by the Board of Directors of the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific.Awards are handed out for:*Best Film*Best Director...
, Taegukgi won the "Best Film" award, while Kang Je-gyu was awarded the "Best Director". It was one of four Korean movies screened at the 2006 International Fajr Film Festival in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. At the 2004 Grand Bell Awards
Grand Bell Awards
The Grand Bell Awards is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea....
, the main awards for film in South Korea, Taegukgi won three technical awards, for art direction, cinematography and sound effects.
According to the numbers at Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. Brandon Gray started the site in 1999. In 2002, Gray partnered with Sean Saulsbury and they grew the site to nearly two million readers when, in July 2008, the company was purchased by Amazon.com through...
, Taegukgi earned 64.8 million in South Korea, $1.1 million in the United States playing in limited release and $68.7 million overall worldwide, to finish as the 75th highest grossing film in the world in 2004. In addition to its record-breaking reception in South Korea, the film has also achieved positive responses abroad. It currently holds a fresh rating of 80 percent at Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Most positive reviews cite its unflinching portrayal of war and praise it for showing the brutality of both the North and South Korean armies. The film is also recommended by the War Nerd Gary Brecher
Gary Brecher
Gary Brecher is the author of The War Nerd, a twice-monthly column discussing current wars and other military conflicts, published in the eXile. A collection of his columns was published by Soft Skull Press in June 2008 ....
.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by Dong-jun Lee, and released on February 23, 2004 as a single CD, produced by Yejeon MediaYejeon Media
Yejeon Media & Entertainment , also known as YJ Media/YJ Entertainment is a South Korean entertainment company/record label founded in 1996...
in Korea and Avex Trax
Avex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
in Japan. It has 25 tracks, with seven bonus tracks, including a solo piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and chamber
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
ensemble arrangement of the main theme. The "haunting" main theme's lyricism, present throughout several of the tracks, was compared favorably to music of film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
composers Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
and John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
. Although it was received generally positively, one critic argued that the film was tragic enough already, and needed "a more subtle soundtrack."
See also
- Cinema of KoreaCinema of KoreaKorean cinema encompasses the motion picture industries of North and South Korea. As with all aspects of Korean life during the past century, the film industry has often been at the mercy of political events, from the late Joseon dynasty to the Korean War to domestic governmental interference...
- Contemporary culture of South KoreaContemporary culture of South KoreaThe contemporary culture of South Korea developed from the traditional culture of Korea, and on its own path away from North Korean culture since the division of Korea in 1948. The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea, especially Seoul, have brought many changes to the way Korean...
- List of films set in or about North Korea
- Taegeuk
- Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
- List of historical drama films of Asia
- Goyang Geumjeong Cave MassacreGoyang Geumjeong Cave MassacreThe Goyang Geumjeong Cave Massacre was a massacre conducted by the police officers of Goyang Police Station of the South Korean Police between 9 October 1950 and 31 October 1950 of 150 or 153 unarmed citizens in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do district of South Korea...
External links
- Review at koreanfilm.org